Wisdom Gem of ASEAN

Prayong Ronnarong Thai Wisdom Teacher “Wisdom Gem of ASEAN”

Office of the Education Council Ministry of Education

371.1 S 691 P

Office of the Education Council Prayong Ronnarong Thai Wisdom Teacher

“Wisdom Gem of ASEAN”. Bangkok :

Institute of Promotion and Thai Wisdom

Development, 2012. 190 Pages. ISBN : 978-616-270-020-0 1. Thai Wisdom Teacher 2. Title

Prayong Ronnarong Thai Wisdom Teacher “Wisdom Gem of ASEAN”

OEC Publications The 1st edition ISBN Amount Published by Printed by

No. 18/2555 May 2012 978-616-270-020-0 2,000 copies Institute for Thai Wisdom Promotion and Development Office of the Education Council Ministry of Education Sukhothai Road, Dusit, Bangkok 10300 Tel. (662) 6687110-24 ext. 2439 Fax. (662) 6697736 http://www.onec.go.th Printing Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives of

Thailand Ltd. 79 Ngamwongwan Road, Ladyao, Jatujak, Bangkok 11900 Tel. (662) 5164567

PREFACE

O

Office of the Education Council (OEC) publishes Prayong

Ronnarong Thai Wisdom Teacher “Wisdom Gem of ASEAN” according to the scheme “Knowledge Development of Thai Wisdom Teacher”. This book is aimed to develop the National Education through the education system, non-formal education and informal education on knowledge, philosophy and experience of Thai Wisdom Teachers in various fields : Agriculture, Industry & Craft, Thai Traditional Medicine, Natural Resources & Environment Management, Funds & Community Business, Arts, Language & Literature, Philosophy Religion and Tradition, Cuisine. This scheme meets the great success that is acknowledged all over the country and internationally. Thus, learning media has been developed in different forms: publications, media, etc. This publication is the mission of OEC, Ministry of Education (MoE), which is the agency for the National Education policy. The publication is part of the Cabinet policy, announced to Parliament on Tuesday 25 August 2011, in Education policy under Social policy and Quality of Life, announced on a significant reform in the knowledge of Thai society : upgrade the knowledge level to meet international standards; promote the scheme of National textbooks containing advance knowledge, International knowledge and Local Wisdom; enhance reading and the learning of foreign languages&dialects; provide a knowledge management system to support the global change and to be equal to the international standards based on the locality and Thai.

Teacher Prayong Ronnarong is the complete model on leading Thai Wisdom to achieve maximum performance in developing quality of life for locals in the Mai Riang community, Chwang district, Nakhon Si Thammarat province, through a lifetime learning process. The community has become the model of the first Master community plan, which was later on promoted in other Thai local communities to be provided corresponding to their needs. The Master community plan has been ever since contained in the National Economic and Social Development Plan. The achievement as a Thai Wisdom Teacher in leading the wisdom to develop National Education, community life, and wellbeing of the people toward the sustainable accomplishment leads to such a fame that allowed Teacher Prayong Ronnarong to be honored by both national and international agencies. He is the first Thai Wisdom Teacher who won the Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership in 2004. OEC has translated the book into an English version in order to publicize Thai Wisdom of Thai Wisdom Teacher beyond the ASEAN Community and all its nations. OEC strongly believe that Thai Wisdom is one of the universal wisdom in mankind. The Magsaysay Award is not only the honor to life of Thai Wisdom teachers in all regions, but also the Prestige of the Thai Nation.

(Dr.Anek Permvongseni) Secretary-General Office of the Education Council

CONTENTS

Preface Teacher Worship lyrics Introduction cartoon

1. Genesis : “The First Chapter of Life” 15 1.1 Journey of the Future 17 1.2 First Chapter of Sageness 23 1.3 With Spirit of A Teacher 51 Teacher: In Dimension of Thai Ways of Living

2. Middle age : “Philosophy” 59 2.1 Treasure Within 61 2.2 Divine Inspiration 72 2.3 Dignity of Master (Bhumi Thai), Moral Mind 77 (Bhumi Dhamma)

3. Everlasting Time : “Work” 83 3.1 Thai Wisdom Towards Human Development 85 3.2 Thai Wisdom Towards Community Potential 90 Development 3.3 Thai Wisdom Towards Local Potential 99 3.4 Thai Wisdom Towards Nation Development 111 3.5 Five Innovations of National Wisdom in 131 Mai Riang Community Beyond all the Nations 3.6 Way of the Sage 148

CONTENTS 4. Honor of Life : “Wisdom Gem of ASEAN” 4.1 Thai Wisdom : “Wisdom of Suvarnabhumi” 4.2 Thai Wisdom teacher : “Wisdom Gem of ASEAN” 4.3 Historical Passage of Prayong Ronnarong : “Dignity of Thai Wisdom Teacher is the Dignity of Nation”

Annex I Author and Editor

Annex II Persons and Reference

Annex II Production Team

163 165 168 175

183 186 188

“Of course, I know 5FBDIFSǰ1SBZPOHǰ But I won’t say Ķ0Iǰ*ǰ4FFķǰZFUǰBTǰ*ǰ IBWFǰUPǰTFFǰJUǰųSTUǰ IBIBķ

“Hey Boss! Do you know that UIFǰ57ǰQSPHSBNǰĳ5IFǰ8JTEPNǰ of Land’ will next week present the story about Proyong Ronnarong Thai wisdom 5FBDIFSǰPGǰ0&$ ķ “Hmm such an early morning joke you made! 0&$ǰTUBOETǰGPSǰ0GųDFǰPGǰ Education Council, Ministry PGǰ&EVDBUJPOǰ/PUǰĶ0Iǰ*ǰ 4FFķǰ8IFSFǰEJEǰZPVǰHPǰUPǰ TDIPPMǰIVI

Ķ8FMM ǰ XIBUǰ QFSTQFDUJWFTǰ PGǰ 5FBDIFSǰ TIPVMEǰ XFǰ QSFTFOU ǰ )FĴTǰ TPǰ UBMFOUFEǰ JOǰ many ways! Since persuading people in Mai Riang community to produce the best quality rubber sheets of Asia; combination farming; establishing a Community MFBSOJOHǰDFOUFSǰMFBEJOHǰQFPQMFǰJOǰDPNNVOJUZǰUPǰQSPEVDFǰSJDFǰWFSNJDFMMJǰŴPVSǰ that could make money to the community for 49 million Baht in the past year! "OEǰUIFǰPSJHJOǰPGǰUIFǰXPSEǰĶ'SFTIǰSJDFǰWFSNJDFMMJķǰXBTǰGSPNǰUIJTǰ.BJǰ3JBOHǰDPNNVOJUZǰ Teacher guided the people to build their own rubber sheet factory, including create their own funds, welfare, which later on became the model of Master DPNNVOJUZǰQMBOǰGPSǰUIFJSǰPXOǰTFMGSFMJBODFǰDPNNVOJUZǰ5IJTǰNBEFǰ0GųDFǰPGǰUIFǰ /BUJPOBMǰ &DPOPNJDǰ BOEǰ 4PDJBMǰ %FWFMPQNFOUǰ #PBSEǰ TFFǰ BOEǰ UBLFǰ UIFJSǰ .BTUFSǰ DPNNVOJUZǰQMBOǰJOUPǰUIFǰ/BUJPOǰ%FWFMPQNFOUǰQMBOǰ0OǰUPQǰPGǰUIBU ǰIFǰJTǰUIFǰųSTUǰ 5IBJǰ8JTEPNǰUFBDIFSǰJOǰ ǰXIPǰXPOǰ3BNPOǰ.BHTBZTBZǰ"XBSEǰGPSǰ$PNNVOJUZǰ -FBEFSTIJQǰJOǰ “Aha! such a brilliant CPTTķ

“Hey, you know %Sǰ4PNLJBUǰPGUFOǰ invited me!! But don’t let anyone know about this, QMFBTFķ Ķ%S4PNLJBUǰ must be an JOFYQFSU ǰ#PTTķ “ My Boss is so brilliant! Such a great creative producer of our QSPHSBNǰ8JTEPNǰ of Land, indeed! 4VQFSǰDPPMķ

“Teacher Prayong said Combination Plantation means planting NBOZǰEJGGFSFOUǰUSFFTǰBOEǰQMBOUTǰBUǰPODFǰ&BDIǰQMBOUǰHSPXTǰBUǰEJGGFSFOUǰ UJNFǰBOEǰTFBTPOTǰ5IFSFGPSF ǰ.BJǰ3JBOHǰDPNNVOJUZǰDBOǰIBSWFTUǰBOEǰ TFMMǰUIFJSǰQSPEVDUTǰBMMǰZFBSǰSPVOEǰBOEǰFBSOǰPOHPJOHǰJODPNFǰ.PSFPWFS ǰ DPNCJOBUJPOǰGBSNJOHǰDBOǰQSFWFOUǰQMBOUTǰGSPNǰQFTUTǰBOEǰJOTFDUTǰ5IBUǰ VTFTǰMPDBMǰ5IBJǰXJTEPNǰTJODFǰBODJFOUǰUJNFTķ

“Here we are, the Combination Farming from our Thai ǰXJTEPNķ

“So what is it BCPVU ǰCPTT ķ

“The Rubber tree is an economic plant of the Mai Riang community, but it is JOFEJCMFǰ)PXFWFS ǰGSVJUTǰǰ vegetables are essential as PVSǰGPPEǰ5IVT ǰ5FBDIFSǰ Prayong has planted his own as a model on saving a lot of NPOFZǰFBDIǰZFBSķ

“So when will we arrive at Teacher Prayong’s place, if keeping survey around like this, CPTT ķ

“Little sponsored, we need to be NPSFǰQBUJFOUǰ )BIBķ

“How far to go still, CPTT ķ

“You see that NPVOUBJOǰGBSǰBIFBE ǰ That’s where Teacher MJWFTǰķ

“How come the Sage loves to live in the middle of mountains, just like Zhuge -JBOH ǰ"OEǰXIZǰ didn’t we hire a car,

“Ah look at you, boss! You act like the owner! Keep in mind that we haven’t been paid for this work yet! You’ll see what will happen BGUFSǰUIFǰXPSLķ

“Yes! Here we are, Teacher’s place! Let’s see what he has done to get TPǰNBOZǰBXBSETǰ:PVǰUXPǰOFFEǰUPǰ be hard-working like him so that ZPVǰDBOǰHBJOǰTVDIǰBDIJFWFNFOUķ

Ķ/PǰXPOEFSǰIFǰJTǰUIFǰ4BHF ǰ the Thai wisdom teacher! /PǰNBUUFSǰIPXǰGBSǰIFǰMJWFT ǰ his work is well known CFZPOEǰBMMǰOBUJPOTķǰ

1

GENESIS:

“The First Chapter of Life”

/PXBEBZT ǰ USBWFMJOHǰ UPǰ UIFǰ Mai Riang community is very DPOWFOJFOUǰ 5IFǰ XBZǰ BMPOHǰ UIFǰ freshly green rubber trees shows BOEǰSFŴFDUTǰUIFǰBCVOEBODFǰPGǰUIFǰ Land and the wisdom of the Mai Riang locals

#FIJOEǰ UIFǰ HSBTTǰ ųFMETǰ OFYUǰ to the main road, the production source of the best quality rubber QMBOUǰJOǰ"TJBǰDBOǰCFǰGPVOE Beyond the rubber tree land, located in the central mountain, that used to be the source of 8PMGSBNJUFǰ BOEǰ UIFǰ TBWBHFǰ MBOEǰ for strangers to exploit, until it became a cemetery of the gloomy BWBSJDFǰJOǰQBTUǰUJNFǰ Rubber is known as white gold UPǰUIFǰ.BJǰ3JBOHǰMPDBMTǰ*UǰǰXBTǰPODFǰ XPSUIMFTT ǰCSJOHJOHǰBǰWFSZǰMPXǰQSJDFǰ /FWFSUIFMFTT ǰXJUIǰUIFǰXJTEPNǰBOEǰ the intellectual power of the local people they developed the quality PGǰSVCCFSǰBUUFOUJWFMZ At present, this rubber tree land has become a learning class for the rubber horticulture profession of all domestic and international rubber planters, as the best quality rubber JTǰQSPEVDFEǰGSPNǰUIJTǰDPNNVOJUZ

Thai Wisdom Teacher “Wisdom Gem of ASEAN”

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1.1 Journey of the Future

Once upon a time…

The beautiful culture of Thai society that was inherited for a long time is that when people and society honor the virtue of a person to be a model in community or society, that person will be apparently be admired throughout the land for his/her goodness, not only for his/her own sake, but also for the parents who gave such a good person to the community, society and the nation, they were remembered and recognized as a model giving dignity for our community, region and nation which is part of the mankind. Our society believes that good roots is the good norm for descendants to live on. When a child behaves oneself and has wisdom beyond the parents, society will praise him/her as an Apichatbutr. Apichatbutr is born to make the dignity to his/her family and the honor their mother land and country of residence. Teacher Prayong Ronnarong, the first Thai wisdom teacher of the Office of Education Council (OEC), Ministry of Education (MoE) and all the Thai people, that won the Magsaysay award for Community Leadership

Mr Huang & Mrs Chaeng Ronnarong, Fahther & Mother of Teacher in 2004 from Ramon Prayong Ronnarong Magsaysay Award

18

Prayong Ronnarong

Foundation which gives awards to people of spirit in selfless service, is an Apichatbutr of Mr Huang & Mrs Chaeng Ronnarong, farmers in Chwang district, Nakhon Si Thammarat province, who produced this good person in service to Thai people, our society and nation. He was born on 24 August 1937 at house No.47 Village No.5 Sub-district Na Krasae, District Chwang, Province Nakhon Si Thammarat. Teacher Prayong graduated from the compulsory education grade 4, from Baan Nasae School in his hometown. Grade Four graduation was the education standard of Thai society in the old days. He continued his studies at secondary school grade 7. Soon after that, he got malaria and had to take a long break from school. His long break from school caused him to fall behind his classmates. At the same time, the price of rubber was increasing, so rubber tappers had more income respectively. Thus, teacher Prayong decided to drop his studies in the education system to help his parents tap the sap and grow rice and other vegetables. As a result, his education was finished on the compulsory education system of the time. Although educational background seemed to be a symbol of life without poorness, at least the basic national education in the past was an honor to life better than those without it, which were considered at a disadvantage to people without education, and possibly one of the problems of society that led the country to be categorized as a Developing country. Studying in classroom with a common national curriculum may contradict the realities and community ways of living, but one good thing is that we use the same language: the official language to communicate throughout regions. The transcript of Grade 4 was the accreditation for the graduation in compulsory education. In realities, teacher Prayong had his original idea that education gives only knowledge according to the curriculum, but learning for professional skills was just the beginning without any curriculum and the ending date.


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Studying is the matter of schooling with levels and curriculum. Learning is the matter of living with wisdom and sagacity for a lifetime. This way of Learning has become a significant model in lifetime learning of the present days.

The first Life classroom

Teacher Prayong is not a scholar abundant of educational qualifications and theories from schools in the education system. Although he might not understand the definition of the word “knowledge” and “knowing”, the knowing of Teacher Prayong has become the great infinite knowledge to people in the community and to Thai society for the best model in developing ideas, standard of living, community and the nation to advance with targets under a continuing successful practice. That develops into various forms of knowledge to Thai society, corresponding to the environment, intellect, and context of each community for the victory in sustainable development. The first classroom learning of Teacher Prayong was neither the classroom in Baan Nasae elementary school in his hometown, nor his first teacher that made him read and write, nor the Principle’s signature accrediting his Grade Four graduation. The first learning classroom learning experience of Teacher Prayong was during the pregnancy of Mrs Chaeng, the mother who nurtured her baby boy warmly for 9 months to survive before being delivered to the second classroom that consisted of the mother’s lap and a hug, instead of a table and chair to learn the world that is much larger than the small room in pregnancy, including warm milk from mother’s breasts for him to learn to survive before entering into the education system for the third classroom in school and the fourth classroom that is for life indefinitely in diversity.

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Prayong Ronnarong

At present time…

At the moment of delivering Teacher Prayong, Mr Huang the father and Mrs Chaeng the mother might not know that their son would have become the person who would benefit the homeland and the land of Siam this much. A boy with Grade four graduation that was unhealthy, with no chance to pursue his studies like his other friends, whose parents had taught him Life lessons to make a living since his childhood, never knew when he grew up that he was not only a son of his parents, but also likewise the son of his homeland born to make contributions to society and the nation infinitely. Contributions to the great wisdom that Teacher Prayong Ronnarong has given to the land as its treasure initiated from the wisdom of a basic knowledge of Grade four elementary school. But the Masterpieces created with the skills and potential of Teacher Prayong have been realized by many academic institutes, which agreed that it is much greater than any normal grade-four graduates could achieve. He has been honored and given many awards as follows:

Academic Degrees

2003 : 2004 : 2004 : 2005 : 2005 :

Master of Arts (Political Science), Ramkhamhaeng University Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy,Department of Community

Development, Taksin University Honorary Doctorate of Arts, Nakhon Si Thammarat Rajabhat

University Honorary Master of Science (Agriculture), Kasetsart University Honorary Doctorate of Community Development, Thammasat

university


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2005 : Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy, Department of Community Management, Walailak University 2005 : Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy(Social Development),

National Institute of Development Administration(NIDA) 2005 : Honorary Bachelor of Science (Agriculture), Rajamangala

University of technology Srivijaya 2006 : Honorary Doctorate of Science (Agriculture), Prince of SongklaUniversity 2006 : Honorary Degree, Thailand National Defence College(NDC)

2548

Honor Awards

1987 : 1994 : 1997 : 2001 : 2006 : 2009 :

Leadership Award for Career Advancement, Community

Development Committee, Ministry of Interior Good Person for Society Dignity Award, Office of the National

Cultural Commission, Ministry of Education Outstanding Cultural Presenter Award, Office of the National

Cultural Commission, Ministry of Education The First Thai Wisdom Teacher Award for Funds and

Community Business, Office of Education Council (OEC), The

Prime Minister’s Office National Individual Award, The Prime Minister’s Office Sage of Agriculture Award for Community and Network

Leadership, Department of Agricultural Extension, Ministry of

Agriculture and Cooperatives

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Prayong Ronnarong

Origin of the Future…

Teacher Prayong Ronnarong was born to be not only an Apichatbutr to the parents, but also to benefit the homeland, the land of Siam and Thai society significantly. The academic degrees given for his qualification in service to national education by many academic institutes, including awards and honors from agencies toward himself and his family, are the great symbol for the worship to the server of Thailand. That is the result of the endeavor, the commitment and the wisdom to be impressed in the Land. Look back into the past to learn the start of the Future of Teacher Prayong Ronnarong’s achievements, through philosophy, work methods, ways of conserving, inheriting and developing Thai Wisdom, the wisdom of Land beyond all the nations in diverse dimensions and so on.


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1.2 First Chapter of Sageness

Intellectual Capital The Origin of Folk Sage

The word “Sage” gives a great definition, Teacher Prayong never thought that it would become a qualification title to him who graduated from a compulsory education and later on became the significant reliance and hope of society. The first chapter of folk Sageness of Teacher Prayong was collected from his own learning experience in various professional work, especially at the age of four years, which was the primary life range of efficiently learning all Grandpa Khian Jinatan & Granny Klai Kotchrit : Grandfather & Grandmother whom Teacher Prayong comings to his life. Back then he mentioned with sincerely respect that in his preschool was accustomed to Grandpa childhood, they cultivated him with wisdom, responsibilities, and being greater giver. Khian (his grandfather) and Granny Klai (his grandmother) whose house was only 30 meters away from his. At this time of his life, he was usually accompanied by his grandparents at their place and assisted them on every little thing that they asked. His assistance seemed only little; he always put all his willing on that for his grandparents. He started by massaging them before their bedtime. From time to time he would slow down and eventually stop massaging when he saw Grandpa Khian fell asleep.

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Prayong Ronnarong

As a result, Grandpa Khian opened his eyes and requested gently for the ongoing massage. This ongoing massage could not be predicted how much longer was to go. But it was usually a pretty long massage. Today Teacher Prayong has got the conclusion from Grandpa Khian’s reaction in the old days: That was a Life lesson on Human duty and responsibilitiy which must be taken on with willingness and patience. “Grandpa Khian was the Folk Sage” stated Teacher Prayong with vivid eyes, reviewing the image of his old days. The word “Sage” that Teacher Prayong mentioned is not surreal that he as a grandchild talking about his Grandpa Khian who was a pharmacist and book expert who was acknowledged by all the people, back in those days. “Grandpa particularly loved writing. In those days, the book was called “Bud” or “Sa mut koi”, a Thai hand-made long book.” The book paper was made of Agarwood pulp. The Ink was made from Myrobalan. And the writer was a quill pen made from silver sheet with the exquisiteness. The writing that Teacher Prayong had learned and absorbed since childhood was Herbal Pharmacopoeia, Auspicious texts, and Poetry books especially Kobutr Pannarangsi for instance. When his grandpa realized that his grandson helped make paper with full willing and liked reading so much despite lacking schooling, he played two roles of both Grandfather and teacher to his grandson: teaching literature and writing. And when children and friends in neighborhood came to play with his Grandson, Grandpa Khian would do storytelling to them when he had time. The stories he was telling: Ramayana, Krai Sit, Kobutr Pannarangsi, etc, which give the moral ideas and entertain children at the same time. After the stories, Grandpa Khian would instruct Teacher Prayong to practice reading and writing regularly. “I could read and write before going to school” said Teacher Prayong on his childhood.


