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วีรวรรธน์ สมนึก

7 posts
Weerawat Somnuk is an independent journalist based in Northeast Thailand. He regularly writes for the online-magazine The Isaander. He is a cofounder of Khon Kaen's bookshop Abdul Books.

Folk ballads, prophecies, and ideologies: The arms of the Holy Man’s Rebellion in war with Bangkok

The Thai-language side of The Isaan Record has been publishing a series on the “Holy Man Rebellion” of 1901-02. We are sharing select pieces to our English-language readers. In this article, Weerawat Somnoek looks at the most powerful weapon used in the “Isaan Phi Bun Rebellion” against the dominance of Bangkok. It was not their swords or spears, but their ballads that helped spread and strengthen a certain ideology among the oppressed that inspired them to stand up against authority.
  • July 3, 2021

After 28 years, curtains fall on a unique exchange program in Northeast Thailand

A victim of the pandemic, CIEE Khon Kaen, a unique exchange program for American students in Northeast Thailand, had to close its doors after 28 years. Guest contributor Weerawat Somnuek talked to the people involved with the program who hope their “people to people” education model can one day make a comeback.
  • October 8, 2020

The Good Daughters of Isaan (11) – An enclave of Western husbands is changing an Udon Thani community

A subdistrict in Udon Thani has become home to hundreds of Isaan-foreign couples, both legacy of the Vietnam War and a result of the efforts of a local matchmaker.
  • September 7, 2020

Remembrances of Red Trauma (9) – Awakened in May 2010

“Awakened” is a graphic novel by Claudio Sopranzetti telling the story of Nok, a manual laborer with a yearning for true democracy and rights. In the end, Nok was defeated by a single bullet in the May 2010 clashes. Though the bullet blinded him, it is not clear whether he also lost sight of his ideals.
  • May 16, 2020

Remembrances of Red Trauma (4) – The lingering violence of Bloody May 2010

Ten years have passed since the killings of Bloody May, yet those responsible are still walking free and blameless in the eyes of the law. Out of the 94 killed, 26 were from Isaan. Today, justice is still waiting to be served, writes Wirawat Somnuek.
  • May 4, 2020

Being homeless in Khon Kaen amidst the COVID-19 crisis

Homeless people in Khon Kaen city are one of the most vulnerable groups among the urban poor. How are these people dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak and what measures are the government taking to protect the most vulnerable members of society?
  • April 25, 2020

#SaveOurFuture: A test for the awakening of Isaan’s students

In wake of the dissolution of the Future Forward Party, student activism networks are emerging all across the Northeast. They want Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha to step down and the military-drafted constitution to be rewritten.
  • March 13, 2020