Thai farmers have been hit very hard by the Asian economic collapse; rising costs, shrinking markets and Greg Norman designed golf courses, which have mushroomed all over Thailand in the past ten years and play havoc with the environment.
'Golf courses are very green, so I don't know what the people are complaining about,' Mr Norman was quoted as saying.
Well, Greg, on the extremely thin chance that you are planning a cycling trip through Thailand and happen to be reading this page, golf courses require the clearing of large tracts of often forested land and use an inordinate amount of water to keep them looking fresh and green. As a result the water table is lowered, making it difficult for farmers to irrigate their meager land holdings.
Thai law being what it is, there's no compensation for the farmers. Most golf courses are run by the military and service the local and international business sectors.
Mr Pumpy suggests Mr Norman should get out of the club house every now and then and share some food with a few local paddy farmers.
Mr Pumpy doesn't like Mr Norman very much, and refuses to appear on television with him.