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Wise manner of Sage …Sages recognize themselves

The sageness of Grandpa Khian was not guaranteed by the official title, but the appreciation and the respects from all folks. He was such a Wit, which nowadays is defined Sage. Grandpa Khian was not only a wit, but also a generous person. No matter when people were sick, he would prepare them medicine or give a medicine formula for those who know about herbs to prepare on their own. A traditional physician or a Thai traditional physician of the village, Grandpa Khian was also skillful about Laws, that he could help people when in need.

Thus, he was at the same time a physician, a lawyer and a teacher of the community. Considering all this, the sageness of Grandpa Khian would, no wonder, be totally inherited so far to the grandson through the fact of Action, Living and Reality. In particularly, the knowledge was cultivated in his grandson since early childhood to the fluent level of reading and writing. This qualification is the trait of Sage, as said in the ancient time that Wise manner of Sage, Sages recognize themselves. Sages can perceive the sageness themselves.

Wars Create Troubles Wisdom Creates Mankind

In 1941, The Second World War happened. The aftermath of the war had an impact on many countries, including Thailand. Before the World War, Teacher Prayong did not realize any troubles because food was abundantly found and shared among the community members. The memories from his age of four are mainly about the abundance of resources in the community. And one of the memories that he can think of the most is the teaching of Grandpa Khianwhat to all community members: “Work not only for a living, but for saving as well”. “Work for saving, the teaching of Grandpa Khian, means to save for the need of healing, to live or to die”, explained Teacher Prayong via his memo.\\ “At

26

Prayong Ronnarong

Origin of handwritten Ways of Living Memo by Teacher Prayon Ronnarong represents his will and the exquisiteness through the writing.

the period of the World War, the teachings of Grandpa Khian reminded very well, the community members to be prepared. In former time, Siam was all the time in peace. When it happened to the announcement of War, the kingdom was under panic and became unstable. People’s living changed. Famine penetrated to all regions.” Though this happened when he was such a little child, it remains strongly in his mind until now, the distress from the War. In 1944, the World War continued. It was time for Teacher Prayong to go to school according Thai Laws. He went to Baan Nasae school, a local school in his hometown Village No.5 Sub-district Na Krasae, District Chwang,

Province Nakhon Si Thammarat. The school class was on and off due to the reflection of the War. But that was not a problem to Teacher Prayong in his pre-schooling, thanks to the teaching of Grandpa Khian which enabled him to read and write already. And he took only one year in preschool that he could pass the criteria to attend the elementary school. Once he attended Grade-one class, he could pass the test as the best student and was granted to attend Grade-two class in the same year. In 1945, the War came to the end. It left the tragedy of human actions At the time, transportation routes were destroyed. Lacks of consumption elements and the suffering expanded throughout the Land. All the communities were under darkness, though no more War, short of gas for fire to give light. Nonetheless, the worst was the lack of food and ingredients. No one could help the others on this. They all had to struggle for the survival of their own family.


27

Despite the trouble of the War era, the wise teaching of Grandpa Khian : “Work not only for living, but for saving as well” had rescued the family of Teacher Prayong in time, before others realized that. Wars create troubles, Wisdom creates mankind and urge to consider and get prepared always.

The Turning Fortune

Teacher Prayong was the whole time the best student in elementary school. After he graduated from Grade four, the compulsory education, his father led him to continue his studies in Chwang Songkro High School, situated 7 kilometers away from home, 4 hours’ walk. He usually walked to school with group of close friends without any problems. However, he went to high school only for half a year and then he developed problems with his health. With the concern from the father on traveling to school, he was moved to live with his relatives whose house was, more in town, near the school. The life that used to live in the midst of nature, with peace and fresh air, was now stuck in the middle of town crowded with people, much less pleasant. His health became worse all the time, in the strange environment to him because of the malaria fever. Back in the day, this fever was dramatically dangerous as there was no good healing ways against it. Unfortunately, he had to quit school before the final exam and remained with only his Grade-four education. This past turning fortune has allowed Teacher Prayong to review his life in other different ways with his attitude. “I could not only exempt the classes, but also the ages.”, laughed Teacher Prayong. “Normally, childhood ranges between the age of 0 and 7, and education age range 7 and 15. But I passed my education age when I was 11 years old only”. His positive attitude provides him another perspective of life.

“I turned a teenager earlier than others” His smile reflects so far his beautiful mind. The turning fortune and the positive attitude influenced his ways of thinking and working later on.

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Prayong Ronnarong

Classroom of Life And Life Curriculum for Survival

The idea widely spread: education is the matter of schooling. Yet, Teacher Prayong has got even more advanced ideas. “I have just realized that, at the moment of critical point, prematurely turning teenager was also a good thing.” The smile and the giggling on his stories in the past left more clues to the interlocutor wonder what he thinks about his life on that day. “The good thing is that the premature passage in school happened not only to me, but also many children in similar situations. These children thus gain another different experience that other school students have not yet met, or simply have some little one. That such experience is the hardworking for living with all the attentive assistance to the family as possible.” The intensive curriculum by the nature through the various practice allowed Teacher Prayong to learn every little detail in his life and his family. His family have been an agriculture family for a long time. They have done combination agriculture: plantation, cattle farming, forest harvest, basketry, and DIY. Such curriculum never seems to have an ending. As a result, Teacher Prayong and friends who missed a chance in school for many reasons had to pass the lesson of Life on curriculum, make a Living of their own according to the family background, without holidays like schools in the education system. Life Classroom and Teacher Prayong tells the ideas toward the past days Curriculum for Survival are the without school and learning the world in reality. On the other hand, to quit school prematurely allowed him intensive curriculum, like in reality another different experience that cannot be found in school. the training of military special forces that select only the elites for the dangerous mission, no a mistake allowed, survive or die.


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Teacher Prayong has passed that curriculum. It is not a common curriculum, but the highest honored one.

The year 1947 is thus considered the golden year for him when he dropped high school. It was his golden year because the price of rubber sheet was the highest point that ever happened in time: 20 Baht per kilogram. At that moment, the gain from the sale of a few kilograms of rubber could be exchanged to gold ornaments as much as you wanted and could represent your economic status. In 1947, the price of rubber was many times higher than gold. And the situation of the rubber market back that could assure the rubber tree planters that no other work in the land of Siam would give them more wealth than this. Although Teacher Prayong was only a small boy, that idea had influenced him considerably. The more important point, Teacher Prayong, despite his very young age, had the land of Grandpa Khian as the best sap tapping class and his Grandpa Khian as an excellent teacher to polish his work. In the age of rubber that got the price as high as gold, Teacher Prayong was employed as a sap tapper in his Grandpa’s land. He got half of the income from tapping everyday from his Grandpa. So his savings became much more even though he didn’t work at that for long. Everybody believed that the income from sap tapping was the gold prize of life. Some family did not suggest their children to school as they prefer to gain much more from this work. Also Teacher Prachong agreed with this idea as he experienced on his own and already got his own saving money from this work for a short time. For simple instance, he, as a graduate of compulsory education, got much more income than other normal officials with high education.

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Prayong Ronnarong

When the Sun shines…

In 1952, at the age of 15, having been learning through the Curriculum of the real world, his family, his neighbors in the community and his friends intensively, Teacher Prayong was very skillful at swimming, that he could swim across the Tapi River in the flood season; at fishing in the natural watercourse like a professional; and got a considerable income from sap tapping for a while, but soon after that the rubber price suddenly fell and largely affected all the tappers. At this overlap age between childhood and teenage, children do not seem to recognize the change in society. They still live under their parents’ guardianship, with abundant nutrition waiting for them back home. Other teenagers might still feel like that, but not Teacher Prayong. In the day that the rubber price went suddenly down and affected the purchase price in agriculture market like falling dominos grew many questions by Teacher Prayong. “Many” because he had just turned fifteen, but got so many responsibilities beyond his age. When the sap tapping, the top money-making work, seemed to become the pauper work in the blink of an eye; the question grew from his conceptual realization. How could this situation happen? And how come it did happen? Such questions grew in Teacher Prayong, but the question “Why is this happening?” was also originated in a 15-year-old boy who had just graduated from an elementary school. Between the boundaries of life, the idea of earning good money like before was in the past with no future, as a result of the rubber price crisis. Teacher Prayong thus decided to create his own work and own career. Being observant, he was different from other boys of his age, with an idea to have his own career. It began from his observation on paddy that his mother kept in a large amount in the food warehouse. Then he got an idea of a business after a consideration. He was thinking of how to make money from this big mountain of paddy left for a longer time, with lower quality. Eventually, his


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idea was that the paddy mixed with bran would be a really good formula food for poultry, better than left to live naturally like in the past. After this idea, he asked his mother to take some old paddy to make the poultry food and raise them for sale. His mother did not accept his idea immediately yet. She would search for more on his idea and his method as to evaluate the risk and the possibility of the business. She granted him to start the business after listening to all the plans. The plan was that he would start, with his younger brother (Mr Prayoon Ronnarong), to raise 400 native chickens. The old paddy would be combined with bran for the chicken food. That would save the cost on food capital. All the details since the first day of the business until the day of sale would be noted down. After his mother’s approval, he started, with his younger brother, from building the chicken house on the land of 3 Rais that Grandpa Khian left to them. They prepared 400 bamboo sticks transported to the land by hired elephants. Then they cut and tied the sticks with fresh roots, the strong liana at the same length of the height. The ready sticks were built into a fence on the whole land of 3 Rais, which was pretty large. The fence was ready. Yet the chicken house was to be built. So were the laying-hen house, the poultry food warehouse and their small resting house. When everything was ready, they looked for various poultry: domestic fowl, fighting cock, Prik chicken, Guinea chicken which is a hybrid, hairless-neck chicken,

and Betong chicken. Their costs started from 3 to 10 Baht according to the size. Ten days later, the chicken purchase was going very well. Teacher Prayong explained the idea of raising indigenous chickens of different ages and sizes as follows: “This way of raising chickens would give an income since the first month because hundreds of chickens, with different sizes and age range between 5 – 6 months, would give 10 – 20 eggs per day if they ate good food. At that time, egg price was 50 Stang per egg. You would have 5 – 10 Baht income everyday. That was a really good supplementary earning”, explained Teacher Prayong about his first business.

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Prayong Ronnarong

Ways of living of Teacher Prayong and his younger brother: daytime – raising chickens; nighttime – taking rest; before dawn – work as a sap tapper near their resting house; morning – boiling paddy to mix with bran for poultry food; and then taking a nap at resting house. This is like working for a company. The only difference is that this is not a comfortable office, but a small all-in-one resting house. The business of raising indigenous chickens seemed to have a brighter future as Teacher Prayong set the clear marketing plan: the sale of big lot of chickens twice a year. The first sale was during Chinese New Year. Before the day coming, Teacher Prayong and his younger brother would select the chicken for the sizes, both the sterile cocks and the pubescent hens to nurture. They would be fed two times a day until the day of sale. A sterile cock would have the average weight at 3 kilograms, and a pubescent hen at 2 kilograms. “That was the first moment of poultry sale in life of mine and my younger brother. That was the sale that I could set the price on my own. I calculated all the capitals which included also our labor price. I was so prod to be able to sell products from our labor at a fair price that we had never got before” Teacher Prayong said with a happy look, despite the past since a very long time ago. “Three to four thousands Baht, back in the day, was not easy to get for me as a young boy, age fifteen and my twelve year-old brother. However, we made it. I am grateful to my mother for giving me the chance without clues how the business would turn into. That was a great chance that mother gave to me.” True, as what they say “the best gift to human is to give a chance”. Many people have got the knowledge, ability and outstanding potential but never meet the achievement in life because they do not have a chance. And some people do not have a chance for the whole life.


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When the Sun sets…

Life in the sunshine day, poultry business was in the bright days and seemed to have a glorious future. Nonetheless, two years later the paddy price, the main capital cost, rised up astoundingly. “Paddy price grew up very high in the history to 20 Baht per rice tank that I could not afford it for poultry food anymore. So I decided to stop the poultry business, though the chicken house could be in use for one more year”, explained Teacher Prayong on his poultry business pause. The first experience for the future start at the age of fifteen was not that bad. At least he was a business owner who could set the sale price on his own. And that was the start of his new ideas later on. Indigenous chicken raising was the origin of future in life with a good start. In the mean time, he had learned to set the methods of thinking, managing and handling with prudence. The higher material capital was the test of evaluation in business administration for the option of moving on, a pause to review, or a shut down for a new business start with better future. A result of the evaluation was that the price paddy for poultry food which is the main capital was determined by the market mechanism. There was no use to negotiate for the price and let the future in risk and in the unstable market mechanism anymore. The poultry business in the sunshine days thus met the sunset moment until the darkness instead. The sunbeam runs as a natural cycle, Prosperous, and fallen down.

The Second Chapter of A young businessman

After the poultry business shut down, Teacher Prayong did not realize that this decision would have affected his family severely.

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Prayong Ronnarong

“The sudden pause of poultry raising which made an extra income impacted suddenly on the whole family because the income from sap tapping was also so less; more expenses to spend for the brothers and sisters who were studying in higher levels. Skillful in making a printing on traditional diamondshaped cement tiles of size 8 x 8 inch, father decided to be a freelancer for the wage of 15 Stang per tile. In one day he could make it on 300 tiles that we could survive on.” Teacher Prayong projected the past. Teacher Prayong and his younger brother turned to start to work on cement mixing, cement transport, tile transport up to the shelf and down to the piles for labor saving to his father. When he had more time he practiced to make the printing for his father attentively. One year later, Teacher Prayong became a good tile printer as his father. And later on he separated himself to be a freelancer on his own. Both his father and he gained more income to support the family. His father realized his tendency of a technician; followed up his professional path closely; and saw his potential and commitment. That made the father assured that the success of his son in the future was not far away. To support his son to the path of success, father invested in the tile making machine for Teacher Prayong and his brother. It became a small business that changed their position from an employee to a tile business owner, who could practice to manage the capital and profit through the reality. Soon after that, the tile making house was built on the land of relatives on the Tapi River bank which was a good location for material transport: gravel, sand, cement; and tiles to customers. With the skill and quality of tile work, their tile making was the customers’ favorite and the business future seemed to be even much brighter.

When big Fish Eat small ones

Two years of the tile production, the business was going very well. Nevertheless, the development and the growth of the country led to the passage


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of the rapidly growing capitalism as well. The latest innovation took the place of the existing one. And it was as said “Big fish eat small ones”. The cement tile which was quite heavy declined from the popularity. Instead, a Roman tile, a new innovation of tile making, became more popular as it was light, cheaper, easy to install with a bigger size, long lasting as the house structure would not have to bear its weight like the old-style cement tiles. The biggest advantaged point was that its price was much cheaper, which was the strategy to attract more customers to prefer the house roof with this new innovation according to the industrial standard. Therefore, the cement tile making house of Teacher Prayong and the brother had to shut down indefinitely.

Cycle of Life

Despite that his lessons of an entrepreneur that came to an end twice in other people’s eyes might be considered a failure in management of Teacher Prayong Ronnarong; for him, that was not a failure at all but it was a lesson from life laboratory in management through his own curriculum of practical section. Teacher Prayong was, at that time, like a very young bird that cannot fly on his own yet. During a break of life to review all that happened and to hang out as a teenager that had not found his stable point in life, all at once he met with Khun Charoen Rakbamrung, his father’s nephew coincidently. The meeting with Khun Charoen Rakbamrung was on of his turning point in life. Khun Charoen was, at that time, famous in the business society, as a forest concession owner. He owned the timber business of district Thung Yai, on the Tapi river bank. When he knew that Teacher Prayong was free, he asked him to do timber rafting. Teacher Prayong asked his father for a consulting and he was allowed to do so. “Father said that I could do as I wish but also warned that this was hard work. However, he was happy that I had such an ability. Also, he trusted Khun

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Prayong Ronnarong

Charoen because they were close friends”, told Teacher Prayong. True that the timber rafting work was a hard work as father said. But one thing that he did not tell was that it was a risky job against abundance of crocodiles in the Tapi River. In a year, rafting would be in October and November only as it was during flood season that along the river banks full of water and no worries on stranding and any obstruction. Teacher Prayong reviews his life experience as a young And the raft had to be altogether rafter that needed to be alerted with prudence all the firmly tied so no wrecking and time. risk of life. Teacher Prayong learned how to tie timber rafts from skillful rafter with care. With the rafts firmly tied, it was time to go along the Tapi River. The timber rafting, from the Thung Yai forest to a sawmill in province Surat Thani, took 3 days 3 nights. Each rafting consisted of at least 7 rafts tied in a long way and pulled by a motor boat. In the first rafting experience of Teacher Prayong in October, he was an assistant captain on the third raft. “The moment it turned dark. The rafting break needed to be systematic and well organized, otherwise it would not stop. Rafting in the night was very risky because of the rapids and the darkness. If the rafts wrecked, we all died. Big trees along the river bank were like pillars for holding the rafts stay in the way. Rafters needed to focus on the tree, jump into the river in mouth with small a rope linked to the big one, and then swim faster than the tide and the rafts. When reaching the river bank, the rafter had to pull the rope to tie with the big tree


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before the first raft flew away. Once the first raft stopped, the rafters in other rafts would throw ropes to the first raft and tie them along to river. The last coming raft would be the first raft that moved along the river the next day. The first raft of the day would be the last in next day. Each rafting trip took a pretty long time, prudence and awareness in the highest level.” In the second rafting in November, the raft of his captain’s and him were set to be the first raft. “In the second rafting was no more excitement, totally different from the first time with fully excitement”, told Teacher Prayong about his second rafting experience. Although he worked as a rafter only twice in his life, that was the big responsibility and the big risk to life. “In spite that I did the rafting only two times, I had experienced so many things that a man had to face in every second unpredictably once the rafting started. My experience considered an intensive lesson of life was self-reliance, responsibility to duty, teamwork, mutual responsibility, aptitude, wit, ability and potential to fix a prompt problem. Jeopardy makes prudence, brave, trust and decision for sudden circumstances, along with wisdom and parts of the body. That was such a precious experience to my life”, concluded Teacher Prayong on his lesson of life.

Cycle of Life “Making one’s way”

At this range of life, it seemed fate to Teacher Prayong to experience a variety of situations all along the path of life, short and long After the rafting experience, one day his mother’s elder relative came to visit his family and saw him with the brother in teenage. His parents were told that it was time to make way for their children with rubber tree land since youngster and gain well later in the future.

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Prayong Ronnarong

“Uncle transferred us a land of 30 Rais, which was still jungle near his house

in district Thung yai, Nakhon Si Thammarat”, told Teacher Prayong with smile and appreciation to his uncle. “But my parents did not show and Young rubber plants for plantation in the new land or response yet for compensation of old rubber trees with no more sap When uncle left, his in the old land. parents explained about the disadvantages, advantages and their experience in rubber tree plantation before their son making decision.” “I said YES immediately without any consideration”, laughed Teacher Prayong on the quick decision. “The quick decision was, in fact, the result of the consideration for a long time about the life experience on the failure and success. So, from that moment on, I had to be determined on making my way. I had lost so much time on experience in the past already. I accepted uncle’s offer because I had already experience and skills on that back when assisting my father since little boy, only no more own land left from the plantation to do that seriously.” That land of 30 Rais that uncle transferred was 8 km away from home, across the Tapi River. We could reach there by foot only. No certificate of ownership on that land. The Royal Forest Department did not yet give the permission but people looked forward to transforming the land into rubber tree land already. Teacher Prayong and the brother collected seeds of indigenous rubber trees to breed for one year and then planted the young trees in the opened-up land for the rubber tree plantation. “Rubber tree plantation in the past was not complicated like today. Only with a shovel or a crowbar making holes on the land, the plantation was


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completed when the young trees in the soil. Fertilizer was not needed because the soil in that day was abundant with organic fertilizer. Within 2 years the rubber trees grew up at a size of an arm, 5-meters high. We got rid of weed in the land only twice a year. And then we waited until the rubber trees were grown up enough to be tapped”, told Teacher Prayong that the first tapping should be on the rubber trees at age of 6 – 7 year old.

Cycle of Life “Life Mapping”

Entering the age of young man with plenty of life experience, Teacher Prayong made a map of building the stable future systematically for the living guideline as follows: Age 20 Three-year Ordination < 25 Marriage Life 25 – 55 Hard working for Family 55 Retirement for self-collected pension

Life Mapping is going on efficiently as expected. Year 1957(2500 B.E.), Grandpa Khian said it was the mean time of the Buddha Era. Those who ordained in this year would gain the maximum of merit result. And this year was when Teacher Prayong turned 20. He was ordained in the Rangsi Buranaram Temple, by the Abbot Tiab Kesaro, and the Preceptor Rangsan Adhibuti, for 2 years. During the ordination, he passed the test for Dhamma ordinand level I. And after the Buddhist monkhood, he also passed the test for Dhamma ordinand level II. In 1961, at the age of 24, he got married to Miss Nab Chuaybamrung on 10 February. That was as planned in the life mapping.

