Thailand-Hotels.nl

 

The Isaan region covers about 1/3 of the country of Thailand. It is bounded by the Mekong River to the north and east, and by high hills or mountains to the west and south. (see map of Thailand)

Isaan (E-saan) can refer to either the name of the Isaan people, their language or the northeast Thailand region. There are about 20 million Isaan people, most of them living in Northeast Thailand. The Isaan are known throughout Thailand as people who want to live life to the fullest. They are seen as a hardworking, hard playing, and hard luck people who have a sturdy sense of independence in spite of being looked down on by some from better off regions of the country.

The Isaan are mainly descended from Laotian migrations beginning in the about the 15th century. Isaan people speak a variation of the Lao language known as "Isaan". Due to the Central Thai government's policy of requiring all national schools to teach in Central Thai, most Isaan people have at least some ability to speak, read and write Central Thai, although most speak their Isaan language in the home.

The Isaan region has remained the poorest part of Thailand, largely due to poor soil and climate for farming. But despite the relatively unfertile soil, agriculture remains the mainstay of the Isaan economy. Around 90% of the population is engaged in farming. More than half of the rice grown is the glutinous variety (sticky rice) preferred by the people of Isaan. The northeast has about 60% of Thailand's water buffalos, which are used in farming.

Agriculture is the largest sector of the economy, generating around 22% of the Gross Regional Product (compared to 8.5% for Thailand as a whole). Sticky rice, the staple food of the region, is the main agricultural crop (accounting for about 60% of the cultivated land). It thrives in the poorly drained paddy fields, and where fields can be flooded from nearby streams, rivers and ponds, often two harvests are possible each year. Farmers are increasingly diversifying into cash crops such as sugar cane and cassava (manioc), which are cultivated on a vast scale, and to a lesser extent, rubber. Silk production is an important cottage industry and contributes significantly to the economy. The long, narrow fertile province of Nong Khai Province, which stretches along the Mekong River, is also noted for the production of pineapples, tobacco (which is dried, cured and shredded by the families before collection by the cigarette manufacturers) and tomatoes, which are grown on an industrial scale, particularly around the town of Sri Chiang Mai.

Despite its dominance of the economy, agriculture in the region is extremely problematic. The climate is prone to drought, while the flat terrain of the plateau is often flooded in the rainy season. The tendency to flood renders a large proportion of the land unsuitable for cultivation. In addition, the soil is highly acidic, saline and infertile from overuse. Since the 1970s, agriculture has been declining in importance as the trade and service sectors have been increasing.

Very few farmers still use water buffalo rather than tractors. Nowadays, the water buffalo are mainly kept by almost all rural families as status symbols. The main piece of agricultural equipment in use today is the 'rot tai na' (Thai: รถไถนา, lit. "vehicle plow field") colloquially referred to as 'kwai lek' (Thai: ควายเหล็ก, or "iron/steel buffalo"), or more generally by its manufacturer's name of "Kobota", a mini tractor comprising a small diesel engine mounted on two wheels with two long wooden or metal handlebars for control and steering. It is usually attached to a trailer or a plow. Buffalo are now mainly used for grazing on the stubble in the rice paddy, which they in turn fertilize with their manure. The main animals raised for food are cattle, pigs, chickens, ducks and fish.

Maw Lom music is indigenous to Lao/Isaan culture. It is traditional music which uses a bamboo instrument, the khaen, and incorporates Isaan forms.

One marked characteristic of the Northeasterner is a sturdy sense of independence. This trait is demonstrated by the unusually high proportion of people who are self-employed, owning and operating their own farms. Isaan people also place a high value on having fun, and are considered warm and cheerful people.

The main language of the region is Isan, which is a dialect of the Lao language. As a dialect of Lao, but written in the Thai alphabet, Isan is among the Chiang Seng and Lao-Phutai languages, which are members of the Tai languages of the Kradai language family. Thai is also spoken, with regional accents, by almost everyone. Khmer (the language of Cambodia) is widely spoken in regions near the Cambodian border (Buriram, Surin, and Sisaket). Most of the population is of Lao origin, but the region's incorporation into the modern Thai state has been largely successful.

The major occupation of the Isaan is rice farming, but they are also employed as taxi drivers, construction workers, and beauticians, and professionals such as teachers, doctors, and government workers. Particularly in the provinces of Khon Kaen, Roiet, Surin, and Korat, they are well known for their silk weaving skills, making an especially beautiful type of silk known as "mud mee".

The agriculture of the Northeast is primarily rain-fed. This means that there is a drastic reduction in the demand for labor during the dry season. Unemployment can then reach 30-40% of the Isaan labor force. The unemployed often deal with this problem by moving outside of Isaan to look for work. Many Isaan families rely heavily on funds sent back from these outside jobs. However, with the economic crash throughout Thailand and Asia, many Isaan are unable to find work.

Most meals include sticky rice as the staple, along with vegetables and usually some type of protein. Many green plants are eaten, including many varieties unknown to Westerners. Hot chili peppers are incorporated into many dishes, as well as garlic, coriander, mint, and dill. Fermented fish (often raw) contributes protein but can also be a source of parasites. Other proteins include chicken, beef, pork, fish, frogs, field crabs, insects, iguanas, field rats, and other animals.

The Mekong forms a large part of the border between Thailand and Laos to the north and east of Isan, while the south of the region borders on Cambodia. The Mekong's main Thai tributary is the Mun River, which rises in the Khao Yai National Park near Khorat and runs east, joining the Mekong in Ubon Ratchathani Province. The other main river in Isan is the Chi River, which flows through central Isan before turning south to meet the Mun in Sisaket Province. The smaller Loei and Songkhram rivers are also tributaries of the Mekong, the former flowing north through Loei province and the latter flowing east through Udon Thani, Sakon Nakhon, Nakhon Phanom and Nong Khai Provinces.

The average temperature range is from 30.2 °C to 19.6 °C. The highest temperature recorded was 43.9 °C in Udon Thani, the lowest -1.4 °C at Sakhon Nakhon Agro Station.

Rainfall is unpredictable, but is concentrated in the rainy season from May to October. Average annual precipitation varies from 2000 mm in some areas to 1270 mm in the southwestern provinces of Nakhon Ratchasima, Buriram, Maha Sarakham, Khon Kaen and Chaiyaphum. The rainy season begins with occasional short but heavy showers, eventually raining very heavily for longer periods almost every day, usually in the late afternoon or at night, until it ends abruptly at the onset of the cool season.

The other seasons are the cool season from October to February, when the people sit outside around fires in the evenings, and the hot season from February to May with its sudden peak of high temperatures in April.