The Isaan Record - English

An online news magazine telling the stories of Northeastern Thailand, available in English and Thai. Follow us on Twitter

Based in Khon Kaen, The Isaan Record focuses on the social and political movements redefining the Northeast region, known as Isaan, and the country at large. Today, the 21 million inhabitants of the poorest region of Thailand have political and social critiques of their own, but almost no voice in popular media. By reporting on the grassroots movements of the region, The Isaan Record offers more i

nsight into the lives of those Northeasterners who are fighting for institutional change in Thailand. We deliver stories from Isaan in the earnest belief that a better-informed populace is the foundation of a healthy democracy.

03/12/2024

On November 19, 2024, the network of Thai berry pickers who had worked in Sweden and Finland was among the nine recipients of the annual awards from the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand. The network was awarded for their excellent work on defending rights for vulnerable groups.

Oranuch Phonphinyo, coordinator of the worker network, said, “I’m very happy and very pleased that light has been shed on our struggles, especially when it comes to human trafficking. The issue of berry picking workers has come a long way. Now, a union for migrant workers has been founded to help those traveling abroad to find work, most of whom come from Isaan. This award means a great deal for me to keep going,” she said.

The awards are for individuals or organizations that excel in supporting, protecting, and safeguarding human rights. The aim of the awards is to commend their work and boost the morale of human rights defenders in many different fields.

The winners of the 2023-2024 awards are as follows.

Individuals/groups: Civil rights and political rights

Ekkachai Issarata, Khao Kuha Community Rights Protection Network, Rattaphum District, Songkhla Province
Pattaya Ruenkaew, independent researcher and scholar
Individuals/groups: Economic, social and cultural rights

Somboon Kamhaeng, president of the NGO Coordinating Committee on Development (NGO-COD)
Nitithorn Thongthirakul, singer
Individuals/groups: Rights of people in vulnerable groups

Network of Thai Berry Pickers in Sweden and Finland
Nuchanart Boonkong, Baan Kru Nam
Government agencies/ state enterprises/ local governing administrations

Jan Subdistrict Administrative Organization, Kanthararom district, Sri Saket province
Private organizations/ civil organizations/ businesses/ networks

The Mirror Foundation
Individuals/organizations: Media

Montri Udompong, reporter of 3 Miti News

Read on website: https://theisaanrecord.co/2024/12/03/network-of-thai-berry-awarded-annual-prize-from-thailands-national-human-rights-commission/

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Author: Ardchawit Inha
Note: This work is supported by the AspirE project of the European Union (EU)

18/11/2024

Two documentaries on Thai berry pickers in Finland and Sweden were screened on November 11, 2024 Monday in Helsinki, followed by a panel discussion, as part of an effort to raise awareness about workers’ rights, human trafficking, and injustice that wild berry pickers face. The event was organized by the group Act4dem.

Following the screening of “The Berries Blues” and “Missä Marjat,” a panel discussion was held, led by the Thai workers’ rights activist, Janya Yimprasert, researcher Minna Seikkula from the University of Tampere in Finland, and representatives of the berry pickers.

Read - Documentary on Thai berry pickers, “The Berries Blues,” gets screened in Finland as debate grows louder on migrant workers’ rights
https://theisaanrecord.co/2024/11/18/berry-blues-screened-in-finland/

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Author: Ardchawit Inha
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21/10/2024

Nigon Daochuen has transformed his personal challenges into a mission to uplift others. From battling polio as a child to founding an NGO for people with disabilities (PWDs), his journey reflects a lifelong commitment to advocacy and empowerment.

Trying to stand up for the disabled community in politics, he even ran in the recent Thai senate selections but decided to drop out due to the blatant bribery and corruption involved. Guest Contributor Luka Beck tells the story of Nigon and his continuing quest to empower those often overlooked by society.

Read - Redefining Ability: Nigon’s Fight for Disability Rights
https://theisaanrecord.co/2024/10/21/redefining-ability-nigons-fight-for-disability-rights/

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Author: Luka Beck
Photos by Natticha Nasee

05/10/2024

The Isaan Record has spent over two years following the movement of Thai berry pickers in Finland and Sweden, and found the practices of companies and procedures used by related government agencies between 2010 to now to be problematic. Civil-society organizations claim that these companies and governments might have been involved, wittingly or not, in one of the biggest transnational human trafficking networks ever encountered.

Here we follow stories of workers who traveled thousands of miles overseas full of hope, only to return with empty hands and even more debt. A network of workers went from agency to agency from 2010 to 2022 to demand justice and compensation. They also raised their voices as a warning to those considering the prospect of becoming a berry picker to think things through. But their ultimate goal is to push the government to reform its policy regarding worker welfare so no one becomes a victim of human trafficking again.

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Video creators: Nathida Prabpan, Ardchawit Inha
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04/10/2024

On Sept. 13, The Isaan Record hosted a panel discussion on “Berry pickers, transnational human trafficking, and the future of Thai workers’ welfare,” sponsored by the project “AspirE” of the European Union.