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Prayong Ronnarong

“My marriage was different than others. I did not get married to my lover…”, his story is making a surprise to everyone and then we waited for him to continue. He smiled and continued. “…I did not get Sage’s Speech : Auntie Nab, whom he mentioned , is married to my lover because not a lover but a wife. we had not been in love before, only knew each other for a year via elder relatives. And then they organized us the wedding as they thought that we liked each other. Even they asked our opinion before, we agreed and obeyed them. That’s why I said I did not get married to my lover, but my spouse.” After finishing the story, the interlocutors could not help just saying WOW ! After the wedding, he worked for his wife’s family for one year for grace to her parents and he was beloved like a son by them all. One day, his father-in-law said he had some empty land of 15 Rais. Some piece of that could be a rice field, else, it was jungle, elephants’ rest place and space for timber store from Tan Por sawmill. He would transfer that land to Teacher Prayong and his wife for living when ready. So they could decide together later on what to plant there. That land was 3 km away from his wife’s parents place. Not many neighbors lived around. Most of their neighborhood was a jungle, next to the center mountain forests. In 1962, after his wife delivered a baby son for 3 months, he started his own family on the land inherited from his father-in-law with a thatched roof cottage. Around his cottage, he grew rye, chili, tomatoes, vegetables that they needed for living; likewise a cottage of Ngoh & Rotchana in Literature. Their cottage was 4 km away from Tan Por Market where they could reach on walk only.


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Teacher Prayong love to plan Life Mapping. After making his own mapping, he lived his life as planned. When he started his own family, he made also with his wife the Family plan with 5 elements as follows:

1. A two-storey house with decent size for the whole family members. 2. A land of more than 20 Rais for rubber tree plantation, as a career. 3. A land of more than 5 Rais for combination agriculture. 4. Be a freelancer only as necessary to support the family. 5. Have not more than 5 children.

After setting the Family Plan, he managed to follow that immediately with the rubber tree plantation on the land of 8 Rais, combination agriculture 2 Rais, and growing rice 5 Rais. To have a house as plan 1, he had to achieve other plans before because it would take less time to build a house than to grow plants. Nonetheless, a big problem suddenly happened that his whole family could not figure out. 25 October 1962, tropical storm Harriet, of which the center was in the South China Sea, hit Talumphuk peninsula in Pak Panang district, Nakhon Si Thammarat province flat like drumhead. Mai Riang, though located in another district, was also in the disaster area because of the enormous storm center. fact, the fatal sign of a giant storm. Teacher Prayong told that it rained nonstop everyday for 4-5 days before. A dike, 300-meter north of his house, was overflowed like never happened before. On the night of 25 October 1962, around 21 hrs, as Teacher Prayong was having a conversation with his wife, the noisy storm was approaching awfully around. “The barrage must be destroyed!”, once he talked to his wife, the storm enraged and blew the cottage in the air with the blast; also the roof was gone in

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Prayong Ronnarong

the wind. Then the second hit of storm returned, it took away almost the cottage, only a side of wall left. “Lucky us that the cottage floor was on the ground, only the roof and walls were built over the ground. Otherwise, our lives might have been in danger”, he thought back to the horribly unforgettable day. The family of three: a father, a mother and a 6-month baby, with an umbrella, had to face the fate under the storm and heavy rain. Teacher Prayong and his wife sat with heads Harriet tropical storm’s direction and aerial together as a shelter for their baby son photograph of Talumphuk peninsula, Pak Panang in it’s mother’s arms. He raised the districk, Nakhon Si Thammarat province. umbrella under the rain all night, to shelter the three lives until the sun shined next morning. Morning of 26 October 1962, everything turned into a normal state, only the vast wreck left to see. No sounds of morning birds. All plantations had fallen flat with some roots showing from the ground, others disappeared. “Monkeys, Lemurs, gibbons on the center mountain that used to make noise with enjoyment every morning were all gone. The mountain was in silence like all creatures never existed.”, told Teacher Prayong about the minutes of fatal experience that showed clearly the horrible pictures of the moment. He and his family moved back to their parents’ place to where the way full of fallen trees, hardly seen the ground. “It took nearly an hour for the distance of 3 km”, he describe for the pictures as though it has just happened. On arrival at his wife’s parents place, they were relived to see everything still remained the same. He told his wife to stay there with the baby son and he


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would continue to his parents’ house with big concern. “I did not walk on the ground at all on the way to parents’ house, fallen trees seen endlessly. To cross the rice field, I had to swim as the flood all over. On arrival at parents’ house, I nearly fainted as I saw the fallen big trees all around without the house. But I was relieved again when I saw that everyone was safe”, he explained all the situations. He stayed to help his parents saw the woods and move them away off the house for a week. Then he turned back to rebuild his cottage and start his future plan again. “He rebuilt a new cottage in a short time, but the rye, fruits and vegetables that were about to grow needed more time as a year back due to the rainy season they needed to start the plantation again.” That was such a sorrow for a family who was about to create their own future.

Life, like a soap opera

After the disaster, Teacher Prayong prepared rice seeds, vegetable seeds and waited for the rainy season to come. But that was hopeless waiting. Since the 26 October 1962 until April 1963, they never saw rain at all. The heat waves and drought spread all over. The land was hot like under fire. With heat and drought, fallen dried woods and leaves became a good fuel to make fire. The center mountain forest was bright on fire whole day and night. That mountain which used to be densely green with pure nature became flat and gray like ash. And then victims from both giant flood and big drought moved to occupy the burned-out mountain and it became rubber tree land

later on. “At that moment, I also wanted a piece of land according to my Family plan: 20 Rais for rubber trees. But I did not to be against the Laws so I did not go occupy the burned-out land at all”, that was a chance waiving to avoid the illegal action of Teacher Prayong.

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Prayong Ronnarong

Later on, Mr Sa-nguan Limchitti, the owner of Tan Por sawmill, own the concession of fallen trees in many pieces of land. He contacted father-in-law of Teacher Prayong to join his fallen tree project because he had got a female elephant for timber, of which the name was Prommet. Teacher Prayong was asked by his father-in-law to be a mahout so that he could at the same time select the timbers for his new house. “I accepted that job immediately, though I had never had such experience before.”, he explained this decision. “I am never scared of hard work”, his voice showed his confidence. As he worked as a mahout for 2 years, his love and concern to elephants grew particularly more. Both the elephant and the mahout worked together with diligence. It happened sometimes at night that the elephant invaded into the others’ land to eat canes. However, Teacher Prayong would search for her and take her back to the place no matter how hard and dangerous it was to him.

It was time that he collected enough wood to build a new house. Moreover, he had learned the jungle experience, all the ways of timber management from his father-in-law in his sawmill. Although he had enough woods to build a new house; money for its costs need to be saved on and on.

Rubber Tree Land In The Dream

The rubber tree land, according to the life plan of Teacher Prayong was still pending. One day his father-in-law told him that he still kept the bride price on the wedding day 5,000 Baht with him. If Teacher Prachong needed that money to buy more land for rubber tree plantation, he could take the money as he wished. Teacher Prayong decided to buy a land of 7 Rais, located near his parents’ house, for 7,000 Baht. He developed the land more, built barb wire


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fences preventing animal invasion, pinned the signed accurately and strictly as advised by Office of the Rubber Replanting Aid Fund, and finally planted rubber trees on this own land. Unfortunately, the investment of his rubber tree land with encourage, turning like another fate, was flooded enormously in November 1965. The 2-meter growing rubber tree land in his dreams was under a flood of 3-meteres in height, not one single rubber tree could be seen. When the flood had gone, some of the rubber trees were dead, some survived. The rainy season still not lasting, Teacher Prayong decided to replant the rubber trees on the empty places and took good care of them until they grew back much stronger. His discourage disappeared and new courage took place with the new hope on the recovered land. Nevertheless, at the end of December of the same year a flood came again to his land. All the rubber trees were vanished undoubtedly. However, the past 2 losses never turned his goal to other ways. In 1966, he replanted the young rubber trees. Then again, the giant flood visited his land for the third time. The repetition of land flooding made him say to his wife, “Flooding, for 3 times on our land, was not our fate; but the failure of our idea”. Since he used to live on a flat land, he did not like so much the hill land where no flood. Soon after that, he bought another area of land of 32 Rais for rubber tree plantation from his wife’s relative, not far from his house. Whose life and family that had just undergone the sorrows again and again, and nearly went bankrupt, Teacher Prayong and his family had to work hard again without knowing if another disaster was coming. In time of crisis, he had no other option to show off any of his weakness, but focus for life victory: hard work, hard work and hard work. During the replantation of rubber trees, his father-in-law allowed him to tap on his land for 300 rubber trees. That was an indigenous idea, one which gave approximately 3 sheets of rubber or 3 kg of rubber. The price at that

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Prayong Ronnarong

moment was 6 – 8 Baht per kilogram. He had to do hard work and got extra income from breeding plants, being a freelancer for a rambutan plantation and a motorcycle taxi, etc. Time flied quite slowly, in 1969 the rubber trees were grown up enough for tapping for 500 trees, unfortunately again in this year the rubber price went down, like never before, to only 4 Baht per kilogram. The rubber tree planter like Teacher Prayong had not many options or none. He had to struggle in Above: Center mountain with destroyed forests in doing other jobs for extra income to the past. Below: Trace of Wolframite exploitation through support his family as much as the mountain. possible. In the middle of the darkness he always found some light, he got news from a neighbor that Wolframite was discovered on the center mountain. He accepted the news with smile and was one of those who decided to exploit the minerals with hope. “I went up the center mountain near my home for mining, but dangers also were waiting to meet me”, it seemed that his life had faced the risk like a shadow all the time. The center mountain at that time was like a savage land where people had to claim their benefits. Certainly, everybody wished to dominate such benefits for his own sake only. “Life on the center mountain had to undergone on a stake”, told Teacher Prayong his memories. “There were 2 risks of life at that moment: The first riskdig for nothing and loose all investment.”


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However, though this risk might be a waste of money and time, it was not as severe as the next one. “Second risk – life, as a bet. Since the value of mineral was very high, the group of influential persons could kill other exploiters with weapons. The news of murder among exploiters was undoubtedly usual as it was. To consider between the income and the safety, Teacher Prayong had to leave the first choice and save his life. “One day on the way back home in the evening, I saw a dead body at the side of road. I was in sorrow with that picture The first house: this was built as planned in the life without words. In the contrary, mapping. Today it becomes the house of his son, situated behind his new house. group of 3 – 4 teenagers passing by before turned over that dead body with a foot to see if they knew that dead person. After they got the answer “No”, one boy took a cigarette from his mouth and put it and the dead body’s mouth. And then they all made fun and laughed at him.” “I felt even more sorrow, and walked away immediately, thinking only that I could not stand this anymore. These people had got a brutal mind”, he told about the savage people with disgust. After all this, he sold his resting hut and all the equipment for mineral dig out. And then he moved down from the center mountain to start to think again what to do next. Since at the center mountain there was up to 10,000 exploiters living, the cash flowed more than 10 million baht. Thus, Teacher Prayong could think about ways of poultry business for consumption. He had also business partners. Teacher Prayong raised chickens. Ko Boon sold chicks and poultry food. Prapat sold chicken meat. They all trusted one another.

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Prayong Ronnarong

In 7 days of business, everyone would gain his part of the profit over 7,000 Baht per week. Teacher Prayong could save money from the business, the profits enough to building the house of his dreams and this goal of his Life mapping was achieved. At this time of life, he had 5 children as planned with his wife as well. His children consists of 3 sons and 2 daughters: Mr Naowarat Ronnarong, an official in Ratchaburi province; Mr Narin, living in Klong chai village; Mr Sathit, living in center mountain village; Mrs Chariya, living in Tan Por village; and Miss Sunisa, living in center mountain village Mai Riang sub-district, Chwang district, Nakhon Si Thammarat province. “I planned to have 5 children because they would need to be relied on one day when the parents get older. If I only had 1 child, it would be a hard work for him/her to take care both parents alone. If more than 5 children, I am afraid that I could not raise them all well as it should be.” This is the background idea of having 5 children of Teacher Prayong Rannarong.

Minute of Life “Amid the Controversy”

Although Teacher Prayong and his wife achieved their Family Plan completely, they did not yet meet the happiness in family life as expected. During 1975 – 1976, the controversy on benefits from Wolframite mining was getting so severe that it became a lifetime war. More importantly this was the war between 2 families of exploiters, which were the relatives of his wife. Both sides did not trust him and it was time that he chose the side to be. The frequent question was that which side was he with?? Teacher Prayong tried hard to explain his neutrality as he did not agree with the conflicts. His explanation could neither stop them from suspiciousness, nor turn them to reconcile. As his wife could read the situation, she suggested him to


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move out of the area and live somewhere else for a while to avoid any loss. He thus moved to live with his friends in Nam kem village, Takuapa district, Pang nga province. Coincidentally, his friends got an idea to start tin mining under the ocean. At the friend gathering, one of his close friends shouted out loud in the group that “The mineral expert from Center Mountain village is here. Now our mission would achieve soon!” And then everyone applauded and welcomed him warmly. He was assigned to direct the plan as agreed. Everyday passing on the preparation for the mining under ocean, once everything ready, Teacher Prayong dived into the ocean to install the driller to search for tin in the occasion of the auspicious start. He did not disappoint anyone. After 15-minutes of drilling, he reached the mineral and found a vast of tin. When asking his opinion about diving in fresh water that he used to do in Tapi River and diving in the ocean, he answered: “I trust myself on a waterway and I used the same initiative in the ocean. I found diving under the ocean easier than in fresh water, so I was the first volunteer to the ocean.” This answer showed his braveness. Later on, he could dive 18-meters deep. This depth was equivalent to 3 driller wires under the ocean! He worked mining under the ocean, with friends for 2 years, learning many things and gaining experience, he turned out to be one of the experts. And then he returned home to his wife and his children in 1977. “The controversy between both sides came to the end after many of them passed away. Those left decided to stop the war. Peace had come back to them. I, as a neutral, was back to my family.” This sounded like Teacher Prayong was war refugee. At the time that he got back home, the conflicts in Center mountain village was raised as a national problem. Not only arguments among exploiters, but also in groups of influential persons. The communist party of thailand had a movement all over. Until 1980, the government made an announcement to close

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Prayong Ronnarong

the mining on Center mountain village definitely. Lieutenant General Han Leelanon (His title at that time), Commander of Region 4, led the military force to close the Center mountain according to the government policy and had all the exploiters move back to their homeland. And those who did not have home were sent to Narathiwat province. For the Mai Riang locals, Teacher Prayong said that when they got back down they were in confusion as they had left their homeland since a decade that they had no idea how to live their lives from that moment on. “Traditional society was ruined. They did not know what to do for a living. The usual 1,000 – 10,000 Baht income per day was never managed for the second career as they thought that Wolframite mining was the lifetime gain. After the government closed the operation, they become a problem in society as they did not know how to live. They committed crimes, gambling and did so many illegal matters. Such disorder happened every single day but no one looked to fix this.” The chaos in community became the big problem of Mai Riang community which inspired Teacher Prayong and the 12 village leaders from the Village Development Committee to start the meeting for solving the problem and turning their community into normal state soon as possible. To wait for an outsider to come help figure out the community problem would be hopeless. This is the important beginning that Teacher Prayong Ronnarong and the leaders had cooperated for creating a future for Mai Riang community members. And this community development became the model for other communities that the government took and put their development plan into the National Development Plan until today. The Sageness of Teacher Prayong Ronnarong originated inside himself, the community leaders, community members that lead to the general image of the community. This has expanded to sub-districts, districts, provinces, the nation, and all the nations which is admired nationally and internationally.


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1.3 With Spirit of A Teacher Teacher: In Dimension of Thai Ways of Living Sukhothai Thai society has respected and worshiped teachers since the Dynasty, the first dynasty of Siam. This protocol has been inherited for

a long time ever since through the Dinasty of Ayuthaya, Thonburi and until Rattanakosin of the present day. Teacher, in ancient Thai sense, means a wit, with ability, skills, experiences in Arts, Science, Professions; or a spiritual leader in society that people respect and want to be his/her follower to learn and train Arts, Science, Profession and Spiritual Ceremony that they respect. Teacher, in Thai society, does not only have a meaning of an academic graduate from an education system with curriculum, but also an expert in various fields. Teacher Prayong is one model of a Teacher in dimension of Thai culture that people respect and worship as their teacher and a teacher of society, which means a teacher of followers, a knowledge conductor of followers in a single subject or groups of subject due to the ability of the teacher in respect. For Thai Wisdom Teacher, OEC, Ministry of Education defines the meaning as follows:

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Prayong Ronnarong

Thai Wisdom Teacher: means a person who has got wisdom in a subject; a person who creates and inherits that wisdom for a long time that the society and community acknowledge. Thai Wisdom Teacher is raised to transfer wisdom

in education management, both in education system and in non-formal education and informal education according to the Education Act 2542 B.E.

Scope of Thai Wisdom Teacher Recruitment

Scope of Thai Wisdom Teacher Recruitment that OEC, Ministry of Education, announce to honor is categorized into 9 fields as follows: 1. Agriculture, considering ability in integration of knowledge, skills, and agricultural techniques & technology. The development based on original value that people have self-reliance in any circumstances such as combination agriculture, dealing agricultural marketing problem, dealing production problem, and application of decent technology with agriculture, etc. 2. Industry & Handicraft, considering application of modern technology in product processing for a hygienic, saving and fair consumption; the process that community members can support themselves; production and distribution of handicraft such as the


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merging of rubber factories, mills, and handicraft, etc. 3. Traditional Thai Medicine, considering ability in community health care management. Community members can manage their health and hygiene by themselves such as various local herbal medicine, traditional massage, traditional health care, etc. 4. Natural Resources & Environment Management, considering ability in natural resources and environment management: conservation, development, use of natural resources and environment in balance and sustainably such as forest ordination, river life prolonging, planting artificial reef, mangrove forest conservation, water source forest & community forest management, etc. 5. Funds & Community Business, considering ability in fund saving & fund management and community welfare in terms of both monetary and wealth for the stability of community members’ lives such as community fund management in the form of cooperatives; including ability in welfare management for quality of life in economy, society and culture with the establishment of community health care fund, and community service welfare management. 6. Arts, considering Teacher Prayong Ronnarong is honored as a Thai ability in creation of artwork in Wisdom Teacher, Year I. various fields such as painting, sculpture, dance, music, visual arts, folk dance and recreation. 7. Languages & Literature, considering ability in conservation & creation dialects, Thai language in all regions, including local literature & encyclopedia, ancient text exchange, restoration of teaching dialect. 8. Philosophy, Religion, Tradition, considering ability in application of Dhamma, religious teaching, philosophy, believes, and valuable tradition to be appropriate to contexts of economy and society such as literature, teachings,

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Prayong Ronnarong

forest ordination and Boon Pratai Khao ceremony (spread merit paddy ceremony). 9. Cuisine, considering ability in selection, creation and cooking Thai food and medicine in appropriate with the body need in each circumstance, including production, widespread exportation and value added resources. In the recruitment and selection for Thai Wisdom Teacher, honored candidates must have explicitly knowledge and wisdom in his/her field and are acknowledged in local, national and international level. Most importantly, the knowledge, derived from self-research, discovery and direct experience until the achievement, must be passed on to the community and society with the highest benefits in wide perspective, not only an isolated wisdom which make no use to the society.

Teacher Prayong Ronnarong gave bicycles to this group of children for traveling and learning the world and the wisdom roots from their ancestors. So they would see the good creation that is inherited for the wisdom treasure of all Mai Riang community members.


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Teacher Prayong Ronnarong, honored by Office of National Education Council (ONEC), The Prime Minister’s Office (Today: Office of the Education Council (OEC), Ministry of Education), is the Thai Wisdom Teacher of Year I, in Funds & Community Business in 2011. The honored Thai Wisdom Teacher was sponsored by ONEC for 30,000 Baht as to support the learning development of learners. Teacher Prayong Ronnarong spent that money on 25 bicycles for students in the community to be able to learn about their native wisdom in their background of life, thinking and culture that the Mai Riang community members have conserved, inherited, created and developed. Therefore, they could become selfreliance and it is a lifetime learning source for all community members, their network inside and outside the province, all regions, the nation, and all the nations until today.

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Prayong Ronnarong

Synopsis of

Genesis: “The First Chapter

of Life”

The Genius and the World most important people have their own

origin and different environmental contexts, different parenting and education in principle; but one common thing is that the trait of thinker, creator and practitioner that leave the world with the work and benefit for all mankind according to their potential and aptitude. To compare the childhood of Teacher Prayong Ronnarong, if it was a seed of human wisdom, this seed was a seed of brilliant gene, born in good environment and good breeding. Grandpa Khian, the Sage grandfather of the community was like an important Lighthouse of Wisdom for Teacher Prayong to walk the passage of life with a goal. Grandpa Khian provided him wisdom, Dhamma, human duty & responsibility, sageness, and initiative in thinkingreading-writing and telling stories. He was the first teacher who made his grandson to be able to read and write fluently before school. This is not normal! Teacher Prayong has lived in the surroundings of thinkers, observers, and democrats. Obviously, his parents never pushed him to do something first. They always waited for him to explain his ideas and methods before all the actions. As they learned his ideas and methods, they would agree and support him as much as possible. The beginning of his new work was not only a test of problem solving and strategy before parents’ permission, but he also learned from


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parents’ experience, the advantages and disadvantages for what he would have to do later. As well, his relatives advised and persuaded him to take actions before making decisions for his life. This Freedom of thought is the important part that leads Teacher Prayong to live prudently his life with philosophy, principles, rules and conception. Obviously, he has lived the life on his Life Mapping since a youngster with achievement. When he has his own family, he considered things together with his wife and made the Family plan. They have lived their lives as planned strictly and met all the achievement on time. The prominent point of Teacher Prayong is that he pays attention with questions since childhood in every detail of the situations and problems of his life and community: Why and How to solve it? Disaster from giant floods in the Talumphuk peninsula, destroying the people’s land of whole-life plantations in one day, was the vast tragedy of life to the most extreme poverty. With different attitude than those who left their homeland without hope, Teacher Prayong and his wife adapted their living ways and believed strongly that the future of the land in Mai Riang would never last. They restarted the rubber tree land with commitment. If the giant flood in Talumphuk peninsula was the catastrophe, the discovery of Wolframite was the biggest and the worst of fatal risk for Mai Riang people’s ways of living. Wolframite was the angel of death that provoked people in Center mountain to murder themselves. The day of closing Center Mountain was the origin of crimes and robbery. The generosity that used to exist was gone together with the abundance of nature in Center Mountain.

