Culture of Rice in Thailand
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[edit] Introduction
The Thai expressing kin khao is translated as "to eat," Indeed, here where rice has been a staple for centuries, the two are synonymous.The rice-planting season begins in May, when the king presides over the ancient ploughing ceremony at Sanam Luang, in Bangkok. This Brahmanic rite symbolised the attention that the spirits give to the prospects for the forthcoming rice harvest.
[edit] Culture of Rice
Cultivating rice is by necessity a cooperative effort, tightening the bonds of family and community. According to tradition, a farmer can ask fellow villagers to help with the work, and without having to pay for their labour. All that is expected from the host is a meal during the day, and perhaps some rice liquor in the evening. In the countryside, nearly everyone is a farmer as they put aside normal jobs to help with the preparation of paddy fields and the sowing of seed. Children are on holiday from school, as they will be when harvesting begins later in the year.
The social importance of this cooperation can hardly be exaggerated. It has a direct influence on individual behaviour, because if there are problems between individuals, families and communities, the work will not get done. Moreover, it is believed that quarrelling will upset the rice spirit and the crop may fail. Soon after the rice seedlings are transplanted into the paddy fields, villagers leave token packets of rice and other food in the fields, as offering to the rice spirit.
A ceremony important to the crop is the Boon Bang Fai, or skyrocket festival, which assures abundant rains. The festival that takes place as the monsoon rains begin has Buddhist orgins, although it also contains elements of Brahmanism and animism. Buddhists say it began at the death of the Lord Buddha, when one of his grieving disciples, unable to reach his torch to the top of the funeral pyre, hurled it up to the top in a manner similar to the appearance of skyrockets being shot off. Villagers make their own rockets with gunpowder, launching them from a ladder-like structure, or from a very tall tree. Monks are involved, and if the rockets do not go off properly, the monks will lose prestige.
The cooperative effort given to the rice crop continues through the growing months. One of the most onerous tasks is keeping birds away from the ripening grain. By early December, rice is ripe enough for harvesting in Thailand's rice bowl, the central plains, and the in the north, but the harvest comes later in the south. Harvesting schedules are fixed by common consent within each village.
Finally, when the rice is in the barns, the famers at last relax and enjoy themselves. And it is then that they celebrate Songkran - the most joyous festival of the year, which marks the beginning of the traditional Thai new year, in April.
[edit] Agribusiness in Thailand
Big commercial farmers and agribusiness companies produce rice on a mammoth scale. Chemicals have now supplanted the powers of the rice spirit. Former farmers have left their fields altogether, and instead work on roads, drive trucks, and maintain tractors. Rice is no longer the top Thai export, but it is still a vital one - Thailand continues to remain the world's top rice exporter, earning about US$ 2 billion annually.
[edit] Reference
1. Discovery Channel by Scott Rutherford, "Insight Guides: Thailand.", APA Publications GmbH & Co., 2004.
2. Discovery Channel by Steve Van Beek, "Insight Pocket Guide: Thailand.", APA Publications GmbH & Co., 2004.
