Mani Cultural Survival

Mani Cultural Survival

Mani society is undergoing radical change from ever-increasing contacts with the Thai population over the last ten years. Since the disappearance of the guerrilla groups of the 1970s-1980s, the traditional settlement area of the Mani has been heavily disturbed by the intensification of logging and rubber plantations making greater contact with outside groups inevitable. In 1993, the Bueng group of Mani were relatively undisturbed, living a typical forest lifestyle. Traditional camps and indigenous tools were still in use; contacts with farmers were restricted to work as laborers on the winter rice harvest.

Although proclaimed as a Thai National Park there appears to be no halting progressive destruction of the rain forest in this region because of powerful economic interest. Nutrition has recently become a major problem; with the forest and its wildlife which had sustained them disappearing, the Mani are forced to spend more time working in the fields, or living from public welfare such as at Nam Tok Mae Taeng near the Phatthalung dam.  Although there is still wild honey to be found, the Mani, are obliged to sell it cheaply to farmers rather than using it as nutritional supplements.

The former large band had split into several smaller units.  In a few years there will be no space left for these forest dwellers. The Mani are being forced to change their traditional way of life, and are beginning to work as laborers on the local farms and plantations. Those who have money are beginning to learn about consumer society and becoming dependent upon wages and the goods they provide.