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It is said that circumstances make hero that acts on duty faithfully. The behavior, attention towards community members, thoughts, responsibilities that Mai Riang people have seen Teacher Prayong since childhood allowed him to become a leader of the community that figure out its problem with strategy, life plan, and is beloved to all people. Thus, the sageness for community problem solving can be developed and advanced more and more. The sageness of Teacher Prayong originated from his ways of living that is apparent and acknowledged by the community. This allowed him to be a community leader widely and endlessly. This is the synopsis of the First Chapter of Sageness of Teacher Prayong Ronnarong, the Sage and a Thai Wisdom Teach of Mai Riang Community, Chwang district, Nakhon Si Thammarat province

2

Middle Age

“Philosophy”

5IFǰHJBOUǰŴPPEǰJOǰǰǰUIBU hit Talumphuk peninsula, Pak QBOBOHǰEJTUSJDU ǰ/BLIPOǰ4Jǰ5IBNmarat province and other districts and polished the land caused the big misery to people in Mai Riang community that they hardly see UIFJSǰGVUVSF Such cyclones were the tragedy UBMFǰJOIFSJUFEǰVOUJMǰUPEBZ The commitment to develop the quality of rubber for a lifetime leading to the price for rubber from the Mai Riang planter group’s factory gives the result of the XPSMEĴTǰCFTUǰRVBMJUZǰSVCCFSǰTIFFUT This is the outcome of the wisdom merging that creates TNJMFTǰBMMǰPWFSǰUIFǰDPNNVOJUZ ǰ .BJǰ3JBOHǰ-FBSOJOHǰǰ%FWFMPQment Center is like a knowledge and career market at the same UJNF ǰ /Pǰ NBUUFSǰ XIBUǰ ZPVǰ XBOUǰ UPǰ MFBSOǰ BOEǰ BDLOPXMFEHF ǰ ZPVǰ ųOEǰ the answers here through practice and training for the wisdom and UIFǰLOPXIPXǰJOǰDBSFFS


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2.1 Treasure Within

1962 (2505 B.E.) “Tragedy Retrace of Life”

Harriet, the tropical storm on Talumphuk peninsula, affected severely people in Mai Riang community.

In 1962, the tropical storm Harriet, which hit Talumphuk peninsula, Pak Panang district, Nakhon Si Thammarat province, was the worst giant storm of Thailand at that moment. The wreck affected throughout people’s lives, assets and their living. In fact, the aftermath spread not only over the area and the people of Talumphuk peninsula, but also covered Pak Panang district, Lan Ska district, and Chwang district in Nakhon Si Thammarat province. The violence of the cyclone took away the vast of rubber trees to the roots and other trees of Mai Riang community until the people were insolvent at the same as the Harriet gone. The catastrophe spread the injury and the loss to all people in a blink of an eye.

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Prayong Ronnarong

This tragedy was the worst tragedy that more than words can say. At the time of depression and discouragement, Mai Riang people were breathing, but not living.

In middle of the Darkness

The Life Mapping of Teacher Prayong, moving on due to the plan with his family, had been dropped down like a sunset that left the world in freezing. At the moment, Mai Riang people had to face the same fate. The sorrow abruptly came to replace the glory of future that they had made with patience. It was harder to accept. The sudden loss was not only on the rubber tree and other tree land, but also on the lifetime and the commitment for a decade. Teacher Prayong Ronnarong and his family were under the depression as other Mai Riang people. However, they could control their mind and consciousness not to blast over.

Problems in Mai Riang community caused of different factor as follows:

1. Natural disaster. This does not onlyhappen to Thailand, but also all over the globe, where appeared drought, flooding, earthquake, tsunami, etc. It is beyond the control of human. And all mankind would have to face this mutual disaster. The big storm that Rubber price relates to the fate of rubber tree planters happened to Talumphuk peninsula of Thailand in 1962 is an example of this natural disaster that no one can avoid.


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2. The low price of rubber sheets is the phenomenon of some times, for example, in 1967 it was the first time that the rubber sheet price went down to the lowest price ever, after the first pioneer Prince Ratchdanupradit of rubber tree plantation in Thailand in 1900. That lowest rubber price Center Mountain of today was transformed from rainforest into rubber tree land. influenced the emotions of all planters under the hopelessness. It shaked the confidence of Mai Riang people since a long time. Many people had to change their career or move permanently to search a new living in new land. The crisis of rubber price was caused by the world rubber price beyond control. The planter’s despair for this point was not too bad as they hoped that in some day the world rubber price would rise up again and so would the Thai rubber price. 3. Human greed, namely the discovery of plenty Wolframite in Center Mountain. This attracted people from over the country to come exploit wealth from natural resources that had been nationally inherited together for the Mai Riang people. The phenomenon at Center Mountain was not different from the Gold Rush in USA that people rushed chaotically to dig for gold; as a result, it became a battle of benefit rape where found the influential people and crimes over the laws. The ambiance of Center Mountain at that time was exactly the same as the state mentioned above. The Wolframite discovery destroyed the abundant virgin forests of the Mai Riang community in a short time. Teacher Prayong told about the natural abundance of Center Mountain as follows:

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Prayong Ronnarong

“In the past, Center Mountain area consisted of plentiful evergreen forests, with various big trees. After the discovery of Wolframite and the giant storm in Talumphuk peninsula, the trees on Center Mountain were destroyed so quickly and there was no longer an abundance of green forests.” 4. World Economic Crisis which happened from time to time as a cycle such as the low price of rubber sheets in 1967, the giant tropical storm in Talumphuk peninsula in 1969 that destroyed all the rubber trees in land promoted by Rubber Estate Organization. Six years later, the rubber trees were ready to give sap which was the only economic reliance for the Mai Riang people who had faced the adversity for half a decade. Nonetheless, in this year the rubber price went down to 7 Baht per kilogram only. They needed to get other jobs for an extra income. In middle of the darkness in the future, problem solving seemed to be a much harder work for normal people in Mai Riang to achieve. Eventually, the light of wisdom shined in the mind of Teacher Prayong Ronnarong and small group of friends who had followed and tried to figure out the crisis of The idea of rubber sheet quality development originated by Department of Agriculture Extension with the rubber rubber price. quality contest. Later on, this lead to the ongoing This wisdom, shining in thinking and development pleasurably. middle of darkness, was passed from the Government’s attempt to solve the rubber price crisis for planters. Although the endeavor was like a trial phase of learning; that was a wisdom spark of spontaneous leadership in Teacher Prayong Ronnarong to lead the ideas and the practice explicitely.


The idea spark By the improvement of rubber sheet quality

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At the moment of rubber price crisis, Department of Agriculture Extension originated the contest of rubber quality in Chwang district during New Year, for the purpose of the rubber quality selection and the purchase on higher price than the market price. New Year festival is the moment of new hope for life and better hope than in the past year. The rubber tree planters, in Chwang district including in the Mai Riang community, submitted their rubber sheets vividly for this special occasion. After the contest, buyers came to purchase all the auctioned rubber from the Mai Riang planters are considered the Asia’s contest for higher than market price best quality rubber 1 – 2 Baht more, depending on the quality. Although the price offered by rubber buyers was not so much higher than market price; this New Year was the year of luck that the planters considered a good sign for rubber price. This small gain could encourage them to live with more hope. This delightful phenomenon gave the happiness to everyone. For Teacher Prayong’s opinion, one-Baht-higher price for rubber was a good sign that if all the planters collaborated in higher quality rubber production, the rubber price would be even much higher. The New Year had passed, Teacher Prayong waited to see what else the planters got, apart from the happiness from the one-Baht-higher price for rubber for a short time.

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Prayong Ronnarong

It seemed that this higher price really made them happy, but it did not activate them to advance any further in their path. Simply they said about the fortune they got from the higher price without realizing that the buyers bought rubber quality with higher price, not only response the government policy. While other people looked only at the present, Teacher Prayong looked forward to the future that no one see yet. He took action as gravel thrown into a pond. As the gravel dives into the pond, little circles expand more and more endlessly in bigger area of the pond. From time to time, a great idea or a theory of mankind was originated from such tiny thought. Teacher Prayong had a talk in his rubber planter friends on that oneBaht-higher price offered by the rubber buyers. He showed them his opinion that the rubber buyers gave one-Baht-higher price not for sympathy, but for the rubber quality. This analytical conversation then extended from a small group of people into the majority, yet not enough to form seriously the common idea into thinking development. Despite that the group of thinkers in rubber tree plantation was only a small group; the idea sharing regularly did create the awareness of “rubber quality”, which was certainly more important than the high rubber price. The problem: the rubber production, as it was in traditional ways, was difficult to make a quality control as in the international standard level. The new idea spark for the future of planters was passed on attentively by a group of thinkers, seemingly an innovator that started to develop the future of Mai Riang community planters seriously. No answer in the start: success or failure. Simply consoling words from the innovator was that “Answer to success depends on the thought in the future of Mai Riang people”.


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Insight Intelligence The Force of Mind

In 1982, Teacher Prayong and the group of 5 Mai Riang thinkers agreed that the consideration and questions cycling among themselves were only the start of the idea, but not yet powerful enough for the answer to make changes in ideas for the Mai Riang planters’ future. As a proverb, “One look is better than 10 people saying, one touch is better than 10 eyes seeing, one act is better than 10 times of touch”. This is a good reminder for those who love the advance for life. No other kinds of learning would be better than learning the success of the practitioner. Therefore, Teacher Prayong and the group of Mai Riang thinkers made a letter for permission to visit and study in the drying-rubber factory of Na Bon Rubber Estate Organization, Na Bon district, Nakhon Si Thammarat province. At the Na Bon rubber factory, they were so welcome. The staff guided to visit in the production process thoroughly. Moreover, the lecture and discuss session were opened to all the visitors. They all learned and integrated the knowledge through direct experience in many perspectives. This visit to Na Bon drying-rubber factory even added more confidence to Mai Riang community that the rubber quality development would be its new future. Though the production process was not yet clear to them; the method would be a good start of the future.

Knowledge for Development Vs Thai Culture, the Bonding to Ties

Between knowledge and diversity of cultures of Thai society in conducting knowledge and ideas to the practice for achievement, knowledge and ideas can not be achieved without wise strategy on transferring the role to the culture to lead the knowledge toward achievement.

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Prayong Ronnarong

The culture of seniority among relatives, brothers, sisters and friends of Thai society had been very strong since the ancient days. From all of this, any changes in community or society without cultural ties would turn everything to collapse. After the field trip in Na Bon drying-rubber factory, the great task of the 5 leading disciples of Teacher Prayong and his 5 friends was to persuade and lead the Mai Riang people to understand the necessity of living way development. Yet, this task was quite hard. Teacher Prayong and his group chose to make people realize the development for rubber quality and for better living as good enough as international level through cultural ways of living mainly because he and his friends did not have the authority as official community leaders to announce the meeting as they wanted. Thus, the conception transferring on sustainable development to Mai Riang people had to be through the culture of “Teamwork” (Sor Meu / Long Khaek), which means the action of group of people helping one another or working together in each member’s land without compensation, but for the sake of culture of ties for a long time. During the break from work, Teacher Prayong and the group told other community members about the idea of development for rubber quality and for standard of production which would attract the buyers to offer higher price; the field trip to Baan Na Bon drying-rubber factory; and suggested that Mai Riang community could meet the achievement in the same ways as mentioned if they all agreed to apply those conception and methods together. Though the stories by Teacher Prayong were very useful to Mai Riang community, any changes were not as hard as changing someone’s mind. So he and his group needed to take time in telling the same stories, including from time to time other new knowledge to Mai Riang people with commitment and patience. During the period of attempt to change people’s ideas, the rubber price went down again to 12 Baht per kilogram. Despite the crisis, the circumstance turned it into the other hand. Most of the planters started to realize the quality of


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rubber production and discuss more on knowledge sharing to gain the better price for better quality rubber. Eventually, the rubber tree planters participated in learning the strategy of the same standard in rubber production. This is the right occasion that Teacher Prayong and his group had cooperated in wisdom empowering to create quality and standard of Mai Riang rubber to the national level. When the merging of rubber tree planters came to the success, 12 committee members were selected as a group of pioneer and representatives for studying into details and more information to make the complete development. The 18 committee members started from the comparison between the factory of Rubber Estate Organization and the one of private companies in terms of the machinery and the management. So they met different points more clearly. The factory of Rubber Estate Organization was transformed from an old factory with ancient machines but provided with the full info of knowledge, accounting, and management in every dimension. On the other hand, the factory of private company had got the latest technology but the whole information was undisclosed due to the matter of business administration. The only info released was the 11 millions Baht of factory establishment capital and the production of 10 tons of rubber sheets per day. The info on capital of the private company even discouraged promptly all the 12 committee members as they thought that the financial situation of their community could not afford such costs of a new factory establishment in their mind and their dreams. This is a big problem since the 12 leaders were already discouraged about the capital. It would be even harder to reach the achievement. The situation seemed to turn into surrender, since it had not even started. In this Book mentioned the giant tropical storm on Talumphuk peninsula continuously because the important phenomenon nearly made Mai Riang community in collapse or deserted town like many other towns in the past as a

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Prayong Ronnarong

result of the giant tropical storm on Talumphuk peninsula and the discovery of Wolframite in Center Mountain mainly which covered Mai Riang community with the darkness awfully. It would be awful and lead to the fall if the friendship, the brotherhood and the relative ties could not be recovered back as normal. The fall as said in the ancient allegory: In the town of Sravasti, No mercy among all. In the Middle Age, most of problems were from the factors beyond human control, such as natural disaster, rubber price crisis, the human greed, world economic decline, etc. All these problems seemed a repetitive sin for them. And such problems led Teacher Prayong to follow up with all changes closely with his 12 friends and search for the cause of rubber price crisis. As they found the quality of Mai Riang for that cause, the idea of the development for rubber quality was originated. And that was the origin of the development of rubber quality for the power in the reasonable price negotiation against the middleman. This led to the great change in community leaders to challenge to form a rubber sheet factory for the international standard of quality control. It happened to be both sides of people who believe that it would be possible and the others not with the attitude against the unskillful business management of non-experienced planters. It took many years that Teacher Prayong and the good will group had wandered around for the conversation and the discussion for the merging of planters to produce the better rubber quality. And since nobody had skill and experience on business as a planter, their creative ideas and the good will were covered with the unreliable image. Later on, the price crisis turned more and more of those who did not accept this pioneer idea to be more open and listening with consideration. Eventually, the factory of quality rubber sheet became real. Mai Riang planters could produce the Asia’ best quality rubber sheets and could sell with


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higher price than any other factories steadily until today. More importantly, Rubber Tree Planter Group of Mai Riang is the owner of the factory of Asia’ best quality rubber sheets, the shareholder and the entrepreneur. Moreover, they have advanced to the establishment of the second factory of quality rubber sheets which has got the better capacity of production, the better quality and standard then the old one. Certainly, the higher price of the rubber sheets both in the national and the international level creates the permanent happiness and the smiles to them all as far as today. And the person who seems to have even bigger happy smile is simply Teacher Prayong, the idea pioneer of production of quality rubber sheets and the factory establishment of quality rubber sheets for Mai Riang Community.

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Prayong Ronnarong

2.2 Devine Inspiration

Problem creates Wisdom “Circumstance creates Hero”

The Origin of Mai Riang Future: the first rubber sheet factory of Mai Riang community that realize the dreams and imagination on development of rubber quality. This factory was closed permanently after the second factory ready

In Thai society since ancient time when the crisis of land happened, there were always heroes or leaders who ameliorate the crisis into a fortune. Likewise, the situation of Mai Riang rubber tree planters was like in collapse as the innovation and technology for the development of rubber quality was too much that they could afford and figure out the ways. Though they might be able to create ideas; the vast of capital for factory establishment was beyond the power of planters who had so less experience on monetary and business.


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At the moment that the committee was depressed with this problem,

it seemed a divine inspiration appeared inside Teacher Prayong to find a way

out thoroughly. “How come do we need to form a giant factory like the businessman’s company that we went visit?”, he stimulated people to think more about it. “How would it meet the success with the small size of factory?”, another question for everyone to think about as well. Teacher Prayong explained his ideas to everyone based on reality that the rubber factory owner was a businessman who bought rubber from many sources. His factory could produce rubber sheets 10 tons per day which was necessary for the owner to make big production as the amount of sap bought from many planters and as of the big factory for that big production. Moreover, his rubber exportation was in the national and international level. While Mai Riang community could collect sap only no more than 500 kilogram per day, fundraising for 500,000 Baht for the factory establishment should be enough for the start of future. The opinion and explanation of Teacher Prayong did release the stress among the committee members and make a new hope to them again. Although the anxiety could not be completely gone out of those who took high responsibilities, this problem had sparked wisdom to them all. Certainly, problem created not only wisdom, but also idea leadership, wisdom leadership and responsibility to all the leaders to support weaker people and to empower the people in their homeland for the sustainable development.

Model for planters’ fundraising By planters, for planters of Mai Riang Community

The capital of 500,000 Baht, for the establishment of rubber sheet factory for the production of 500 kilogram per day, practically still caused certain problems unexpected.

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Prayong Ronnarong

The problem is about the marketing and transportation. The production, which would give profits, needed to be at least 1,500 kilogram per day as to make money to cover the cost. And for the transportation, a buyer needed a 10-wheel truck which could contain 13 tons per time, or 13,000 kilogram. This fact caused a new discouragement to the whole committee as they made an agreement with the planters that they would only take the sap to the factory and would not have to make sheets with their families like before. Then other workers would make rubber sheets under the quality control. Once the buyers came take the rubber sheets, they would get money straight away from that. Still, this new fact was that the middle man would come to buy rubber sheets only when they could make ready of 13 tons of rubber sheets. The committee calculated for the duration for that big production and the answer was that it took 26 days if they produced sheets 500 kilogram per day. And thus the planters would not be able to live their lives while waiting for the money for this long duration. For the reasons, the committee needed to increase the capacity of production at least up to 13,000 kg per day so that the problem could be solved; and that means the capital and the cashflow for factory establishment of 500,000 Baht must be at least up to 1,000,000 Baht. This big problem was unavoidable any more. If they failed since the start, the committee would lose all the faith from people and they would never recover that back again. Due to the unavoidable fact, the fundraising had to be improved in corresponding to the various situations with the harder responsibility of the committee to achieve the goal. The fundraising was started by the pioneer, which was initially called the commission. And that pioneer was the 12 committee members. They had to make their own invitation line to persuade and guide their relatives and friends in participating as an obligation.

Thai ด้วยเหตุน� ีคณะกรรมการจะต้องเพิ �มปริWisdom มาณการผลิตTeacher ใหได้อย่างตํา� “Wisdom วันละ ๑,๓๐๐ Gem กิโลกรัมofเป็ นASEAN” อย่างน้อยจึงจะ พอแก้ปญั หา

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Member 1 � ๑ กรรมการคนที

กรรมการคนที Member 2 � ๒ กรรมการคนที Member 3 � ๓ กรรมการคนที Member 4 � ๔ คณะกรรมการ The 12 บริ หารงาน Committee จําMembers นวน ๑๒ คน

กรรมการคนที Member 5 � ๕ กรรมการคนที Member 6 � ๖ Member 7 � ๗ กรรมการคนที

กรรมการคนที Member 8 � ๘

The

จํานวน first

ผูส้ มัคร

group

เป็ น of

สมาชิก members แรกเริ�ม : 37

จํานวนหุน้ 20,000 Shares x ๒๐,๐๐๐ หุน้ ๆละ 50 บาท Bahtรวม = ๕๐ 1๑,๐๐๐,๐๐๐ million Baht บาท

รวม

members

๓๗ คน

กรรมการคนที Member 9 � ๙ Member 10 กรรมการคนที � ๑๐ Member Member12 1 � ๑๑ กรรมการคนที Member 12 กรรมการคนที � ๑๒ ในช่ วเลี�ยวหัวต่the อของการแก้ ญหา มีสofมาชิproblem กที�มคี วามเชืsolving, �อมันและอยู � ่ใthe นฐานะที ะให้ความเกื�อหนุ นmembers เพือ� วงหัDuring criticalไขปัpoint 12�จcommittee could

makeานเครื a network of new 37ง� members that believedางเต็inมthis and could ประโยชน์สpersuade ุขของชาวไมเ้ รียand งในอนาคตผ่ อข่ายของคณะกรรมการทั ๑๒ คน ที�ตอ้ งระดมวาทกรรมอย่

support the๓๗ MaiคนRiang the 50-Baht ศักยภาพรวมทั ง� สิ�นจํานวน ในราคาหุcommunity น้ ละ ๕๐ บาท ได้business เงินทุนตามที�ตwith งั� เป้ าหมายไว้ ๑,๐๐๐,๐๐๐share บาทพอดีand altogether

they made it to exactly 1 million Baht. Although this became the first Model for Planters’ Fundraising, by planters and for Mai Riang community planters in the passage of๖๔community

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enterprise; the merit of good will destined them to the achievement pleasantly. Additionally, the management with target was to be proved upon the trust on good past. The next day was yet to come, so a good preparation of the day was very essential. The future was not only the hope of all the 12 committee members and the 37 sponsors with 1 million Baht, but also the hope of all awaited Mai Riang community members.


