The Latest
Thongchai Winichakul: A message to the court, Thai society and the young generation
In Thai society, there are few Thai scholars who remain hopeful. One of them is Prof. Dr. Thongchai Winichakul, a former lecturer at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA, points to a way out for Thai society, once again in a time of crisis. The media needs to reinvent itself, and truly become professional.
In search for enlightenment: Life of communists in the mystical forest of Dong Phra Jao
It was also where locals were educated politically, and was a critical and important point in the political development in Isaan.
The Isaan Record visits the site to learn about the life of those who searched for enlightenment, living as communists in the vast forest; those who reflect on what they learned after living in Dong Phra Jao.
Prayuth comes to Khon Kaen
An army of Khon Kaen Police were on hand as Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha surveyed the areas experiencing significant flooding, the prime minister’s first visit to the region after the Constitutional Court allowed him to continue in his position. Protesters were also on hand, holding signs like, “Flooding water, flooding debt, a false Prime Minister.”
Taking a tour of the Seri Thai Airport or drop site at Baan Huai Khaen, Sakon Nakhon
Amid an ongoing attempt to demolish what’s left of the Seri Thai Airport and its history in Kalasin province, The Isaan Record explores another Seri Thai Airport in Sakon Nakhon province. Here lie the last traces of an airport built by the Seri Thai Movement, exhibiting the history of the political struggle in Isaan aimed to resist Japanese occupation during WWII. (Locals still refer to the area as an “airport” although it appears to been more of a “drop site.”)
“Let it end in our generation”: Some reflections on the Car Mob and pro-democracy movement in Isaan
In a time of political dissent, people in the Northeast have turned to unique ways of protesting. From July to August 2021, people all over Isaan participated in over 40 Car Mobs, a new way to protest–from the safety of one’s car. In her latest contribution, Saowanee T. Alexander underscores how Car Mobs have embodied the hopes and dreams of the pro-democracy movement in the Northeast.
Isaan’s first Pride marches in Udon Thani
The LGBTQ+ community has awakened. No official Pride events have ever been held in Isaan. But remarkably, during this month, Pride Month for LGBTQ+ groups around the world, activities have or will be carried out in five provinces: Udon Thani, Buriram, Srisaket, Ubon Ratchathani, and Khon Kaen.
Elephant welfare in Thailand: a growing ethical, political, and cultural concern
Thailand’s tourist industry has long profited from inhumane and exploitative techniques in handling elephants. The COVID-19 pandemic has placed new pressures on human-elephant relationships. The elephant tourist industry is on the brink of collapse and wild elephant habitats are coming into closer contact with humans than before. How can Thailand better protect its elephants while bringing attention to elephant welfare with advocacy? Guest contributor Mark S. Cogan looks into the issue.
Community Rights in the Mekong Sustainability Management
The Mekong River is unique in that it flows through and between so many countries. Every country takes what it can from it, leaving the millions who depend on it for their livelihoods and survival in an increasingly perilous situation.
A team of guest contributors went to two communities in Isaan—one where the Mekong first touches the region in Loei and one 600 kms away in Ubon where it leaves Thai territory to learn how two communities are dealing with a drastically changing environment.
PART III: The Role of Champassak Royals as Mediators
In this final segment of our series, “The Holy Man Rebellion(s) from both sides of the Mekong,” Ian G. Baird focuses on the role of the Lao royal family in the House of Champassak and the role they would come to play in colonial Laos and how its influence declined in Siam’s Northeast.
