It's a community of over 1,300 people on 500 hectares (1,235.5 acres) of land. Residents grow fresh fruits and vegetables year-round. Some grow rice, while others plant seasonal vegetables.
If one family grows spinach, neighbors might plant eggplants, onions, or cabbage. If one grows potatoes, others grow bananas, cucumbers, or beans.
Our rice storage is stocked with rice grown in the village's fields. Whoever has time works: some plant and tend crops, while others harvest and distribute. Each family takes only what they need, so there's always enough food for everyone.
Our small local shop supplies essential goods sourced from trusted suppliers and sold at cost. A sewing workshop staffed by volunteers makes clothes for residents.
A waste treatment plant was built for the village. Waste is sorted at home into categories, and food waste is composted to grow vegetables.
We have a water treatment plant that provides clean groundwater, volunteer doctors at a health clinic, and a school offering free Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, and English classes for anyone interested.
We try to minimize tree-cutting, avoid chemical fertilizers, and refrain from slaughtering animals. We discourage any practices that harm the ecosystem; all electricity in the village comes from solar power.
What surprises me is how smoothly the village runs without strict laws, except for the waste-sorting rules. Yet everything functions harmoniously. If leaves cover a path, someone sweeps them. If weeds grow too high, someone cuts them. Everyone joins in to build roads, schools, ponds, and houses.
Villagers do all the work voluntarily. The guiding principle is sharing supplies, food, household items, and health care. We live simply, taking only what we need and sharing it with others. As a result, most residents rarely use money.
This lifestyle has roots in Thailand's late King Bhumibol Adulyadej's "Sufficiency Economy" model. Today, the spirit of "having enough" thrives in small communities and towns across Thailand.
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Farmers harvest rice in a field in Chainat province, Thailand, Aug. 31, 2023. Photo by Reuters/Athit Perawongmetha |
While the world races toward industrialization, commercialization, and competition for Western investment, the sufficiency economy model follows three main principles:
First, the government should ensure that everyone has enough to live.
King Bhumibol once said: "The important thing for us is to have a sufficient economy. A sufficient economy means to have enough to support ourselves."
Citizens, families, villages, and districts are all guided to understand what "enough" means regarding personal, social, and environmental needs. People have four essential needs: food, shelter, clothing, and health care. These should be met, avoiding waste or excess that could harm oneself or others.
Living "just enough" also means humility and moderation. Pursuing more is an endless race that can lead to taking from others. Those who understand "enough" know the value of sharing and considering others' needs. This mindset fosters natural harmony.
Second, teaching farmers decision-making based on knowledge and conscience.
Government and provincial development centers guide them in making affordable, practical choices that respect the environment. With this approach, Thai farmers have moved from chemical-intensive farming to more sustainable practices. Today, Thai youth see farming as a valuable profession.
The third principle is self-reliance. Thai people are encouraged to store food, purify water, build homes, and independently produce essential items like medicines and clothing. By meeting their basic needs on their own, they feel less scared of economic crises, natural disasters, or other challenges since their families still have food, water, and shelter. When people are self-sufficient, the burden on the state lightens.
Six years ago, I visited a sustainable development area within the Thai Royal Palace led by Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. She is the second daughter of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej and the sister of the current King Maha Vajiralongkorn.
Hundreds of sustainable projects are being developed here, from irrigation systems, clean rice farming, mushroom cultivation, crop propagation, poultry and livestock breeding, clean dairy production, organic waste recycling, handicrafts, weaving, candle-making, soap-making, mushroom houses, pig and fish farms, and clean energy projects.
Funded by the royal family, these projects have inspired thousands of similar models nationwide.
Sufficiency recognizes and embraces modern trends, money, and technology but avoids over-reliance on them. Reaching for "enough" means being motivated by something deeper than just a desire for gain or fear of loss.
Thailand and Vietnam share common roots in agriculture, climate, production culture, and a predominantly rural background.
Over the past decade, Thailand has tackled two major agricultural challenges: rural quality of life and ethical farming. The sufficiency economy model has guided Thai people's lifestyles and helped to preserve resources for future generations. Thailand's "Happy Farmers" movement reflects this approach.
Economics and Geography Theory suggest that a nation's wealth depends on location; cultural theory argues that religion, national traits, and shared values shape the economy; and the Ignorance Hypothesis claims poverty results from incompetent leaders.
Economists Acemoglu and Robinson in their book "Why Nations Fail" wrote that a nation's strength depends on its people's power.
They divide societies into two types: inclusive and extractive. Inclusive systems create opportunities for all citizens to participate in the economy and protect property rights. In contrast, extractive systems focus on preserving power over sustainable development.
Social instability often arises when some people have too much while others lack the basics. A community thrives when policies unlock its people's potential.
The greatest "enemy" of humanity is ignorance. Nations need leaders who are aware and willing to change for the good of their people. True power lies in a leader's moral authority in the people's hearts.
Sufficiency doesn't oppose development; it encourages lasting prosperity from within, enabling everyone to create a fulfilling life.
*Hong Phuc is a Vietnamese journalist.