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2.3 Dignity of Master & Moral Mind (Bhumi Thai, Bhumi Dhamma) Dignity of Master (Bhumi Thai) “Philosophy – Belief – Imagination”

Office of Mai Riang rubber planter group at the 2nd rubber fatory, located at the same place for buying sap of members, is pretty large, convenient, with standard and bigger capacity of production then the 1st factory.

The fatigue and the exhaustion of Teacher Prayong and all the 12 committee members in fundraising for rubber factory establishment were passed by. The work based of their philosophy was like the first step of the commitment since the beginning that met the achievement with satisfaction. Their idea met the success. The next step was to work based on the belief that Teacher Prayong insisted that if Mai Riang people could produce rubber sheets with the good quality, the price would be no longer any problem.

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No matter where customers are from, all need the good quality of products with reliable standard. This idea led to the belief that he had been thinking all the time when the rubber price went down without any clue. The middle man thus explained to the rubber planters that the price when down because of the rubber quality under the world standard. As they know that the reason was for the world standard criteria, the only way out was the quality control of rubber sheet production. And then they would have more power to negotiate for the better price. The belief of building rubber factory based on the global standard would be the quality control of the production of which the past time they did it in their own traditional ways without any development. The factory establishment due to the belief was completed. Then the committee and all members organized a meeting for the decision of factory type. After the discussion, they voted for the registered community enterprise named Rubber Tree Planter Group of Mai Riang on 1 June 1984. Although the registration and the celebration for the new factory was done, all the fund of 37 members was not yet ready as their financial status was not as complete as their will. Teacher Prayong told about his memories with smile as of his personality. “Rubber Tree Planter Group of Mai Riang got all money from all shares in next 3 years. Despite the long duration of money collecting, we all helped and took good care of our group very well as promised. After the registration for Rubber Tree Planter Group of Mai Riang, the production was not yet started straight away because the preparation for machinery and workers needed to be ready with prudence. In October 1984, the rubber sheet factory began with smiles, happiness and hope for life of all 12 committee members and the 37 sponsor members, despite the incomplete fund collecting.


Once the engine began, the future and the new hope of Mai Riang people moved on with the expectation and their mere Dignity of Master (Bhumi Thai) among Mai Riang Rubber Tree Planters.

Bhumi :

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Trace in the past: Dream became true, the first rubber sheet factory in operation a while, with the capacity of production: 1.5 ton per day, before moving to the 2nd with the bigger, better and standardized production.

Glory, Dignity, Smart

Thai : Master Bhumi Thai : the success of Glorious, Dignified and smart Master, honored to The Rubber Tree Planter of Mai Riang that made the idea, belief and imagination come true. That is the leading way to the achievement toward everyone’s commitment.

Moral Mind (Bhumi Dhamma) “Mind as a master, Body as a follower”

Since the registration of Rubber Tree Planter Group of Mai Riang on 1 June 1984 and the start of the engine in October of this same year, the committee made moral and ethics strictly as the priority of rubber sheet production. It became a really great compensation for both the factory and the planters who delivered the sap to the factory. They all were the conqueror as a result of the responsibility. The factory, operated under the quality control for rubber sheets, was credited by the middle man ever since.

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The rubber tree planters got compensated with the higher price of rubber

than in the past without any worries of price drop. Their quality of life became better. The stability and the wealth of this quality rubber sheet factory was proved with the fact that they never made loan from the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC), of which was in their plan for the backup of any factory crisis. Until the moment, in the worst case they only made an overdraft from a commercial bank from time to time for the backup of factory financial situation. That was for the guarantee payment to the planters in the case of the middle man’s

default payment. This action was not considered a business mischief, but the responsibility or the credit maintenance toward customers with faith and admiration. Since the start of the factory operation, the quality and the standard of rubber sheet production by Rubber Tree Planter Group of Mai Riang became very famous and acknowledged by the middleman continuously. And the most important point was that the price of rubber sheets by Rubber Tree Planter Group of Mai Riang was 4-5 Baht higher than the market. Such success came from not only the quality and the standard of production, but also the Moral Mind (Bhumi Dhamma) that Thai society has praised strictly the priority. Moral Mind (Bhumi Dhamma): Mental background with moral which would become absolute when the Mind is as a Master, and the Body is as a follower. It is sensed and apparent through the action.

The meeting & seminar hall of Mai Riang Rubber Tree Planter Group


Synopsis of

IN

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Middle Age: “Philosophy”

this Book mentioned the giant tropical storm on Talumphuk

peninsula continuously because the important phenomenon nearly made Mai Riang community in collapse or deserted town like many other towns in the past as a result of the giant tropical storm on Talumphuk peninsula and the discovery of Wolframite in Center Mountain mainly which covered Mai Riang community with the darkness awfully. It would be awful and lead to the fall if the friendship, the brotherhood and the relative ties could not be recovered back as normal. The fall as said in the ancient allegory: In the town of Sravasti, No mercy among all. In the Middle Age, most of problems were from the factors beyond human control, such as natural disaster, rubber price crisis, the human greed, world economic decline, etc. All these problems seemed a repetitive sin for them. And such problems led Teacher Prayong to follow up with all changes closely with his 12 friends and search for the cause of rubber price crisis. As they found the quality of Mai Riang for that cause, the idea of the development for rubber quality was originated. And that was the origin of the development of rubber quality for the power in the reasonable price negotiation against the middleman. This led to the great change in community leaders to challenge to form a rubber sheet factory for the international standard of quality control. It happened to be both sides of people who believe that it would be possible and the others not with the attitude against the unskillful business management of non-experienced planters.

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It took many years that Teacher Prayong and the good will group had wandered around for the conversation and the discussion for the merging of planters to produce the better rubber quality. And since nobody had skill and experience on business as a planter, their creative ideas and the good will were covered with the unreliable image. Later on, the price crisis turned more and more of those who did not accept this pioneer idea to be more open and listening with consideration. Eventually, the factory of quality rubber sheet became real. Mai Riang planters could produce the Asia’ best quality rubber sheets and could sell with higher price than any other factories steadily until today. More importantly, Rubber Tree Planter Group of Mai Riang is the owner of the factory of Asia’ best quality rubber sheets, the shareholder and the entrepreneur. Moreover, they have advanced to the establishment of the second factory of quality rubber sheets which has got the better capacity of production, the better quality and standard then the old one. Certainly, the higher price of the rubber sheets both in the national and the international level creates the permanent happiness and the smiles to them all as far as today. And the person who seems to have even bigger happy smile is simply Teacher Prayong, the idea pioneer of production of quality rubber sheets and the factory establishment of quality rubber sheets for Mai Riang Community.

3

Everlasting Time “Work”

Mai Riang Planter Group is a UZQFǰPGǰBOǰFGųDJFOUǰBOEǰQPXFSGVMǰ organization for Mai Riang community development as a large step which leads to the strong Community Enterprise

Another corner of view within UIFǰGBDUPSZǰPGǰRVBMJUZǰSVCCFSǰTIFFU This is the second one which has more capacity of production and CFUUFSǰTUBOEBSEǰUIFOǰUIFǰųSTUǰPOFǰ as of the less capacity of QSPEVDUJPO

The factory of rice vermicelli XJUIǰUIFǰNBYJNVNǰDBQBDJUZǰPGǰǰ UPOTǰQFSǰEBZǰQSPEVDUJPOǰ/PXBEBZT ǰ they produce for the markets in /BLIPOǰ 4Jǰ 5IBNNBSBUǰ QSPWJODFǰ and in other adjacent ones, with UIFǰQSPEVDUJPOǰPGǰǰUPOTǰQFSǰEBZ ǰ and the average annual income of ǰNJMMJPOǰ#BIUǰ


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3.1 Thai Wisdom Towards Human Development Human Development Innovation of Development Achievement

The traditional ways of Life and Idea of Teacher Prayong Ronnarong is Wisdom of leaders and sages who have got intellectual perception from within. It is a glittering idea from a consideration for a search to a practice in various forms with attention. Although he had never got an experience before, he tried hard to search for the knowledge and an alignment that lead to an action. The example of such The happy smile of Teacher Prayong Ronnarong success since the idea of forming a in the happy day of Mai Riang coming earlier factory of quality rubber sheet was than expected. from being thoughtful as the first place, even without an experience he tried hard to find ways to learn by himself together with a small group of friends seriously. At the moment without any money, still he could figure out the way out and then dared to take decision to

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move on. And when facing the situations under problems again and again, he endured in fixing it. The achievement of Teacher Prayong is merely from the effort with wisdom as a path to success on variety of approaches. He looks at things for a whole perspective completely and has integrated thinking that links to himself and his friends’ potential. And when the knowledge is crystallized, he dares to take action with what he has never done nor experienced before. The evidence of this challenge: the decision to form a factory of quality and standardized rubber sheets even without any experience on business. He dared to give a chance to the 12 committee members, simple rubber tree planters, to manage the rubber sheet factory; and dared to let the 37 factory shareholders to join in the registered factory under the name of Rubber Tree Planter Group of Mai Riang of which all the members had never had any experience on business administration before. All these are the qualifications of the revolution leader with his wisdom and with an open mind to let colleagues to learn by doing. It is a decision based on an intuitive environment (an insight) from his intellectual perception and experience through the regular practice. In terms of the Intuition and the Inspiration that lead to the creation, Prof.Dr.Wichit Bunyahotra explained as the following diagram:

Undulation

Intuition Creation Inspiration

This principle of medical science is sufficiently reasonable to explain very well the leadership of Teacher Prayong Ronnarong. “Very well” because the leadership of Teacher Prayong is well-known to all those who have worked with him or who have perceived his speech, his opinions, his experience, his idea, his works and especially his personalities that


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show his gentleness, less words with meaningful matters and his intellectual and powerful ideas. Teacher Prayong Ronnarong is not a leader promoted with any form of position, but a leader that is very trustful to all colleagues. His creative ideas for work are not from what they say, but mainly from his own thoughts and experience. And only some initiations from the mutual idea raising that he would take as principles of work which is a common resolution since the meeting discussed by all the colleague and himself on behalf of the committee or the working group attentively.

Rubber Sheet Factory of Mai Riang Center for Educational Innovation of Lifelong Learning

Since the opening of the Belt for quality rubber sheet production as of international standard of Rubber Sheet Planter Group of Mai Riang in 1984, the rubber sheet factory is not only a factory, but also as a school of all kind of education for all kind of people who are interested in learning until today.

The visitors for the production of rubber sheet at the community factory of rubber.

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Apart from a mine of learning, this Rubber sheet factory is also a vocation center for all hard workers. Since the factory has been operated, the planters do not have to waste their time on producing the rubber sheets on their own which take so much time and labor of the family members. Not only a waste of so much time on rubber sheet production, but more important thing, the manual production process with out the standard quality control give low quality of rubber sheets. And that led to the low price of rubber sheets as well. That caused the loss of both time and chance at the same time. Ever since the labor that used to be occupying with the rubber sheet production have more spare time to take other jobs from the factory that needs all the time workers. This is both the promotion for vocation and for the youth and planters to benefit for their families in spare time. On top of that, the factory is also like a prevention of crimes and drugs at the same time.

Rubber Sheet factory of Mai Riang “University of community”

Since 1984, for nearly 3 decades that the rubber sheet factory of Rubber Tree Planter Group of Mai Riang is like university of the expert on the production of quality rubber sheets for groups of professional rubber tree planters in the South and other regions of Thailand. In 1986, after the factory has been operated for 2 years, Rubber Tree Planter Group of Mai Riang welcomed and shared their knowledge to planter group of Yang Kom with the curriculum of quality rubber sheet production for 5 days. Teacher Prayong and the team shared their knowledge on the administration, the management, the production, the marketing, the quality control for the rubber sheet as of the international standard, including the difficulties of Mai Riang factory to the trainees from Yang Kom to apply and develop with their rubber sheet factory even better than Mai Riang.


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The curriculum was very successful. The rubber sheet factory of Yang Kom planter Group topped up the wisdom of Mai Riange factory management completely. While the factory of Mai Riang at that time could produce rubber sheets 1.5 ton perday, at the factory of Yang Kom 5 tons

per day. Such achievement was well- Inside of the 2nd rubber sheet factory. Today, all known and admired that the rubber is with standard system of production, and the factory of Mai Riang was like university rubber quality is acknowledged in the for the expert of rubber sheet production that could form a rubber tree planter into an efficient administer and manager in 5 days. This fame allowed the rubber sheet factory of Mai Riang to become a Center for Rubber Sheet Production Knowledge to all rubber tree planters for a long time, such as Taling Chan Group, Sa Kaew Group of Tha Sala district, Nakhon Si Thammarat provine, Na San Group, private groups in Na San districts, Surat Thani province, Rice Farmer Group of Huay Yod district in Trang province, Khao Pu Khao Ya in Si Bunpot sub-district of Pattalung province, village leader Bunchong Chongwilaikasem in Betong district of Trang province, etc, which have met the high achievement with the production of quality and standardized rubber sheets as required. From 1984 until now, the rubber factory of Mai Riang of Rubber Tree Planter Group of Mai Riang Chwang district of Nakhon Si Thammarat province is on duty of Innovation Center of Lifelong Learning for all kind of people’s study and vocation. The Center is an expert for the curriculum of the production of quality and standardized rubber sheets in the international level, which is the main career of rubber tree planters in the South of Thailand.

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3.2 Thai Wisdom Towards Community Potential Development Community Development Through Rubber Network of Nakhon Si Thammarat

Although the world of learning is changing rapidly in the education system, non-formal education and informal education with modern learning media to connect all learners at all times and places; not all people have that same chance to access that technology. Among changes of eras, the traditional way of learning seemed to be behind, still essential in some areas, communities and persons. The education system and pattern nowadays determine that human is human resource, seemingly a type of precious economic material that can be


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transformed to a variety of products to an additional value of his life and his nation. If a human behaves like a meaningless economic material, he shall be eliminated. This sounds awful. Yet, it happens already in some societies, filtered by the education system as a tool of quality human selection for a chance or no chance to pursue the studies in an educational institute as wanted. Anyway, that situation will not happen to the Mai Riang community because it is a lifelong learning center that welcomes all those who love to learn according to their potential, without closing their opportunities. The fame of rubber sheet factory school has allowed it to become a famous vocational lifelong learning center. This factory solves the problem of rubber quality, price and unemployment very well.

Fishery and frog breeding in cement pool is a good source of food. More importantly, it is a source of production, distribution, and economy for a permanent income on a little space.

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With the reputation, it happened to have new ideas in vocational development for rubber tree planters in the form of vocational networks for the quality of rubber production in many communities. Teacher Prayong and the committee pay great attention to this matter. They have tried to search for the ways of rubber vocation extension continuously. And a good opportunity came to them when the middle man wanted the rubber tree planter network to increase their capacity of rubber production up to 20 tons per day so that the amount of rubber would be fully filled in the container for export. Teacher Prayong thought all the time about this. Some people voted for a factory extension for bigger production. Yet, in his opinion, he wanted to give an opportunity to other groups of rubber sheet planters in the South to form their own factory or extent the area of rubber sheet production. That would be an vocation extension and the income distribution at the same time. Based on the idea, later on the group of rubber tree planters strongly cooperated in forming a network of rubber tree planters by the 60 community leaders who discussed on establishing the Institute of Nakhon Si Thammarat Cultivators. The summary from the discussion was as follows: 1. Direction of Thai society Development in the future. 2. Achievement of folk organization. 3. Potential of network merging. 4. Power of folk organization toward society reformation, politics,

government, law, economy and society. At the meeting of the cultivator network, they voted for the example of achievement through the study case of the 3 groups of rubber tree planters on the quality and world standard rubber factories: the factories of Rubber Tree Planters Group of Mai Riang, Yang Kom and Sa Kaew. They reproduced the lesson of success for the mutual learning and for the network to learn as well.


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Simply a network of rubber tree planter is not enough

From the summary from the discussion of the network of Nakhon Si Thammarat planters, the conclusions were as follows: 1. Rubber tree planters should have a variety of extra jobs. 2. Do not lay their life on the rubber only. 3. Develop other fruit and plant land at the same time. 4. Cattle and fishery should be an extra career after the rubber tree

plantation. 5. Develop the rubber sheet quality with various methods: drying, fumigation, or any other innovation for more options for the buyers. 6. Participate in finding working capital for increasing the potential of production. Cattle and Fishery for consumption and sale are 7. Develop the cooperation ones of the extra income of Mai Riang community. among planters’ groups in all levels such as village and sub-districts in the form of network management. 8. Promote factory of quality and standard rubber sheets to villages to form one for their own community. 9. Participate more in developing network organization in other forms. In the meeting a 12-coordinator committee was created of the network organization selected from group representatives. All groups had to discuss with the group and decide to present a project such as an establishment or an extension of a rubber sheet factory. All projects would be presented by all networks under the same campaign: The Development Campaign for the Institute of Nakhon Si Thammarat Cultivators.

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Network of Cultivator Institute “Wisdom Force of Community”

The merging of people in community as the Network of Nakhon

Si Thammarat Cultivator Institute is an important wisdom force of the community members in the role of developing society via the members’ ideas. The mutual learning process made everyone more patient and learn

to give a chance to the others in presenting their opinions without any idea domination. Members of all communities know well that it’s easy to present the project, but it’s more complicated to do research for all the information and explanations for a project. Moreover, details on numbers for reference and the budget are very complicated and need to be studied together closely. Therefore, all members of each community have their duty and responsibility in either doing a research or finding numbers for a complete reference. This is considered a hard long process work; and attention to detail is needed. Eventually, everything was going very well and met the achievement with the Wisdom Force of Community.

The Community Force

The presentation for the need of the community was raised, then they looked forward to the result of their request to the officials, to allocate the budget for the development to each community project. The result of mutual learning through discussion, recommendations, telling their needs with the ultimate target which is the development. More people, different ideas. It took times until the common confluence was found on the priority order through the long discussion.


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Khun Khachohn Tipapong, the keeper of Mai Riang Learning&Development Center , Nature University, under the greenery of abundant trees, the learning and vocation center for all community members and Thai people who trust in their own force.

Such process seemed quite messed up, but every step, reason, suggestion and comment was the great mutual learning of life. This phenomenon had never happened before to cultivators that work to gain daily and that they would have a chance to comment and tell their needs of themselves and community where their ancestors had lived for many generations. But it happened at the moment. With the Wisdom Force from each community, all projects presented were allocated for the budget, for their sustainable community development due to their philosophy, belief, and needs of each community as follows:

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1. Nakhon Si Thammarat was allocated the budgets for 5 projects of planters’ groups who were the most ready. 2. Office of Nakhon Si Thammarat Agriculture allocated budget associated with the province budget to another 2 groups of planters, altogether 7 groups,

by the budget approval for 22 million Baht for the following common activies: 2.1 Establishment of rubber sheet factory 2.2 Studies & learning of each community leader 2.3 Training on management 2.4 Visit to rubber sheet factory of Baan Na Born 2.5 Visit Songkhla province and studies on finance and resource

management 2.6 Visit and studies on management of various saving groups 2.7 Visit and studies factory production system in Rayong province 2.8 Mobile conference in the 7 project areas The community network’s idea was advanced with the budget support from the officials that realized the importance of human development in the community. As a result, there were many dimensions of development. Nakhon Si Thammmarat rubber network has advanced ideas with the other cooperation development such as forming the working capital of the network to support all groups’ business and forming a joint market center, which is the heart of product distribution

from the community to the central market or the international market in the future. All these achievements are the Community Forces, which has used it’s latent power in driving Thai society for a long time.

The Learning of Community Is a Preparation of the Nation in the future.

For many decades the vision of the nation development was at the contrary to the needs of community members.


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In the way of democracy many answers of the nation await in villages and community. Thus, the Nation Development means human development and material development at the same time equally as to create a balance between humans and material and to meet the confluence. The example of procedure of human and community development of Nakhon Si Thammarat Rubber Network supported by administration of the province and Office of Nakhon Si Thammarat Agriculture is to prove that if the community is development based on the community needs the wisdom force of all members with the knowledge and experience within would be the great wisdom force and the important background of the nation development. After learning and practicing,

the members of Nakhon Si Thammarat Rubber Network concluded the knowledge summary which is seemingly a textbook or a handbook written by themselves as a guideline for career and career development as of the global Sages visit sages: Historical inscription – all Thai society changing. The summary Wisdom teachers from all regions visited and studied book is easy to read, to at community learning center of Mai Riang.

understand, to apply and practice everywhere at anytime, without any complicated interpretation more than the wisdom of community members. The summary book of knowledge sharing lessons is called the complete handbook for Rubber tree planters, containing the contents of necessary knowledge for the rubber tree profession, for instance:

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1. Structure and Mechanism of World Market, which determine

the world’s rubber price 2. Structure of Thai Rubber Market 3. Formula for Rubber Desiccation 4. The Factory System 5. Overview and All Rubber Industrial Mechanism 6. Management of Small Business in Community 7. Combination Agriculture in Rubber Tree Land

This complete handbook of Rubber tree planters is a book written from the lesson summary by members of Nakhon Si Thammarat rubber network, as a guideline for members and for the rubber tree planters to study, to learn, and to practice for the comprehension of mechanism which is the main fact of both Thai and international rubber price tending; especially for more potential in developing rubber sheet quality by themselves through the content of Formula for Rubber Desiccation, for instance. Learning experience of the community is a preparation for the Nation’s future.


