Clash” is a satirical tale about the death of decency in the face of “progress,” and what Khamsing refers to as the “clash of civilizations” when facets of a more modernized civilization impact one that is considered more traditional and backward. In this story written and published in 1969, Khamsing comments on the kind of “progress” that is associated with an American military base. “Clash” forces the reader to think critically about what “progress” entails and what may be lost in an attempt to acquire it.
An unlicensed taxi driver in rural Thailand recounts the events of his last day on earth, beginning his tale by describing what in retrospect must have been a bad omen, a meeting with a man trying to sell him life insurance. The driver recollects the day of his death, driving some prostitutes (jokingly referred to as “ambassadors’ ladies”) to the local army base, watching a movie at the local drive-in theatre, and listening to the lottery drawing with friends. In the evening he had the good fortune of driving three men who agreed to pay his initial quote of one hundred and fifty baht (twice the normal fare), while making merit by giving a monk a free ride at the same time. As the taxi speeds down “Progress Road,” a road traveled by the driver many times before, two water buffalo block the path, causing the driver to crash into the side of a bridge. The impact kills all of the passengers, but throws the driver onto a small dirt hill. People emerge from the woods, presumably inhabitants of nearby “Progress Village,” to strip the dead of their valuables. In an attempt to avoid being killed, the driver pretends to be dead by contorting his body and holding his breath. When the police later arrive, they identify one of the men as the leader of a gang who had recently committed a robbery. The taxi driver then realizes that his death is imminent because he will be mistakenly included as a member of this gang of bandits.