Opportunity- the term is very clear and concise in its diction, however, in practice, it's something that has never been distributed evenly to everyone in this great big world. It is not the end result that is to be blamed, but underlying fundamental factors - knowledge, skills and decent job prospects. For developing countries like Thailand, where development has genuinely occurred in many aspects, access to this progress has not been universally obtained by its people, amidst significant differences in economic resources, geography, and gender-related cultural inequalities.

Thailand and its Isaan region

Though Thailand is well-classified as a developing country and holds the rank of the second largest economy in Southeast Asia, the disparity between the rich and the poor remains the prime challenge of the nation. A large portion (about 45%) of national income comes from the industrial sector, whose wealth is shared by small portion of the total population (less than 15%). This gives clear evidence that the majority of people in Thailand are not sharing in the current growth of the country. In fact, the economic gaps are divided geographically. One of the nation's primary contrasts is between the area in northeast, widely called the 'Isaan' region - the area that accounts for around one-third of total area of the country and contains also one-third of the entire population- and the rest of the country. The land of the Isaan region is generally drier, has far less foliage and poor crop yields, and either has too much rain resulting in flooding or too little rain resulting in drought. This is the main obstacle of the well-being of the people in the region. Most of the Isaan people are farmers, depending primarily on rain-fed agriculture, but suffering from low productivity due to the geographical disadvantage. Major crops of the region include paddy rice, cassava and sugar cane. The availability of fresh fruits, vegetables and fish varies with the seasons. To supplement their incomes, many farmers, especially the women, weave silk, make baskets or do other handicrafts. Men often make fishnets by hand. Overall, people rely entirely on a local subsistence economy. Undoubtedly, Isaan is the poorest area of the country. The average per capita income is about $400 per year, and 70% of the population is classified as poor.