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3.3 Thai Wisdom Towards Local Potential

The Knowing Toward the Homeland Development

Enactment to appoint Teacher Prayong Ronnarong as a member of the National Legislative Assembly, equally a political official status as C 11.

Sageness means the prominent wisdom of Teacher Prayong Ronnarong that gives honors in many dimensions from various organizations to which his work is corresponding. The national and international honor and admiration to Teacher Prayong is not only for his Knowledge, but also for his Knowing. Knowledge is a matter of theory that the learner keeps in his perception. Everyone, even the blind can gain the knowledge through memorizing. Example: In an associated school for normal and blind students, a science teacher said rainbow appears after the rain. The rainbow has 7 colors – purple, navy, blue, green, yellow, orange, red.

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For this case, the students are only a knowledge taker. A normal student and a blind student memorized about the rainbow and the rainbow colors very well. Even when the teacher asked how many colors a rainbow has. Both normal student and blind student could give a right answer which is 7 colors. Both students got the same score though they have different experience. Different experience because the normal student has eyes, can memorize and can see the rainbow with his eyes, while the blind student knew about the 7-colors of the rainbow from what the teacher said, but in reality he could never see the real rainbow and its colors apart from the teachings.

Honor Trophy from H.M. of a prominent Individual Award for Culture; Certificate of Thai Wisdom Teacher Award Year 1; Certificate of National Individual Award; Honorary Doctorate in Science (Agriculture)


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Knowing is a matter of experience that a learner has passed on his own. It is a knowledge gained from studying, searching, experimenting and practicing. The learner is the knowledge creator through his practice. Teacher Prayong has both the knowledge and the knowing. But the fame, awards, and honors from organizations or academic institutes are for his Knowing, which is the creator of plenty Knowledge with his own experience, also with his colleagues since a long time. In terms of theory discovery or textbook writer, Teacher Prayong is seemingly a theory pioneer and wisdom creator through his practice, proof and ultimately acknowledged by government organizations, private sectors and academic institutes. His works are very apparent in the level of community, locality, nation, and ASEAN. Not many Thai people have got such honors like this.

Wisdom of Thai Wisdom Teacher Toward Locality Development

Locality, nowadays has a specific meaning depending on the society changes under the laws according to the present local governing. For this reason, locality means a single area. By law, locality means an area within an administration district of local government such as Municipality, local administration, etc. In the past, Mai Riang was only a small community. In 1898, this community was upgraded to Sub-district until present. Today Mai Riang sub-district is one of the 10 sub-districts in Chwang district of Nakhon Si Thammarat province. The location of Mai Riang is situated 5 km north-west of Chwang district. There are 10 villages, 1,593 households, 7,697 people (3,714 males and 3,983 females). The area covers 22,220 Rais of plains, mountains, agriculture, cattle, water source, forest areas, etc.

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1962 The Giant Tropical Storm on Talumphuk Peninsula From Tragedy to Comedy of Life

There is a saying: A human who falls in mortal point will be alive, who in living point will die. The signification is that who live in an abundant land with happiness since birth, lack enthusiasm in making a living. Eventually, they cannot do so much and at the end of their life they fall in catastrophic conditions and fail to survive. On the other hand, those who are born and live a hard life are forced to struggle, making a living for survival of themselves and the family. Such diligence and patience allows them to learn to save, to work hard, and live their life in an appropriate way. So they can survive and live a happy life in the society. The giant storm on the Talumphuk peninsula not only brought a tragedy to the people in Talumphuk, but also ruined the rubber tree land and other agricultural land of the Mai Riang community so hopelessly. In the midst of tragedy, the Rubber Replanting Aid Fund relieved Mai Riang planters with the distribution of a rubber tree breed, including the compensation for the land recovery labor. So they had the courage to fight for a living again. The rubber tree planting takes at least 6 years until the tree is ready to give sap for the further process. At the time of waiting for the growing rubber trees, Mai Riang planters also grew other annual crops between rubber trees’ gaps for consumption and for sale to support their families. Six years later, the young rubber plants became grownup and were ready to be tapped. The hope and happiness then again mad all the planters lively and hopeful.

* This is constant change in the figures


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But the hope and the happiness were no longer with the planters. And then a new tragedy visited them again. That was the lowest price of rubber sheets in the history at 7 Baht per kg. Life of rubber tree planters was seemingly robbed for the second times. Their lives were extremely suffered again. The repetition of fate pushed Teacher Prayong Ronnarong to make a research on problems and the cause of the low price of rubber sheets seriously. And the analytical summary is that the middle man always made an excuse for the low price because of the low quality of rubber and the world’s rubber price going down. Such problem led to the merging of planters for the analysis of the causes and solutions. Later on, The Department of Agricultural Extension found a solution for the planters to develop their rubber quality with the Rubber Quality Contest during New Year of 1967, in Chwang district. As a result, the middle man offered 1 – 2 Baht higher for the rubber sheets to the competitors. This event was the start for Teacher Prayong and his friends to learn the procedure and the process of rubber quality development. This became the starting point of rubber sheet factory for the quality control of Mai Riang planter in the name of Rubber Tree Planter Group of Mai Riang. This factory has been a learning center for the world’s standard of rubber sheet production of the Mai Riang community and the rubber tree planters’ network throughout Thailand until today. From that moment on, rubber sheets produced by the Mai Riang people are the leading quality rubber sheets of Thailand. Mai Riang rubber tree planters are acknowledged as planters who produce the quality rubber of the leading level of Thailand as well.

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Prayong Ronnarong

Thai Rubber Tie of Community Life

The doubt of Teacher Prayong for nearly half of his life was that who determine the world’s rubber price; if it is possible for Thailand to be the determinant of rubber price as the world’s leading rubber exporter since 1991. The answer of the research for the world rubber determinant was the group of countries that do not have any rubber tree lands at all. Not only without a land, nor even a rubber tree in existence in their countries. This is the big task that Teacher Prayong had been thinking about all the time and waiting for a day that Thailand would become the world rubber determinant. That means all rubber tree planters from all lands had to cooperate seriously for the quality control of Grade A rubber production to be acknowledged by rubber product consumers in Thailand first of all. Today Thailand might not be yet the price determinant; but in the future if all public and private sectors including rubber tree planters can combine the wisdom power with commitment and be the world’s rubber price determinant country, world market would be a stable economic market to the future of Thai rubber tree planters and Thailand.


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Wisdom Toward Economic Development for Community

After solving the problem of the rubber standard and quality for Mai Riang planters and the rubber tree planter network, though the rubber quality by the world’s rubber production is accredited, the industrial countries that need the raw materials made of rubber are the unreliable group. This group of industrial countries are the developed countries, rich and have the high economic power. Despitehqaving any rubber trees at all, no matter when they can cooperate to negotiate for the low price of rubber as to lower their production capital, Thailand will fall deeply under dangerous conditions. This is a very dreadful problem . With the problem recognition, Teacher Prayong and Mai Riang community leaders initiated new ideas in preparation for the possible crisis happening in the future. The measure is to make repetition of warning to people that although the rubber price is still good today, in the future it might be a hard time thief there is a price crisis. It will be a hard time because rubber can not be processed to buy food for living. A good preparation is not to lay all lives ofthe whole family on rubber only.

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According to the idea, in 1992 it happened to be a learning activity for the communities economy creation and a Learning & Development Center of Mai Riang community for the community studies and the preparation on economy, society, environment, health, debts, problems, and the community needs. As a result of the complete survey, the real problem of Mai Riang people during the era of happiness was that people were lacking in new knowledge so they missed the ability in managing their own resources for benefits to their This Rice vermicelli Factory of Mai Riang, with max community as they should do. capacity of production of 10 tons/day, use an The next problem was enormous amount of rice each day. Nowadays, the production at 8 tons/day is for sale. Year 2011, the that outsiders, after knowing the annual income from sale was 49 million Baht. first problem, came to maneuver everything in the community for the enormous benefits behind. And the dangerous problem is that Mai Riang planters became a tool for the capitalists to exploit wealth from their lack of wisdom. Such problems stimulated the Leaning & Development Center of Mai Riang to establish the Community Learning Center for those who are keen to learn what they are interested in. In fact, knowledge is all around the community. Knowledge is not found only in the curriculum of the education system. Yet, the community neglected the problem of knowledge management. To fix this problem urgently, Mai Riang community created a curriculum for the development of main and secondary vocation, also extra career together with the application of the Sufficiency Economy theory of H.M Bhumibol as a compass of the development. The curriculum can be divided into 8 courses as follows: 1. Organic vegetable plantation 2. Fresh water Fishery 3. Indigenous poultry Farming


4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

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Mushroom culturing in rubber sawdust Swine Farming Animal Food production Rice processing Thai traditional medical and Herbs for health

The whole 8 courses are for field training, determined due to the community needs under the philosophy: Learning before acting, acting what you have learn. The evaluation for the whole 8 courses in an appropriate time is that the curriculum helped Processing of Rice, the community product, into recover the strength level of the vermicelli for sale, as the well-know “Fresh rice vermicelli”. community to satisfaction. People did not get rich straight away, but gradually lived a better quality of life, with stability, happiness, hope for the future, and especially without any vices from outsiders’ influence permanently.

Wisdom towards the Development of Organization

Network Force and Network of Community Organization

After the mission of an activity for Wisdom towards Economic Development for the Community, Teacher Prayong started the development of Organization Network and Network of Community Organization for the next curriculum. This activity is the transfer of knowledge and experience to the network and to public systematically, which emphasized on the tight relationship through

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the longer time than other normal curriculum. Thus, a new form of relationship was initiated to be ready for the brotherhood-like aid as the following diagram of the real relationship in the level of community, district, province, nation, and international:

International National Province District Community After that activity, the cooperation among organizations happened in many other activities such as: 1. Activity of Yom Na network: cooperation among 3 vocational groups, consisting of 22 rubber networks of 10 districts. 2. Fruit Tree network; 3 associations of 8 districts. 3. Paddy Field network; 6 groups of 5 districts.

All these 3 networks have cooperated and participated in the activities as a unity, under the symbol name of the network: “Yom Na” In Nakhon Si Thammarat province there are mutual activities such as Rice vermicelli factory by the network of rubber, fruit tree and paddy fields under the enterprise name of Food Product Network. The rice, of which the quality is not appropriate for consumption but good for rice vermicelli production, as it give a


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large amount of flour, from farmers in Pak Panang basin in Nakhon Si Thammarat province is processed into rice vermicelli flour for sale to retail rice vermicelli producers. Today, the production of rice vermicelli flour can be made up to 10 tons/ day for sale to the retail producers in Nakhon Si Thammarat province and another 7 nearby provinces. In 2011, the income of the community enterprise for rice vermicelli factory was up to 49 million Baht. Organization Network and Network of Community Organization are the learning center of agricultural product resources for all cultivators; and the model of community enterprise to all people who are interested, public and private sectors, community organizations all over the country.

Learning Center of Mai Riang Community “Model of

Learning Center from Teacher Prayong Ronnarong’s

Experience”

The Learning center of Mai Riang Community in Mai Riang subdistrict, Chwang district, Nakhon Si Thammarat province, to which Teacher Prayong created a curriculum to transfer his knowledge to all members and the interested people consists of the knowledge of 5 fields: 1. Organization administration 2. Community Master Plan Preparation 3. Rubber Management 4. Community Enterprising 5. Community Learning Center Management This Learning center of Mai Riang community has got its network parties to cooperate and support, namely Local Administration of Mai Riang sub-district, village foundation, public and private academic institutes, public and private sectors, various network communities for the cooperation in various forms of

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learning in vocations, academy, appropriated technology to the situation and the community needs with the same significant target: self-reliance of the community in the Sufficiency Economy, according to the Sufficiency Economy Theory of H.M Bhumibol.


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3.4 Thai Wisdom Towards Nation Development Since the Master Plan of Thai Rubber Development To the Master Plan of the Mai Riang Community ‘The Nation Development by People’s Wisdom’

The reputation of the Mai Riang community, a small community of Chwang district in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, as a non-government development plan community, is spread widely more and more. Especially the role of Teacher Prayong, he is seemingly the advanced community leader, initiating the idea of community development by community members and for the community, who appears more frequently on media. At the beginning, his appearance as a developer was very interesting to officials who were in doubt on his movement. He was watched with the position of Folk Sage under the skepticism whether he did everything with sincere or for the informal political agenda behind.

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And the time can prove his genuine wisdom leadership with the pure idea and pure mind, merely on the creation of development work for the homeland. This made all the doubtfulness from all public and private sectors come to an end. The development work on Humans carried out by Teacher Prayong is considered an even more advanced initiative than the Thailand National Economic and Social Development Plan. The apparent confirmation was that the National Economic and Social Development Plan, which is the Master plan for the national development of Thailand, just contained the new Plan for the Human Development in the 8th National Economic and Social Development Plan 1997 – 2001. That is the development plan emphasizing on Human development that Teacher Prayong had already contained in the Master Plan of Mai Riang community (the 1st Plan in 1997 – 2001) before. Before the preparation of the Master Plan of Mai Riang community (the 1st Plan in 1997 – 2001), Teacher Prayong had already done the Master Plan of Thai Rubber Development before as well. The Master Plan of Thai Rubber Development was originated from the repetition of the rubber price crisis among Mai Riang planters, including the problem of rubber quality development. Then the Mai Riang community members solved the problem by establishing a factory for the rubber quality standard development. At the start of the production belt, the limitation of the engine production capacity was at 1.5 ton/day. Later on, the production capacity was extended up to 4 – 5 tons/day as to aid the members and those who were interested to be new member. And then they welcomed 170 new member families of rubber factory, of which existed before the old 37 ones.


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The opening for new members is to aid rubber tree planter friends in community became a problem afterwards. Since the rubber production amount increased, the rubber 4-5 baht higher sale price than other factories to the middleman was not as easy anymore. All members had discussed and made a conclusion for problem solving. The problem found was bigger than the community could fix. It was agreed that the rubber price problem is the national problem that the government and the officials only could solve. So they collected suggestions for the solution by raising this on a national level and prepared the suggestions of the Mai Riang community and Rubber planter network, which was called the Master Plan of Thai Rubber Development presented to the government in 1997. The Master Plan contained the complete details of the actual problems, including the solutions for the 3 main points, which were: 1. Six measures of operation consist of: 1.1 Measure of Production 1.2 Measure of Industry 1.3 Measure of Marketing 1.4 Measure of Rubber Organization Strength Support 1.5 Measure of Research and Development 1.6 Measure of Management 2. Problems, reflected from the actual difficulties among rubber tree planters were listed in 25 overview points 3. Guidelines for 23 main approaches and 9 secondary approaches In the Master Plan of Thai Rubber Development, were assigned the National Rubber Board as the following diagram:

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Prayong Ronnarong Diagram: Structure of Relation between Public sectors and its Missions.

Provincial Rubber Board

National Rubber Board

Rubber Replanting Aid Fund

Thai Rubber Research Institute

Fund for Rubber Market Development

Marketing Business

Secretariat

Central Rubber Market Central Local Rubber Market Product Industry

Industrial Promotion & Support

Agricultural & Rubber Planter Organization Support

Master Plan & Policy

Raw Rubber Industry Community Industry Rubber Tree Planter Organization Agricultural System

There much more more complete details in theinMaster Plan of Plan Thai Rubber There arearemuch complete details the Master of Thai Development. In brief, Master Plan of Thai Rubber Development presented to the Rubber Development. In brief, Master Plan of Thai Rubber Development government in 1997 was not achieved as expected. presented to Reason: the government in 1997 wasmotive. not achieved as expected. complicated political

Reason: complicated political motive.

Council of Mai Riang Community Leaders

Council of Mai Riang Community Leaders WisdomThe Force the Crisis advanced undergone idea from Folk Wisdom for the rubber price crisis solution

Wisdom Force undergone the Crisis

was

a good idea to develop the future of rubber tree planters not only in the Mai Riang community, but also all over the country. TheThe advanced idea fromThai Folkgovernment Wisdom fortoward the rubber price about crisis the solution ignorance of the the proposal Master Plan ofidea ThaitoRubber the first that not the Mai was a good developDevelopment the future ofwas rubber treelesson planters onlyRiang in the Mai people started to learn about the mechanism of the complicated political administration Riang but also allidea overofthe and thatcommunity, the straight-forward folkcountry. people could become a big deal.


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The ignorance of the Thai government toward the proposal about the Master Plan of Thai Rubber Development was the first lesson that the Mai Riang people started to learn about the mechanism of the complicated political administration and that the straight-forward idea of folk people could become a big deal. The big national action by people in community had to be adjusted and added many more ideas and dimensions of perspectives. In Thai culture at that time, the idea of the minority from community was not accepted to be upgraded into a national level. It was a good idea but not yet a good time. That phenomenon became another important lesson that the Mai Riang community leader and the members had to review again by shaping the weak points of the idea on the Master Plan of Thai Rubber Development, with a review of the whole contents. The idea adjustment was needed because in this Master Plan of Thai Rubber Development, it should have covered and been able to apply to all rubber planters in the country, according to the plan name but this was the first plan to be applied more obviously for the Mai Riang community only. In the dimension of national administration, this issue is a big problem that would become an administrative problem and might cause other problems later. It seemed that this Plan had the clue of the aid to only to 1,500 households of the Mai Riang community. After the whole big review, the new idea for an important summary was originated, which was the Council of Mai Riang community leaders. The Council of Mai Riang community leaders is a mutual learning council for community members in the Learning and Development Center of Mai Riang, as a stage of idea sharing among leaders. The council stage at the beginning was like many other council stages that it was lacking in appropriate management: Dialogue or the idea presentation was short of clear scope. It was like a complaining conversation that people

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showed their opinions both with and without principles. All were without the clear direction. As the time passed, everyone started to learn that the shallow conversations were not a good presentation of idea. It was only a critical conversation or comments about the situation, not really substance that is practical. The practical idea has to be more analytical. The opinion has to be the one that leads to changes. The consideration for that matter stimulated the council of community leaders altered their style of discussion into the definition of the discussion for the sharper, clearer and deeper issues. And after the discussion, all the details must be taken to a practice. This strict regulation resulted in the database survey in community in depth and systematically such as the previous development details on the community, resources, products, community wisdom, income and expenses of community, present conditions, difficulties in career, households’ debts. The result from the studies in depth at that moment: the urgent issue to be managed was the total debt of the community members at 67 million Baht. The paradigm adjustment of the community leader council into a stage of the revolution leader systematically was an important start for the Master Plan of the Mai Riang Community (The 1st plan in 1997 - 2001) with the contents for the community development in the 1st Plan for 4 areas: 1. Educational Plan 2. Agricultural & Environmental Plan 3. Community Public Health Plan 4. Business & Community Industrial Plan For the path to a potential and efficient practice, the Council of the Mai Riang community created a diagram of Management as below:


๒.แผนงานด้านเกษตรกรรม และ สิ�งแวดล้อม ๓.แผนงานด้านสาธารณสุขชุมชน ๔.แผนงานด้านธุรกิจ อุตสาหกรรมชุมชน andปPlan เพือ� ให้การนําแผนไปสู่การปฏิบตั อิ ย่Structure างมีประสิทธิภาพและมี ระสิทธิผล สภาผูน้ าํ ชุมชนไม้เรียงได้จดั ทํา byมกิ Development and Center of the Mai Riang Community แผนภู ารบริหารจัดการไว้อย่างชั ดเจน Learning ดังนี�

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โครงสร้างและแผนงาน ศูนย์ศึกษาและพัฒนาชุมชนไม้เรียง Centerเรียofง ศูDevelopment&Learning นย์ศึกMai ษาและพั นาชุมชนไม้ RiangฒCommunity

ศูนย์

ศึกษาแล

Council สภาผูofน้ Mai ํ าLeaders ชุมRiang ชนไม้Community เรียง

Education ด้านการศึ กษา

Sustainableงยื ด้านเกษตรกรรมยั � น Agriculture & Environment และสิง� แวดล้อม

- ศูนย์ก

าร เรี-ยCommunity นรูใ้ นชุCenter มชน Learning

- ศูนย์ - Vocation Coordination ประสานงานและand Development พัฒนากลุ ม่ อาชีพ Cener

- -ศูEnvironment นย์ Coordination ประสานงาน Center สิง� แวดล้อ ม

- Agricultural - ศูTechnology นย์ถา่ ยทอด Transfer Center เทคโนโลยี

การ

- -ศูCommunity นย์ข อ้ มูล Database Center ชุมชน

Thai Wisdom -- โครงการครู Teacher ภูมCampaign ิปญั ญาไทย

- Folk Stage - เวทีชาวบ้

าน

เกษตร

Community ข ด้านสาธารณสุ Public Health ชุมชน

- ชมรมแพทย์

-Thai Traditional แผนไทย Medical Club

- กลุ่มสมุ นไพร - Herb Group

- โครงการ

- Community สุขภาพชุ มชน Health Campaign

- ศูนย์ - Primary Health Care Center สาธารณสุ

ข

มูลฐาน

ด้านธุ รกิจและ Business & Industry อุตสาหกรรม

- Product - Processing การแปร

ต รูป- Marketing ผลผลิ Management

- การ จัดการ ด้าน การตลาด

Community ด้านกองทุ นชุมชน Fund

- Village Bank of Mai Riang

- Community Funds

- ธนาคาร หมู่บา้ น ไม้เรียง - กองทุน ชุมชน

สภาผูผ้ ูน้ ํ าชุมชนไม้เรียง ประกอบด้วยผูแ้ ทนหมู่บา้ นละ ๕ คน จํานวน ๑๐ หมูบ่ า้ น รวม ๕๐ คน เข้ามาเป็ น The Council of the Mai Riang Community Leaders consists of 5 สมาชิกสภาผูน้ าํ ในการกําหนดนโยบาย แผนงาน และกิจกรรมของศูนย์ศึกษาและพัฒนาชุมชนไม้เรียง representatives from each of 10 villages, altogether 50 leaders. It is are the council members who determined the policy, plans and activities for Development & Learning Center of Mai Riang. ๙๗ Created

with Print2PDF. To remove this line, buy a license at: http://www.software602.com/ The Council consists of: 1. Council Affair Section, which takes responsibility in the part of Council affairs.

