MAIL OPINION  By Shana Kongmun

How to contribute to positive change

Chiang Mai is changing rapidly, in the past year we’ve had three major malls open up and condos are springing up all over the place. Some are selling well, others not so much. Like everything it’s all down to location. There is a new medium rise condo complex going up on Chang Klan Road and another on Huay Kaew and Sirimangkalajarn.
People bemoan growth, and change but it is inevitable. In my years in Thailand I have seen a lot of changes, some change that is good, some not so good. But despite my railing against the changes I disliked, despite my attempts to stall some things and despite stressing myself out with resentment and unhappiness over these changes, still they occurred.
Some are talking about leaving and moving somewhere else but of course that simply makes them the agent of change and growth in some other area, making them guilty of the very thing that they have disliked in Chiang Mai. Unless these people are actually native to Chiang Mai their very relocation to this city has contributed to the growth and change that we see now.
So, other than stay in the place of your birth, never leave and never travel what is the option? Perhaps try and work to make that change positive, however small an affect you may have it must certainly be better than not doing anything at all. If you feel there is nothing you can do and that you can have no effect on things then perhaps learn to do things in your day to day life that help contribute to a better society. Recycle, ride your bicycle instead of driving your car, shop locally, buy organic locally grown fruits and vegetables, or even just walk to where you need to go. Learn to live with a fan, turn off the air conditioner and save energy, learn to conserve water as well. There are many small changes we can make in our lives that add up to more than just small effects if everyone were to do it. So, talk your friends into making these same changes.
Doing something, however small, is certainly better than doing nothing at all except complaining.
 

How to contribute to positive change
 

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