One of the great connections that I have had with Thailand over the past 24 years has been with my wife Mali's family both in and outside of the village of Ban Phutsa. That family has gone through many transitions in that time as we all have. When I first visited Ban Phutsa in 1981 I had just turned 30 and today I am nudging 55. Much has changed and much has remained the same.

The most immediate contrast between Mali's family and my own is that I'm an only child whereas she was one of 8 children - 6 girls and 2 boys. I've always had a good relationship with Mali's family since our marriage which I have always been grateful for. Thai/Farang marriages have at times proved to be  problematic with a high failure rate. In that sense I have been lucky and been blessed with a happy marriage. To a large degree I believe that our marriage has been successful because  I have always been accepted with great warmth  by Mali's family as she has by my own.

The 8 Rakna children (a further blessing - A Thai surname easy to pronounce) have had varied experiences over the years. Five of the girls are now married including Mali and have now left the village. Four of these marriages have been to Farangs - three Australian (including me) and one American. In Australia Mali's two married sisters, Orrathai and Prayoon both live near us in the same town. Mali's elder sister, Usanee lives in Minneapolis USA and her other sister Dhum is married to a Chinese businessman in Bangkok. Of her two brothers I will only mention one as Mali had an estrangement with her second eldest brother on our last trip  for reasons that I won't waste time going into.

The eldest brother Dhun was my age and amongst other things was a champion kick boxer in the seventies. I always felt close with Dhun and was saddened when he died of cancer in 2002. The one remaining unmarried sister , Porntip deserves special attention here as she is a very remarkable lady. When she was only five, misfortune struck when she had a severe reaction to a medical injection which left her crippled in one leg. Her disability meant that she could not go to school. When I first met Porntip in 1981 she was shy and introverted but over the years her strength of character has overcome her disabilities - she taught herself how to read and write, has become an ace bargainer in the market, is mobile due to her three-wheeler motor cycle and can drink any man under the table.

Mali's parents also deserves special mention here. Her mum who sadly died in 2002 (the same year as her son Dhun) was a beautiful lady. She had a wonderful sense of calm and was much loved by her family and the village. When she died in 2002 close to a thousand people attended her funeral. One of the last generation of betel nut chewers she was not only a devout Buddhist but a fan of western style boxing. One evening in 1991 in Ban Phutsa we were watching a televised boxing match. One of the boxers was a Thai called Khao Sai who held a middle weight world championship. This was his final fight as he was going to retire. In the final round Khao Sai went in for the kill and I watched Mali's mum quietly shadow boxing - each movement of her arms totally synchronised with those of the Thai Boxer.

Mali's Dad, Tho Rakna is a real character. Eighty Two years of age and still remarkably fit, he was born in Ban Phutsa and has virtually lived there all his life.

As a young man he was the archetypical bad boy - villagers literally locked up their daughters when my future father-in-law roamed the village with his friends. Another item of interest about Tho Rakna is that he has never worn robes. Most Thai men especially in rural Thailand will spend some time as a Buddhist Monk.

Mali's dad bucked that trend and never considered for a moment entering the village monastery. Yet at the same time he has always been respectful towards country traditions especially the Buddhist ones. Not one to suffer fools gladly, he speaks his mind frequently. Yet at the same time he has a gentle live and let live nature. He is the only person I've known in my life who is totally contented - Ban Phutsa is his universe.

I appreciate that for most people reading this page that its a bit like watching a complete strangers wedding video. Still, I felt that this chapter was an important part of the human story of Ban Phutsa. If one thing has anchored me to Ban Phutsa , it has been my relationship with my village family.