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2. Administrative Section, which takes responsibility in part of administration and the development work of the Learning&Development Center of the Mai Riang community. After organizing the structure system and the plan for the Learning & Development Center of the Mai Riang community, the system will be function efficiently and completely when it leads to serious practice. The structure pattern without any practice is only a substance out of an idea modeling in a plan. The guideline handbook is such a camouflage to the learners as an image of a system model, or an academic tool for communication and the explanation of ideas, but not used for the control of an efficient and complete practice. That was the lesson that the Mai Riang community leaders learned from the failure of public and private sectors; the field trips in the past. This lesson was adjusted and applied in the community strictly. When the Structure and Plan of the Mai Riang Community Learning & Development Center are clear, the affairs, according to the campaigns, will be happening systematically also with the activities as planned. Based on that idea, the Council of the Mai Riang Community organized a Diagram of Activity Plan as a tool for the follow-up, check-up, and evaluation at the actual workplace. If any of the activities is not achieved as planned, they will review for the mistakes according to the steps in the diagram of the activity plan for the improvement or how they should develop the diagram of the activity plan. The diagram of activity plan was set as follows:


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แผนภูมofิระบบกิ จกรรม Diagram Activity Plan Government Sectors หน่ วยงานสนัSponsor บสนุ นภาครั ฐ

Learning & Development Center ศูนย์ศึกษาและพั ฒนาชุมชนไม้ เรียง of Mai Riang Community ( กรรมการบริหาร ) (Executive Director)

Private Sponsor Sectors หน่ วยงานสนั บสนุ นภาคเอกชน

Council of Mai Riang สภาผู น้ ํ าชุมชนไม้ เรียง Community Learders Cultivator Group of กลุ่มMai เกษตรกรตํ าบลไม้เรียง Riang Sub-district

กลุ ่มผลิตภัณฑ์ Government ทดแทนในครั วเรือน Sponsor Sectors ( หมู่ ๑๐ )

Fishery กลุ ม่ เพาะเลีGroup � ยงปลา (Village ( หมู่ ๔No.4) )

กลุVegetation/ ม่ ปลูกผัก กลุม่ Mushroom Group เพาะเห็ด (หมู ่ ๒) (Village No.2)

กลุIndigenous ม่ เพาะเลี�ยงไก่ พืPoultry � นบ้าน (Group หมู่ ๑ ) (Village No.1)

Swine Farming กลุ ม่ เพาะเลี � ยงสุกร ( หมู่ ๒No.2) ) (Village

Drinking ตWater โรงงานผลิ นํ� าดื�ม (Factory หมู่ ๑ )

Rubber กลุม่ แปรรู ปยางพารา Processing ( หมู่ ๙ ) (Village No.9)

Fertilizer กลุ ่มผลิตปุ๋/ยTree กลุม่ Breeding เพาะชํ ากล้าไม้/ไซโล Molasses Silo กากนํ� าตาล ( หมู่ ๒)

กลุม่ Production ผูผ้ ลิตภัณฑ์

Animal Food

& กลุTraditional ม่ Thai สมุนHerbs ไพรแพทย์ Medicine แผนไทย หมู่๘ ) (Village( No.8)

กลุม่ โรงสี แปรรู ปข้าว Mill:: Rice Processing ( หมู่ ๑๐ )

Learning ศูนย์เรีCenter ยนรู ้ (Village No.10) ( หมู่ ๑๐ )

อาหารสั ตว์(No.9) หมู่ ๙ ) (Village

(Village No.1)

The the ActivityบผิดPlan is the determinant of community แผนภูมDiagram ิกจิ กรรม เป็ นตัof วกําหนดภาระความรั ชอบของประชาชนที �จะต้องดําเนินการตามข้ อตกลงที�มมี ติ members’ responsibility as agreed among the council of the community leaders ร่วมกันระหว่างสภาผูน้ าํ ประชาชน กับกลุ่มกิจกรรมต่างๆ ซึง� ได้แก่ ประชาชนผูร้ บั ผิดชอบในการดําเนินงานกิจกรรม andต่างๆในแต่ groups activists. The onละหมู duty่บา้ นรัofบผิany activityาเนิinนงานตามความพร้ each village were ละหมูof่บา้ นให้ เป็ นไปตามพั นธกิpeople จทีแ� ต่ละคนแต่ ดชอบในการดํ อมของแต่ determined to าproceed their นmission the direction, ละพื�นที�ภายใต้การกํ กับ ติดตาม การประเมิ ผลและการช่under วยเหลือในการแก้ ไขปัญหาต่างๆทีthe �เกิดขึ�นfollow-up, โดยกลุ่มเกษตรกรthe evaluation, including the aid of the Mai Riang cultivator group closely. ตําบลไม้เรียงซึ�งจะทําหน้าทีอ� ย่างใกล้ชดิ ให้การเป็ นพีเ� ลี�ยง ให้คาํ แนะนํารวม การแก้ปญั หา รวมไปถึงการให้ความThat is seemingly mentors who give advice, solutions and aid for the advanced ช่วยเหลือเพือ� ให้การดําเนินงานก้าวไปข้างหน้าอย่างมีประสิทธิภาพและมีประสิทธิผลสมบูรณ์สูงสุดเท่าที�จะเป็ นไปได้ procedureรูปatแบบที the�ชดั most of potential and completeness. เจนทัง� ในเรื�องการบริหาร การจัดการ การกระจายอํานาจเพือ� ส่งเสริมให้เกิดกระบวนการร่วมคิด The clear pattern of administration, management and decentralization to ร่วมทํา ร่วมรับผิดชอบดังกล่าวของ ศูนย์ศึกษาและพัฒนาชุมชนไม้เรียง โดยกําหนดโครงสร้างให้มี สภาผูน้ ํ าชุมชนไม้ promote the participation of ideas and responsibility of the Learning & เรียง เข้ามาเป็ นพลังสําคัญในการกําหนดนโยบายตามความต้องการที�แท้จริงของประชาชนในชุมชนที�อาศัยอยู่ในแต่ละ Development Center of the Mai Riang Community, together with the Council of า้ นผ่านผูแ้ ทนของตนที�ชดั เจนเช่นนี� คือการสร้างพลังของชุมชนให้เกิดขึ�นอย่างเต็มศักยภาพ เป็ นรูปแบบการบริหาร Maiหมูบ่ Riang leaders as a force to frame clearly the policy and the needs of the Created with Print2PDF. To remove this line, buy a license at: http://www.software602.com/

๙๙

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community members are the forming of potential community Force into an administration managed by the Council of Mai Riang leaders, the community representative for the force against any crisis and the victory of united development.

A Clear Target Prominent work on 5 Main Activities

The prominent strong point of the successful mutual administration and management of the Learning & Development Center of the Mai Riang Community was the clear target setting to the successful administration, emphasizing on the achievement.

Non-toxic vegetables cultivated by Mai Riang cultivators are very popular to the markets. And the cultivators have very good income from that.

When learning about the big lesson of success of Learning & Development Center of the Mai Riang Community, the innovation of success based on simple activities with the evident target to the 5 achievements:


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1. Human Development for the work development with the cooperation. 2. Learning to think and to plan and to understand well before investing or starting any activities. 3. Looking at the closer market through the internal market relation by creating the cooperation network, buying and exchange within the community as for the stable and sustainable community economy in the future. 4. Producing the essential of life products to respond the community needs. 5. Make the sufficient production with plan for the production, processing, capital, investment, materials and marketing. The achievement out of the learning stage organization and guiding the Master Plan of Mai Riang community has been in practice since 1984 – 2003 with the initiate members of 37 families, becoming 1,282 families in 16 groups. As of 2012, Teacher Prayong said there are more and more new members joining. The 16 groups consist of: 1. Mai Riang cultivator group 2. Village Bank 3. Indigenous poultry 4. Thai traditional Medicine – Herbs 5. Household replacement product 6. Non-toxic vegetation 7. Rice processing (Mill) 8. Freshwater Fishery 9. Swine farming 10. Mushroom 11. Sustainable agriculture 12. Youth group 13. Senior group 14. Agriculture for the Environment 15. Drinking water factory 16. Learning Center (Bachelor degree)

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In these 16 groups initiatively consisted of 601 members. Nowadays, there are 1,228 members. The initiative capital was 2,837,550 Baht. Nowadays, in 2012, that has increased up to 9,551,703 Baht. The capital is increased 6,714,153 Baht more in 19 years. Clear target, prominent work, focus on main 5 activities are the innovation of the successful administration and management; also the efficient quality of life for Learning & Development Center of the Mai Riang community ? The answer will be considered by your smile, a nod and an acceptance. Smile Nod Acceptance In fact, the nation development is originated from small points in the community.

The 2nd Master Plan of the Mai Riang Community (The 2nd plan 2002 - 2006) “The Development Plan for the Stability of the Future”

The 1 st Master Plan of the Mai Riang community is a huge advancement Of the Mai Riang community that managed to make the community master plan for developing their own community systematically. Whilst the 8th National Economic and Social Development Plan (1997 - 2001) focused on the human development, the compassing of the 1st Master plan of the


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Mai Riang community (1997 - 2001) had managed that matter prominently. Since the 8th National Economic and Social Development Plan (1997 - 2001) was used to cover the whole nation, the result from the operation was not achieved to the target as planned. The achievement phenomenon of the Mai Riang community in taking the 1st Master plan of the Mai Riang community to the efficient practice lead to the reputation of the community; and became the model of development and the efficient community master plan. As a result, the community has become a Learning source and training center. That is the success on a national and international level later on until today. As the 1st Master plan of the Mai Riang community (1997 - 2001) ended, the 2nd Master plan of the Mai Riang community (2002 - 2006) was more advanced markedly. From the experience on the 1st Master plan of Mai Riang community, they have seen the weak and strong points of the past operation. That lead to the development for the 2nd Master plan of the Mai Riang community to be more integral in all dimensions, especially the database for the development of many issues: data of households, resources and production, health, income, debts, knowledge, wisdom, learning, commercial marketing, processing, management, etc. Such data was review with more prudence than the 1st Master plan of the Mai Riang community which did not result of apparent data comparison from the practice at all. Another highlight of the 2nd Master plan of the Mai Riang community is its focus on the continuous development from the 1st Master plan, especially the core activity of operation that needs ongoing development such as marketing system, processing, community industry. The content of the 2nd Master plan of the Mai Riang community consists of the 8 development plans and 5 strategies of community development:

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Community Business, one of the cores of Mai Riang community development.

At community learning center is the curr knowledge development toward the iculum for the systematically and with more optipractice ons.

At the Mai Riang community, the highlight of its people is the self-reliance in many ways such as food and career. They hardly rely on the outside of community.

The 8 plans – 1. Sustainable Agricultural

Development 2. Product Management 3. Capital Development 4. Welfare System Development 5. Economic System & Community

Business Development 6. Community Health Development 7. Tourism Development 8. Learning and Mind Development

The 5 strategies – 1. Learning: the core of all strategies For everyone to know their family, community and the world outside, including academic

learning, data collecting, experimenting,

making research, practicing, doing activities. Take the new knowledge to develop the activities to advancement.

2. Self-Reliance For all organizations to set their own plan and create the relation with other groups in each village as a network, that is ready to apply the data and the learning experience in developing


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the activities for the community industrial business system, according to the ways of the business development. 3. Resources Development Which are the community resources development and product processing from the resources base: natural bles ,grown in resources, community product resources. 100% non-toxic vegeta y, are highly in nit mu the Mai Riang com market.

need of the 4. Health care and Mind development Is a health development center and strengthen physical health and mental health for a healthy body and mind...000000

5. Development of organization performance in community Community primary health care center, Health development center of Mai

Riang people.

Which are building a community economic system or Sufficient Economy, creating community products to reduce the reliance of outside products, namely food, medicine and household utensils. In the Mai Riang community, all organizations pay high attention to activities for the movement for higher Development, according to the 2nd level of self-reliance. And that becomes a regular way of living and a culture Master plan of the Mai Riang community and for a long time. the summary concluded altogether with the wisdom force of the Mai Riang people, It is obviously for the community development mainly based on the area and the life of the community members and emphasizes on the self-reliance on the happiness-based on life in this era of

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a promptly changing world and in general Thai society, following the world’s current with the living standard of city life society of which are hardly found acquainted neighbors in luxurious villages, intimate neighbors living next door, or even smiles from people in a luxurious car. Such ambiance is not found in the Mai Riang community, where people live together like relatives for a long time. True that once the tragedy of a giant tropical storm made people inconsiderate to one another because they were all under insolvent conditions from the disaster and had to live with a survival instinct. And in a short time everything got back to a normal state that people didn’t get so much harm. Consciousness, wisdom, culture and ties were recovered through the learning process of the mutual lesson. The circumstances in the past are taken to be adjusted and applied with the solution for transitory problems and to be dissolved off the memories. The 1st and 2nd Master plan of the Mai Riang community are connected with unity for Human development and the stability of the future. The Mai Riang community takes seriously the priority to learning, also the education system, non-formal education and informal education via the campaign “the learning institute for the self-reliance” in 3 main patterns as follows: 1. Learning basic general subjects is managed by the Office of the Non-Formal and Informal Education, and Ramkhamhaeng University for the curriculum of a bachelor degree to all interested people at the Learning Center of Village No.3. 2. Learning for what people want to learn is available in subgroups. The contents are corresponded to what they want to learn. The learning center is in their neighborhood and ready for the training, which they can take to career in their area. This form of learning is the complete learning, from production, processing and commerce. After the course, they can create their own work, career and income.


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3. Learning for what people need to know. This is to broaden the world of ideas because learning basic general subjects as the curriculum required is not sufficient for making a career in this promptly changing world. Learning, at present day, needs to be added with new sciences: accounting, business, laws, cooperative system, network forming, etc, by skillful teachers and lecturers inside and outside the community who can transfer the knowledge, ideas, and experience strongly.

Community Master Plan “The important thing but not a holy one”

The 1st and 2nd Master plan of the Mai Riang community are the core of community development of Mai Riang in all dimensions. The proceeding as planned was going on strictly. With the time passing, if the plan, strategy and measures become out of date of this changing world, they will be reviewed and improved again by the wisdom force of community members. This is the flexibility of regular Master plan adjustment to be up-to-date. To be up-to-date because the Master plan is a very important thing but not a holy item that cannot be improved.

What is the achievement synopsis for the Master Plan of the Mai Riang community?

The great achievement of humans and the Mai Riang community development, covering all dimensions, is the sustainable development, which depends on the process of human-to-human learning as a great various knowledge source, an alive textbook that can speak, explain, transfer and inherit from one generation to another. The next achievement is the original resources. The community resources are

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a significant treasure for the career and the treasure source to nourish the community members. After the resources, knowledge and wisdom are the precious intellectual property of humans that can preserve their race and adapt themselves in all changing situations with aptitude, intelligence, and wisdom deep-seated within their race. This exists in every society, community and village. Only the difference is that how the community members manage their system, regulations, and cooperation for the huge power to be useful to themselves and their community. Teacher Prayong told about the meaning of the community Master Plan in terms of both knowledge and philosophy as follows: “The community Master plan is a result from the learning of the community member. Their learning is the start for the development. The community master plan procedures thus are one of the tools that push them to learn things together.” “The learning from this procedure creates ideas, the right direction, the closest data to the reality”, Teacher Prayong has not told about the last meaning of the community master plan. He told the last genuine meaning of the community master plan as follows: “For the effective result, the changes need to lead the plan into a practice. If the community master plan covers in all areas of procedures, there will be a mutual learning, an understanding, a cooperation of ideas and actions, and the efficiency of development. The solution and prevention of the problems will be as the objective planned.” This summary does not have to be repeated, nor explained any further. It is clear and evident. For the preparation of the self-reliance community plan, the Office of Social Fund has provided the set of knowledge for communities to create their community plan systematically and clearly. They have to answer the following 10 questions:

ในเรื�องการทํThai าแผนชุมWisdom ชนพึง� ตนเองนี�Teacher สํานักงานกองทุ“Wisdom นเพือ� สังคม ( Social FundofOffice ) ได้จดั ทําชุด Gem ASEAN” ความรูเ้ พือ� ชุมชน สําหรับการจัดทําแผนชุมชนที�เป็ นระบบ และ มีความชัดเจนโดยต้องตอบคําถามในการจัดทํา ไว้ ๑๐ คําถาม ดังนี�

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10 questions forง� ตนเอง

๑๐ คําถาม แผนชุมชนพึ

the self-reliance community plan

๑1

๒2

๓3

แนวคิดisการthe Where จัดทําofแผน idea the self-reliance ชุมชน community พึ�งตนเองมาplan from? จากไหน

แผนชุ มชนthe What does self-reliance พึ�งตนเอง community plan หมายถึงอะไร mean

เป้ าหมายของ What are the objectives of the การจัดทําแผน self-reliance ชุมชน community พึ�งตนเองคืplan? อ

อะไร

๗7

๘8

๖6

ขัน� ตอนการทํ What are theา แผนชุมชน of procedures theพึself-reliance �งตนเองเป็ น community อย่างไรplan?

ข้อมูลอะไรบ้ าง What data the community ทีช� มุ ชนควรรู ้ should know หรือควรสํ ารวจand take a survey?

แผนชุมชน for Anyทําsponsors theพึ�งself-reliance ตนเองแล้ว community ใครจะ plan?

น สนับสนุ งบประมาณ

๔4

๕5

แค่How ไหนจึisงจะ it เรียกได้วา่ เป็ นthe considered แผนชุมชน self-reliance community พึ�งตนเองplan?

ใครเกี Whoย� วข้ areอง กับการทําแผน involved in the ชุมชน self-reliance community พึ�งตนเองบ้plan? าง

๑๐ 10

๙9

มชน Theแผนชุ self-reliance พึ�งตนเองplan community จะต้what องทําในsubis for district or area? ตําบลไหน ท้องที ไ� หน

Toส่งแผนชุ whomมชน and พึ�งตนเองให้ when should the ใครbeและส่ ง plan sent? เมื�อ ไร

สําหรับวิธีคิด และ วิธกี ารจัดการการจัดทําแผนแม่บทชุมชน ของครูประยงค์ รณรงค์ และ ของชาวไมเ้ รียง นัน� มีแนวคิดที�ชดั เจนดังนี�

The “idea and the management method for the community Master plan of การทําแผนชุมชนพึง� ตนเองต้องมีเป้ าหมายทีช� ดั เจนว่าเป็ นไปเพือ� การพึ�งตนเอง ไม่ใช่การทําแผนเพือ� ทีจ� ะได้ TeacherเงินPrayong Ronnarong and Mai Riang people are as follows: งบประมาณจากใคร

การพึ�งตนเอง คือ การเดินตามแนวทางเศรษฐกิจพอเพียง หมายถึง การทําให้เกิดความพอเพียงในระดับ “The objectives of the self-reliance community plan must be for the selfreliance, not for the monetary budget from anyone. ๑๐๗ which Self-reliance is a walk along the path of the Sufficiency Economy, Created with Print2PDF. To remove this line, buy a license at: http://www.software602.com/ means making a sufficiency in family level until the community level based on the resources or social capital in the family and community. And consider the strong points that have not been developed yet to the better level. To be a self-reliant, the community must learn at least 3 points: 1. History or community progenitor as to know well and be proud of oneself.

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2. Strong points or good things in the community 3. Common problems in the community After learning and finding out these 3 points, it is time to think about what and how to make the community the way we want it to be. And then make a project, a plan, an activity with the due date and time, together with budget items needed and put the right man to the right job. For the matter that is bigger than the community can deal, the request for the coordination from other communities or organizations needs to be managed, not left behind and forgotten. Self-reliance is the only way for the people and community’s survival for a long lasting time”

The achievement of the Mai Riang community through the idea of 5 factors as follows: Human relationship development

Production of life essential items for community

Production sufficiency with plans in all l evels

All activities focus on

Learning, thinking, planning

Intimate marketing, networking, community economy


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3.5 Five Innovations of National Wisdom to International Wisdom of Mai Riang Community What is the synopsis of The Mai Riang Community?

In all kinds of development, none of them is harder than the Human development. In underdeveloped countries, their problem of nation development is not because of the lack of natural resources and environment, but the innovation for the appropriated and powerfully efficient development of Humans.

