Family structure :

A rural Thai family is often large since agriculture in the villages is still labourintensive and children have to help in the fields. Besides, most Thai families remain in the house or compound of their parents even after they marry and have children.

This closely knit structure is a prominent feature of the Thai family. Children take care of their parents in their old age, and when the parents become too old to work in the rice fields, they take care of the small children and do some house work during the day.

Children in a village are taught to respect their older relatives and older neigh-bours. From early childhood, they are taught a sense of responsibility by being assigned chores such as feeding animals, or looking after their younger brothers and sisters to free their parents for field work.

Present-day Puk-Hai :

Puk-Hai is still a traditional Thai village where technology has little influence on peoples’ daily activities. The village is peaceful and safe from the disruption of motor vehicles. However, economic development in the area has been provided.

The daily life of people depends on the Noi River. Dwellings, the market, some schools and temple are all grouped along the river. The village center, located on the west bank of the river, consists of administrative offices, the market, shop-house, and transport facilities such as a bus stop and some boat landings.

Layout of the village :

Usually, houses in a village are grouped in a compact pattern for protection and efficient administration. In Puk-Hai district, the layout of the village reflects its dependence on Noi River. Houses are grouped along the river which is used for transport, irrigation, fishing, washing and recreation. The connections between houses and housing compounds consist of metre-wide foot-paths running along the river banks and two arterial streets.