38-The Thai Hamlet from the Central Plains

Thailand has long been known as the land of agriculture; a fertile land well-suited to wet paddy cultivation. The people living in this low-lying flood plain are regularly found making their livelihood from rice farming and fruit plantations. In a farmer's village, we can find local farming tools such as water wheels for scooping water in the rice farm and a wooden conveyer belt for raising water. Since traditional Thai farming requires no engine, there is no oil wasted. In a very low plain area which often floods, the farmers often erect a high platform where straw is kept for feeding buffaloes in dry season. In the past, when there was still no rice mill, each family used a large mortar to husk rice by pounding and a threshing basket to winnow. The husks would be discharged by the wind while the pure rice remained in the basket. The rice would then be divided into two assortments; with one containing pure rice and the other containing powdered rice mixed with rice barn.