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This human development does not mean to evaluate human by only an education system or any other development criteria, but also all kinds and levels of education. In many countries people are found with less education not an obstacle of the nation development. In contrary, people with high education in some countries are the big problem and obstacle of the country development that become serious danger to the development of community, nation and races. During the crisis of the Mai Riang community from the tropical storm on the Talumphuk peninsula, the grave crisis, for everyone to struggle and to save their family’s lives, including all the relatives, which are the cultural base of families in Thai society since the ancestors, nearly collapsed and took everyone off with the Harriet storm. Fortunately, this relative-cultural base allowed people, not really relatives to live together tightly and to keep the strong ties for a long time, until today. The long relationship tie has become, during the crisis, an important innovation of the era for everyone to discuss like relatives, new ideas, talking, listening and commenting, also being patient against the controversial issues and the different opinions by flexibility. This became the stage of mutual crystallized ideas to the origin of the future for the famous Folk council of the Mai Riang community until today. The Mai Riang community is the origin of innovation of development in various dimensions; the origin of the new development ideas in many perspectives; the master of the strict form of activities that the products continuously created by the ideas of kinds of people. The Mai Riang has become the community model of Thailand for many other communities to learn and gain more knowledge; and has been raised to be the University of Learning the Folk Life without holidays or enrollment fees. In brief, the synopsis of the Mai Riang’s achievement was summarized into the main 5 innovations that the community members have created for the success inherited to Thailand.


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Five National Innovations By the Sage of Mai Riang Community “The First Chapter of Mai Riang’s achievement for

Development in National & International Level”

If there were today the back-in-time innovation, the innovation would take you, once stepping off the machine, to see and study the stories of the Mai Riang community. You would be taken to the day of the giant storm in the Talumphuk peninsula which collapsed and swept all life to the fate. And then you would see the sorrow and would hear the human voice that did not sound like human anymore.

Teacher Prayong Ronnarong and parts of his memo of experience on Mai Riang community development, published by Community Organization Development Institute (Public Organization)

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Prayong Ronnarong

After visiting the miserable past of the Mai Riang community, the backin-time innovation would take you back at present, with the first dawn light of happiness and new hope more and more clearly. And then Mai Riang community of Today would gradually appear with happiness wherever the sunlight splashed. This might be a little bit like an imaginary fantasy. But if it became true, the learning of everybody would be full of pouring happiness. Certainly, at the time of saying goodbye to all the Mai Riang people, the visitors could not help tears falling, as to emphasize to them to conserve well the Mai Riang identity and never leave it behind. From now on, when visiting the Mai Riang community, all visitors would meet the apogee of development innovation, the model of sustainable and joyful achievement, guaranteed by many awards and trophies. The 5 innovations for changing the life and the society into unity and stability until today are as follows:

1. Rubber: Innovation carried on from career

In fact, the survival in the past of the Mai Riang people was not based on the only income from rubber, but both income and food: vegetables, fruits, and herbs for the happy living. Teacher Prayong flashed back to his memories about the Mai Riang community in the old days and said, “The Mai Riang people called rubber tree land the Rubber Forest because in the Forest you can find not only indigenous rubber trees, but other trees for uses: rattans, lianas and other useful plants of both naturally grown and by raising.


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Although one time of sap tapping might give not so much sap, we got other edible and useful plants from the Forest at the same time. Thus, the cultivators of that time had got a high self-reliance and also a high reliance among themselves. Money hardly had any meanings. No health problems because the sap tappers had to walk at least 10 km/day. Nourishment mostly was from the nature.” The ways of living in the past of the Mai Riang people from Teacher Prayong’s story sounds so much of peace and in harmony with the nature as an unity. “The Mai Riang people in the past did not attached to the only rubber tree plantation. For example, if one had a land of 5 – 10 Rais, he would make it a paddy field of 4 – 5 Rais for the whole year consumption; another piece of land of 2 – 3 Rais for fruit trees near his house, etc.” The history through Teacher Prayong’s telling plays pictures of the culture and sufficient living in the past so clearly. Nonetheless, after the giant storm Harriet flushed out the land of rubber trees, paddy fields and fruit trees without any traces; and then the Rubber Replanting Aid Fund distributed good rubber tree breeds together with the advanced rubber tree plantation methods. The advanced methods is that the weeds are strictly not allowed to grow in the land of the rubber tree because, in modern agriculture, they absorb the fertilizer and take the light and food of the rubber trees and eventually the rubber trees would not grow up as they should be. The weeds must be absolutely eliminated strictly by chemicals. The costs of rubber tree plantation became higher. The health of planters was declining by the chemicals that killed weeds and would kill humans finally. All these lead retail planters to reconsider their lives like in prison. Later on, the stage of confidence became a stage of ideas. The wisdom force for the

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solution of living issues expanded in every conversation until it came to the participation for realization of Master Plan for Thai Rubber Development to develop the quality and standard of rubber as a price crisis protector which is successful. Wisdom force integration for the solution and the development of rubber leads to the cooperation of rubber tree planters for the solid force in solving the rubber problems completely and systematically. This becomes a model of sustainable rubber solution and development until today. The problem of rubber quality, standard and low price was the origin of innovations for the rubber problems of the Mai Riang community systematically since then.

2. Learning Center: Innovation from the Idea for Future

The fate resulting from the storm in Talumphuk affected in many dimensions. The dependence among people in the past was turned into a monetary economy. It would be only in a history and tending to be changing more rapidly than expected. Teacher Prayong keeps his eyes on those problems closely. Historty from a telling of philosopher of the Mai Riang with comprehension but not confidence in problems coming is that… “Problem of insufficient fund became more and more grave that it became overwhelming debts. Society was becoming chaotic. More families became broken homes. Since the rubber tree plantation had to rely on soil, rains


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and sun. the rubber price relied on world’s market. The stability relied on the government. Thus, the planters could not determine anything.” Though period of misery has gone for a long time, the sight was like everything just happened yesterday. Troubles dominated all lives. Whilst the land size was still the same, the amount of hopeless cultivators of the Mai Riang was increasing. When questioning why, the answer was “No capital, Community Learning Center: an important center for Development of Human, idea and wisdom for Mai without knowledge.” Riang community. In fact, the whole community is the biggest lifelong learning center of Thailand. This remark was not only from Teacher Prayong’s observation, but also from the studies and the Data collection of the Council of the Mai Riang community leaders, which summarized the main problems and the solutions that since the community members were lack of knowledge, so they had even less management ability than money. Such important data was the origin of the establishment of the Learning Center of the Mai Riang Community to be the learning source for the solution and development of the community. Philosophy of learning according to Thai wisdom: what the community have to learn for the achievement of life, explained Teacher Prayong that the knowledge occurs under the 3 relation systems in the Community as follows:

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1. Relation between human and human, allows people to learn to live together in the society, family, and relatives; social control; the solution for a conflict. 2. Relation between human and natural Environment, allows people to learn about the natural resources management, production, processing, and other economic activities. 3. Relation between human and superstition, allows people to learn about the value, belief, tradition and ceremony.

Learning Center of the Mai Riang Community, therefore, is seemingly a school that cultivates Wisdom and knowledge to all community members regardless genders and ages.

Historical Trace: community learning center offer knowledge

3. Community Master Plan: Innovation inspired for the Future

Teacher Prayong said… “The word Community Master Plan has become popular in the reference for a tool of modern social development widely. Public and private


Kitiambol, at the Teacher Prayong Ronnarong and Dr.Ambon of national plan Elite d; time, secretary of NESD boar Teacher, Elite of… management Vs Sage and Thai Wisdom plan… (texts missing)

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sectors admired that the model of community Master plan was originated from the Mai Riang community.” He told with his gentle voice and humbleness. In brief, The Master plan of the Mai Riang community is an innovation of knowledge, ideas, and wisdom in developing careers, community and self potential in humans.

4. Organization Management: Innovation for survival of the era

The 8th National Economic and Social Development Plan (1997 - 2001) was the national development plan emphasizing on human development, community cooperation promotion in all forms, various activities performance support: community development funds partially by the government in appropriated amount for the independent decentralization and the self-reliance for a long term, etc. The Mai Riang community, managing the Human development before the use of The 8th National Economic and Social Development Plan, has developed humans for inheriting the wisdom accumulated and developed for a while to a stronger level. So they managed to establish community organizations in various forms for problem solving and developments such as Yom Na Network

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Prayong Ronnarong

The 8th Plan, the national plan, emphasized on Human Development; whilst Community Learning Center: an important Mai Riang Development Center of Human, idea and wisdom. In fact, the Mai Riang community is the biggest Lifelong Learning Center of Thailand.

of Nakhon Si Thammarat province. The name Yom Na is the abbreviation of 3 networks: Y from the 22 Rubber groups, M from the 3 fruit clubs in 8 districts, Na from the 10 Paddy field groups in the Pak Panang basin of 5 districts: Pak Panang, Huan Sai, Chian Yai, Cha-oud and Ta Sala, of which 6 groups have registered as a corporation, and the rice farmers that have not yet registered a corporation of 4 groups. All these 3 networks have participated in activities, sharing ideas and planning systematically and strongly what is well known all over. Apart from organization, establishment, promotion and support, The Mai Riang community haave promoted the administration as a core of development efficiently.

Significance of Organization Management

Teacher Prayong emphasized on organization management that… “The organization management of the Mai Riang community of which the cultivator corporation, registered according to the Declaration of the Revolutionary Council No.141 since 1974, is the mentor groups for the activist


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sup-groups in the Mai Riang community. And the Council of community Leaders is the administrative as the diagram below:”

5. Community Enterprise: Innovation of Living Way

From the experience of work for the Mai Riang community for a whole life, the weak point that Teacher Prayong had been watching was that the planters could not set a price for the products they made. Only the middle man, who was not a producer and did not know the capital, determined the prices at all times, as a powerful buyer. No matter what prices the middle man offered, the producer accepted to sell him as requested, although it was obvious that the price was not even worth the capital and would cause the producer to fall further in debts with high interests. The producers had to be in prison patiently without any crying for the justice. Teacher Prayong saw that the only way to untie such engagement and problems was to offer new knowledge, new ideas and new life management to the Mai

Community Enterprise: the 2nd Rubber Sheet Factory of Mai Riang community, with the high production capacity, quality and standard that is internationally acknowledged, and managed by Mai Riang people who have studied, learned and developed continuously. More importantly, the rubber sheet factory of Mai Riang is the Lifelong Learning Center for production, rubber quality development. Today there is a network of 10 rubber processing factories in Nakhon Si Thammarat province.

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Riang community members so they could be independent and cut all the chains by outsiders bravely without surrendering to any conditions. That is to be a Do-It-Yourself(DIY), a price setter, a distributor in the name of cooperation, and collect all the community power into unity.

Community Enterprise: rice vermicelli factory of Mai Riang community was totally established with the shares of members. Today the highest production capacity is at 10 tons/day. At the moment, the farmer network can enter not as much raw material as the max capacity of factory yet. So the production is as of 8 tons+ with high quality indigenous rice to make vermicelli from Pak Panang river basin group. The annual income from sale of rice vermicelli is about 49 million Baht.

Innovation for the declaration of Life Independency is simply the Community Enterprise. Teacher Prayong is one of those learners who learn with every breath of life. After many domestic and international field trips, his experience was screened through all what he had faced to become a wisdom weapon, sharpened by his idea accumulation until crystallization. That combined domestically and internationally crystal has become an innovation for efficient community development. For example, in a field trip for European wisdom in 3 European countries, on 24 September 1991, selected and granted by Village Foundation for Teacher Prayong Ronnarong and other 4 representatives of the Mai Riang community, 2 private developers, and 2 scholars to have a study trip of community business, environment, cooperative, and international funds in


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Europe for 1 one. That was another significant new perspective of the leadership life in the Mai Riang community of Teacher Prayong indeed. Apart from this study group from Thailand, there were 6 more people to gather up In France, also 2 more from Laos Peoples Democratic Republic, 2 from Cambodia and 2 from Vietnam, ,totaling 14 people. All 14 people started to visit and study the community business, environment, cooperatives, and funds in many towns of France first of all: in Vannes, Quimper and Rennes in Brittany region; and Lyon in Rhone-Alpes region where the cultivators use the management system and the technology to aid all procedures. This allowed the learners to learn about the advancement of farmers in Europe and compare to ones in Thailand in many perspectives. The study trip in 3 European countries: France, Germany, and Belgium allowed learners to have a new perspective of thinking methods, working methods, management in overview; and its difference for a comparison lesson of development in Asian ways and European ways. The summary, from this 1st study trip in 3 European countries, is that it was a valuable lesson to Teacher Prayong and the Mai Riang representatives, including the groups from neighboring countries. The most prominent points of the farmers from these 3 European countries is an absolute middleman elimination out of their life cycle, that makes their lives meet with the high achievement, also the Trilogy potential as follows: 1. Production System 2. Processing System 3. Distribution System The achievement of farmers in these 3 countries reflects their skills not only in production, but also in product processing in career, including the potential of their product distribution entirely.

Teacher Prayong Ronnarong and the group during the study trip at Animal Food Cooperative in France, Germany and Belgium.

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After the study trip, Teacher Prayong and the group made a new lesson derived from this experience straight away with the analysis of cultivator conditions in the Mai Riang community, strong and weak points in career as follows: 1. Thai cultivators are highly skillful in production which is acknowledged in domestic and international level for a long time. 2. They are not skillful in business administration for their own products, especially the calculation in details for the production capital that cause the loss of all their life. 3. Cycle of cultivators’ achievement in production, processing and distribution completely studied from the 3 European countries, when compared to the ways of the Mai Riang and most of Thai cultivators, the result is that they are skillful in production only andthe other 2 cycles: processing and distribution/ marketing are still lacking in development systematically. “In these 3 countries, there are only 4 – 5% of the whole population that are farmers. Thus, their products are distributed all over the country. In contrary, in the Mai Riang community of the old days, the cultivators sold the sap to a middle man and then takes a huge role in harvesting corns he made his own rubber Modern machinery in farmers’ land of European countries. processing or other products which added more value for sale. Also with rice, it would be sold to the middle man immediately after the harvest. Still, we could not blame the cultivators because they were lack of promotion and support from government sectors seriously. This is one of the issues that the Mai Riang community has tried to develop their community to be a self-reliant for a long time.” Teacher Prayong concluded his lesson for a study case.


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As a community leader, to answer the question of the solutions for such problems, The clear answer is: “The rubber, that Mai Riang planters have maintained as a main profession since the time that they called “Rubber Forest” where you could find only indigenous rubber trees of low quality that contain low amounts of sap, was promoted and developed to become a good quality sap from good breeds of rubber tree. Still, the price was usually going down, and set by the middleman with an excuse of the world’s low price.” It sounds so awful and seems to have no future for the planters. Teacher Prayong took his study case as an example: it left the village, how the price would be. I discovered later that once the rubber arrived at the market at the pier, the price would be 5 Baht/kg higher than that the middle man bought from us.” He smiled. Yet, that smile does not mean the happiness, but the fatigue of the community leader who only keeps thinking of how to fix this problem. Experience from the study trip abroad was one of important idea base. And later on he and the group could figure out the problem successfully. “I contacted directly the rubber exporters and cut out all the middlemen. So the rubber tree planters could suddenly gain 4 – 5 Baht/kg higher from the sale.” He told the story with the happiness for the solution. All what have been told and sorted by Teacher Prayong Ronnarong is an economic textbook for the field section of the community leader. Also this can be categorized in the original idea and then become the origin of the Community Enterprise for solving the community problems lying with people since a long time. Another question, what is the difference between Community Enterprise, which is the 5 th innovation of Mai Riang’s achievement in community development, and Community Business? Teacher Prayong’s clearly explains, as follows: “Dr.Seree Pongpit, the Village Foundation Chairman, told that the community business means community capital management by the community

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creatively for a self-reliance. Therefore, community enterprise is neither community business, nor community industries which focus on the business for the highest profit and shares. The community enterprise has connection to all parts in the community for the cooperation, the dependence, Interview on the situation of rubber at present. prompt and further problem solving, and the development of all strong points in the community for the common purposes. There are 7 main principles as follows:

1. The community is the owner and the manager. 2. The products are from the community procedures. 3. The resources/raw materials are from within or outside the community. 4. The creative initiation is the community Innovation. 5. Combination of local and international wisdom 6. Learning procedure is the core. 7. A self-reliance based on family and community is the target.”

Rice vermicelli factory is the important community enterprise of Mai Riang.

Today the Mai Riang community is the model of successful community

Development in national and international level, and also the central and the lifelong learning center for the education system, nonformal and informal education in theoretical and practical section, including


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the instance for the most complete achievement in all areas of Mai Riang subdistrict welcoming all learners at all times. As the honored admiration that Mai Riang community is not only the central of education or a complete learning center, but also the best University of Lifelong Learning Center of Thailand and one of the best in ASEAN.

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3.6 Way of the Sage

The First Chapter of Sage Way “Love to learn, be a good model, be calm, endure,

be patient, be simple, be peacefully glamorous”

When looking back to the life background of Teacher Prayong Ronnarong, he is found to be enthusiastic about learning since his childhood, apart from his father, mother, Grandpa Khian seemed to be his grand inspiration for his ideas, dreams and imagination. Reading ability, before entering primary school in the era of no learning media and technology, was not easily found in the old days. Story telling of Grandpa Khian regularly took an important part in In one corner of the house on the day of supplementing the bright brain with interview, 28 April 2012. the idea, dreams and imagination always. The writer got a chance to read 3 handwritten tiny memos of Teacher Prayong. His handwriting is not only beautiful and legible, but also very exquisite incomparably. In the memos was no any scratch, erasing, or modification. It shows that his concentration, memorizing in order seemingly a personal recorder. Tips through his life experience were recorded in his memories so much


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in details. Many phases of fatal moments were also recorded, without any prejudice, instead with simplicity, no comments, only straight facts that really happened. Many times in the meeting of any working board, Teacher Prayong shows his sharpened opinions with gentle wording, in brief but full of meanings, telling the experience that cannot be found in textbooks. If he were to be a historian who writes about the history, absolutely that history would be accurate as it really happened and could be the reference for all times. Teacher Prayong’s Way of Sage was from his interest in leaning at the first Teacher Prayong Ronnarong & Sir Paiboon place. He has participated in the Wattanasiridharm, the rural area developers of the discussion of the Folk Sage country, had a study trip in Bhutan network in all regions. His every comment of which some seems to be a very tiny issue were raised and extended to be new useful knowledge to life and society. He has met with sages inside and outside the country; shared and learned about rubber among sages and officials in China and Bhutan; worked with many rural area developers; and most amazingly no script nor short notes provided for any discussion and speech, spoken fluently direct from his own knowledge and experience. That is the knowledge originated genuinely from practice, not from memorizing from textbooks. No matter how many times he speaks, it is always clear and accurate. At the moment will be raised Teacher Prayong’s experience sharing with village head Wiboon Khemchaleom, the Sage of Phnom Sarakam, Chacheongsao province. They both have taken all what they had shared together to develop their own community admirably.

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Sage Vs Sage “All wisdom shines the light to each other”

Teacher Prayong Ronnarong is not only a teacher of intellect, idea, and experience to the others regularly, but in his free time he also searched for more to learn about life, ideas, and experience of other sages in other regions too. Although Sages in all regions live very far away; their way of living, ideas, and community work are as though they were born the same: to be the changes leader for their homeland. Village leader Wiboon Khemchaloem, the Sage of Phnomsarakam, Chachoengsao province and the idea owner of Agroforestry wisdom, which is the contrary of the idea of monoculture plantations of which the soil and the jungle land are destroyed. That is a very important part in the idea of Teacher Prayong as well. Leader Wiboon has got an interrogative opinion: How to be enriched with nourishment all lifelong?

Left: Village leader Wiboon Khemchaleom; Right: Teacher Prayong Ronnarong, the 2 sages, on common birth year, common birth land. Leader Wiboon Khemchaleom Birth: 1936 Teacher Prayong Ronnarong Birth: 1937


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Such question from the sage of Phnomsarakam is very interesting and thoughtful as a Thai proverb said: Wise manner of Sage, Sages recognize themselves. That is so true indeed. The truth is that less speech gives greater contents in cement jar gives both nourishment and and ideas to those interested Catfishery extra money at the same time. enormously. When looking back to Mairang, Teacher Prayong recalled the giant storm in Talumphuk, the rubber price crisis, and considering the average rubber price which is quite good, still rubber is not food. To lay life in the future on rubber only seems not to be risky, but in fact it is pretty risky like it happened in the past. After reconsider this, he started to enhance some part of his rubber tree land to be agroforestry and combination agriculture with various kinds of breeds and plants. And then he flashed back to the sage wisdom of Lamplaimat district, Buriram province, though he lives in a land of drought, still he can do the fishery. So Teacher Prayong took that idea and applied by himself with the fish in a cement jars. Catfish in cement jars gives more income to the family of 3,000 – 4,000 Baht/month. After gaining the experience, he shared his idea to neighbors of raising cows on rubber tree land. Since they have free time after transport the sap to factory, cattle in rubber tree land is not a hard work but more a very good income. More he meets the sages out of his land, brighter wisdom he has to shine endlessly. All wisdom shines the wisdom path themselves.

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Mai Riang Community A Model as of the Sufficiency Economy Theory

An important synopsis of Mai Riang community, in fact, is based on the Sufficiency mainly. Teacher Prayong told about Sufficiency Economy in the practical section as follows: “At the moment that I started on this issue I did not understand about it. My purposes were to create a career that would be a pension in my terminal life. I had my life plan since a youngster: of age of 20 – no more than 3-months ordination; Zucchini & wing bean, fresh vegetables lying on the fence, are the favorite food age