The work in Sang Thong highlights the threats and
opportunities in the ‘new’ and ‘old’ economies. The case
of Mrs. Lae in Ban Sawai noted above, for example,
shows how a household which, on paper, would have
had to depend on poorly paid local wage labouring and
the generosity of neighbours, has managed to achieve a
degree of prosperity through work in neighbouring
Thailand. The case of Mrs. Du Mii, however, is very
different. She is a frail 90-year-old whose husband died
25 years ago. She depends on her daughter to support
her. In this way her food security––tenuous though it
may be––is secured on the back of traditional support
structures and mechanisms. But it is important to note
that these are not always resilient. Her two sons have left
home for Ban Kop Pherng, just 2 km away, but contribute
nothing to the support of their mother.