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Urban Thais increasingly resort to subcontracting and outsourcing more of their duties and responsibilities as life grows more hectic and demanding. They should be wary, however, that this may reduce the quality of community life and society in general. Many upper- and middle-class people live in gated communities with CCTV cameras, and delegate an ever increasing amount of their chores to service providers, ranging from laundry to care for their kids. But a certain quality of life such as a sense of community requires active investment beyond monetary considerations. Is it merely a coincidence that while Bangkok often ranks highly as a global tourist destination, it's nowhere near the top when it comes to rankings for the quality of life of its denizens? This is partly due to the fact that people engage less and less with one another.

The trend of delegating more and doing less is not unique to Thailand, however. In the United States, assistance services for the well-to-do now even include helping high-school students select appropriate colleges and writing application letters to universities. In South Korea, you can rent a pet for a day or two, and not have to commit to taking care of a canine for the rest of its life.

Gated-communities and condominiums where neighbours don't really know one another are becoming the norm in big urban centres, and something is amiss. A growing number of people don't talk to or even greet their neighbours. They are disconnected from one another, and one should not be surprised if they become disconnected from the wider community and society at large.

Perhaps restoring the balance can begin with the need to recognise that this is bad for society and individuals in the long run. Not all problems can be resolved by merely subcontracting them away. A sense of community is an integral building block of a caring society. There can be no real community where people do not relate to one another, where they walk past one another as if they were ghosts.

A sense of community needs to be rebuilt in order for society to be strong and caring. We all should do more to think about how to reverse the increasingly faceless nature of the urban landscape.

While some may actually prefer anonymity and a secluded lifestyle as opposed to a close-knit community where gossip abounds and where taking part can be both oppressive and intrusive, we must nevertheless strive to strike a balance and recognise the value and virtue of a strong community.

There are voluntary groups in Bangkok that are concerned about street dogs, noise pollution and clean water and more, but the very idea of reviving a sense of community in Bangkok has not been given the attention it deserves. The governors of Bangkok and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration should spend time thinking about the issue and perhaps invite some civic and educational groups to brainstorm and find out what can be done to prevent Bangkok from becoming even more of a disconnected society. Other cities like Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen or Hat Yai should also ponder this issue - and maybe they can teach Bangkokians a thing or two.