It's no secret that a large number of new-generation Thais have poor attitudes toward their homeland. Scornful posts and non-constructive comments are rampant on the internet. The causes of their resentment are numerous: politics, traffic, laws, the economy, culture, social values, cost of living -- you name it.
Little do they realise that in another country, a growing number of their peers have a contrasting opinion about the Kingdom they are so upset about. Thailand may not be perfect but it shouldn't be unfairly despised. In some countries, what Thais are taking for granted is simply a dream that never comes true. Increasingly, Lao YouTubers and their followers are expressing praise for Thailand. These vloggers -- some visited Thailand as tourists while others came as university students or workers -- are showing to their comrades the different world they have found on the other side of the border.
It is true Thai TV programmes, music and commercial goods have long been popular among Lao citizens. But videos on social media are more genuine. Search YouTube and you'll find many videos by Lao vloggers on various topics, from the higher quality of Thai roads and transportation networks to better healthcare services, lower cost of living, freedom of speech, and much more.
Some vloggers, especially those who criticise the Lao government, have to air their thoughts without showing their faces or true identities. While it is safe to openly condemn the government in Thailand, doing so in Laos may mean a tragedy for oneself or one's family. Unlike the Thai new-gens, they know full well what true dictatorship is like.
While Thais are dividing up and calling the opposite sides hateful names, more and more Lao people are showing their good feelings about us. Many feel grateful for all the help and donations sent across the border during disasters such as last year's dam collapse in Attapue, southeastern Laos.
If the contents in these videos by Lao vloggers are not strong enough to verify the growing goodwill toward Thailand, the comments of their followers will. Reading these written thoughts can be eye-opening.
One thing that surprised me was that the feeling Lao people now have toward Thais wasn't always like this. Since the mid-70s, when the country changed to communist rule, the Lao were thought not to look at Thai people as friends, despite our language and other cultural similarities. The growing admiration of Thailand is a relatively new trend.
Is it too much to hope that one day the spoiled Thai new-gens will have this kind of feeling, too? How long will it take them to realise how lucky they have been, and how much work and effort has been done by the older generations for the Kingdom to have come this far?
Pongpet Mekloy is the Bangkok Post travel editor.