Ko Lao--Medicine

Ajahn Vichai is an older man staying with the sea gypsies, by choice, to help. He used to work for the UN and was part of a group in the early 80s that won a Nobel Peace Prize for their work done to help SE Asian refugees fleeing to the West (mainly from Vietnam and Cambodia.) Today he receives a very small living allowance (I'm not sure from whom) and lives alone on Ko Lao to help with anything he can, from medical care to teaching families how to keep their own chickens. Mike, Emma and I went to Ranong with him one morning to pick up medical supplies with the money that our group donated. While Ajahn Vichai explained all of the different medicines that we needed and thus explained why we needed them, the pharmacist was initially very helpful, recommending other medicines that would be good to have for our purposes, and then insisted that we take it all for free. He also does similar work with some of Thailand's poor peasants and is eager to help his fellow Thais and fellow good samaritan aid workers such as Ajahn Vichai. We walked out with two full cardboard boxes taped shut of medicines: it was uplifting to see such a personal interaction and such good hearted people helping each other out. Emma and I tried to buy Menthol inhalors (Thais sniff them all the time: at first glance you think they are snorting crack cocaine but realize that it is Menthol and pepperment oil among others to help with congestion...and to wake you up.) because we are trying to live more like Thais, and he even insisted that we take them without paying because we were doing such good volunteer work.

I love Thailand!!

Giving the Mokens medical aid is not as simple as handing them free medicine, however. Often they do not trust medicine. Most cannot read, so often they will use one medicine for any ailment that they have, not being able to read the instructions. They also are reluctant to go to the hospital. They have no means of paying, and even though aid organizations will now help, they still have fear from past experiences. They also do not want to miss a day of work. If the sick must go by boat to Ranong and stay overnight, they loose a day of work and so does whoever accompanies them. A woman gave birth in the village while we were there...in the village. She would not go to the hospital (nothing in the village is clean or sanitary, including water) because she and any women who accompanied her would miss more time of work, collecting shellfish to feed their families.