In the past few weeks, there has been criticism of the Thai language textbook Pasa Patee for 5th graders. In the ninth chapter titled "Value Of Life", a rich girl named Yaibua tells her best friend Khaopoon, who is an orphan, that she wanted to die because her parents did not buy her a new mobile phone. Khaopoon took Yaibua to her orphanage where she experienced a meal of some rice, half a boiled egg and fish sauce. Everyone was happy and enjoyed the meal. This made Yaibua realise that happiness comes from a person's state of mind, not material possessions.
The Facebook page Madam Cashmere posted a page from chapter nine and pointed out that Khaopoon and the other orphans do not receive adequate nutrition needed by young people aged seven to 14. Many comments on the post also criticised the textbook for romanticising poverty.
