Rural Thai
Poverty in Rural Thailand
Discrimination and economic inequality against the Rural Thai by the wealthy urban elites in Thailand is a major factor in instigating protests and political turmoil in the nation, according to a recently released report. The study by the Asia Foundation focused on Isan, the region of northeastern Thailand that is populous but poor, and feels […]
Violence in Rural Thailand Assessed [Journal article review]
According to a recent journal article, Rural Thai male adolescents are just as prone to feelings of anger and expressions of violence as their urban counterparts. The authors of the study, Wongtongkam et al (2016), wrote that the rate of violence seems to be increasing in Thailand, a serious cause for concern. In 2010, the […]
Thai Monks Are Too Fat
The Buddhist monks in rural Thailand have a serious problem: they are gaining too much weight. According to a news report by AFP on November 22, the problem is that they are gifted with too much fatty and sugary foods by well-meaning Rural Thai. Their weight, and their health, are suffering. The journalist writing for […]
Thai Women Protesters
A feature in Geographical magazine on January 2 analyzed the reasons for Rural Thai women taking increasingly important roles in environmental protest movements in their country. Their activism is having an impact on thwarting some developments, but at a considerable personal cost, the article explains. The lengthy article goes into detail about the roles that […]
Harmful Ghosts in Modern Thailand
A village in the rural Isaan region of Northeast Thailand has been haunted by malevolent ghosts, the villagers believe, but fortunately they’ve been able to get help in exorcising the harmful spirits. An article last week in the South China Morning Post explained how the Rural Thai villagers came to believe their community was haunted—and […]
Rural Thai Prosperity [journal article review]
Increasing prosperity in Northeast Thailand over the past 30 years has prompted researchers to wonder how changing economic conditions have affected the Rural Thai in that region. In 1982/83 and again in 2008/09, Jonathan Rigg and Albert Salamanca did a longitudinal (or “panel”) study of two villages in Mahasarakham Province in Isan, the term often […]
Changes in Rural Thailand
Over the past 60 years, Rural Thai villagers have changed from poor, isolated farmers to relatively prosperous suburbanites who seek jobs, conveniences, income and connections. A feature article last week in the prominent Japanese business journal Nikkei Asian Review explored the dramatic changes that anthropologist William Klausner has witnessed in his 60 years of life […]
Rural Thai Girls Get Help
An NGO in Thailand is helping Rural Thai girls from the poorer areas of the Isaan region form desirable career goals and then find ways to meet them. A news report last week described the work of the Pratthanadee Foundation and its Better Me workshops, which try to develop a sense of empowerment among teenage […]
Crisis for Thai Rice Farmers
The cultivation of jasmine rice, a crop that under-girds the economy of the Rural Thai people, is in a state of crisis and the consequences for Thailand may be significant. Alexander Macleod, writing for the political news analysis website Global Risk Insights last week, indicated that the market value of the rice has dropped by […]
Changes in Rural Northeast Thailand [journal article review]
The northeast section of Thailand has changed from a traditional, isolated peasant society into a region of sophisticated rural dwellers. A recent journal article by Somchai Phatharathananunth describes the social, economic, and political transformations over the past several decades in rural Northeast Thailand, which is usually referred to as “Isan” or “Isaan.” The author, an […]
