Transforming Villages into “Wisdom” Villages : A Descriptive Analysis

Abstract

The study investigated the real pictures of rural communities in Thailand and identified the factors that transform common villages into wisdom villages.  The study applied the qualitative method through three main research methods comprised of document analysis, semi-structured interviews, and participant observation. The semi-structured interviews were conducted from three settings comprised of Baan Pa-ngun(Chumporn Province), Baan Fang-klong(Nakonpathom Province) and Baan Khao-din Baan(Sakaeo Province), communities from Southern, Central and Eastern of Thailand respectively. The researcher has been through rural villages in Thailand, which has helped to dispel some myths about rural society and rural development concepts which listed as self-reliance and fallacies of the idealized rural Thai society. The researcher found that the most important factors to transform common villages into wisdom villages was not the soil, water, money, nor resources but it was virtue, knowledge and wisdom, coupled with the courage that the leader in communities had, greater than other people. Finally, it is recommended that there already were wise men in the area who were turning inspiration into reality. Rural development plan should be the knowledge that will help to build up the leaders who work hard, who never give up in order to have a better life.