Jenpreeya Jampihom, who represents the berry picking workers, said she decided to travel to Finland to pick berries because she had debts. She said she heard that a worker could earn 150,000-200,000 baht, which turned out to be just a pipe dream.

Read more - Tricked by false promises then trafficked, Thai berry pickers demand justice and better protection for overseas workers
https://theisaanrecord.co/2024/10/04/berry-pickers-seminar/

30/09/2024

This story started with a simple question: “What do we do if our electricity runs out in the next 20 years?” The answer has been conceived through coercion, giving the locals few viable options, given the government’s Power Development Plan (PDP). The simple answer for the government lies in the construction of the Phu Ngoi Dam project in Laos.

Read - With false claims of future power shortages, the Phu Ngoi Dam threatens Mekong River
https://theisaanrecord.co/2024/09/30/the-phu-ngoi-dam-threatens-mekong-river/

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Author: Sodsai Srangsok
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24/07/2024

Hathairat Paholtap, editor in chief of the Isaan Record, spent two months running for a seat in the highly confusing Senate race that was held in June. It was a race of wits, tricks, and betrayals. Bribes were endemic, ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of baht as you got closer to the finish line.

She did not make it in the end, as the rules, that she details in this article, were designed for cutthroats and those who already knew well how to play political games.

Read - Squid Game: Selection of new senators was a race for survival
https://theisaanrecord.co/2024/07/24/games-of-senators/

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Author: Hathairat Phaholtap
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23/07/2024

Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation (DSI) laid formal charges on a 14-year-old case on January 10, 2024. The case, involving allegations of human trafficking of Thai berry pickers who went to Finland and Sweden, charges high-ranking officers of the Ministry of Labor with colluding with a company alleged of trafficking Thai workers to pick berries in Finland, with damages estimated at 36 million baht [about $990,000].

On March 15, 2024, the Finnish Foreign Ministry suspended the visa application process for Thai berry pickers. The suspension affected all applicants who had applied for a visa with the Finnish embassy in Bangkok. The suspension affected not only workers from Thailand, but also those from Cambodia and Myanmar for the harvest this year.

Victims were able to give their statements at a provincial office of DSI in Khon Kaen earlier this month in their effort to receive justice.

Read - “Blood berries” : Thai government finally moves on human trafficking of wild berry workers in Finland and Sweden…after 14 years
https://theisaanrecord.co/2024/07/23/updated-of-theai-berry-pickers-human-trafficking-charge/

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Author: Ardchawit Inha
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06/05/2024

The effects of climate change are touching the lives of countless people around the world. Predictably, those already vulnerable are suffering even more. In the Northeast, there are 87,000 people living with disabilities.

The meager stipend the government provides is not nearly enough to cover expenses. In this special feature from Teerayut Weerakam, the story of a mother and her severely disabled son in Nakhon Phanom shows the challenges they face.

Read - 87,000 people with disabilities in Isaan struggle against climate change
https://theisaanrecord.co/2024/05/06/87000-people-with-disabilities-in-isaan-struggle-against-climate-change/

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Author: Teerayuth Weerakam

08/03/2024

To mark this year’s International Women’s Day, we feature Nittaya Muangklang, a woman fighter from Chaiyaphum who was drawn into her community’s fight to hold on to their land in the face of an aggressive government aiming to prosecute those it seemed as encroaching on national park land.

The journey saw her take a leadership role in the fight, be prosecuted and imprisoned, and finally win her freedom. She’s learned a lot on the journey and encourages more women to take up the fight.

Read - Woman Fighter of Chaiyaphum, Nittaya “Kop” Muangklang: “I want everyone to stand up for their rights.
https://theisaanrecord.co/2024/03/08/nittaya-muangklang-2/

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Authors: Hathairat Phaholtap & Krittima Klangmontri

07/03/2024

The Isaan Record receives honorable mention in Issara Amantakul Media Awards for its feature on human trafficking of Thai berry harvesters

Bangkok- March 5, 2024 The Thai Journalists Association organized the TJA Dinner Talk on the 69th anniversary of the founding of the TJA and to mark Thai Journalists Day, held at the Phayathai Grand Ballroom at the Eastin Grand Hotel, Phayathai. At the event, the “Issara Amantakul media awards” for news and photography were announced.

The Issara Amantakul Media Awards, sponsored by the foundation of the same name, have been given out since 1972 to honor journalists, newspapers, and their owners. The awards are intended to be an impetus for the professional development of journalists and to promote social responsibility. There are four categories of news and news photos contest:

1. Issara Amantakul Award for Excellence in Newspaper News Reporting
2. Issara Amantakul Award for Excellence in Online Media News Reporting
3. Issara Amantakul Award for Best Newspaper News Photography
4. Issara Amantakul Award for Best Online Media News Photography

The Isaan Record website received an honorable mention for its online media feature story, “Janpreeya Champi Hom in the Bitterness of Berries,” which described the life and struggle of Thai berry harvesters abroad. The feature highlighted the human trafficking aspects of berry harvesters linked to large companies and high-level officials of the Finnish government.

Ardchawit Inha, assistant news editor of The Isaan Record website, said that this work focussed on a single point: the lives of a married couple from Nong Bua Lamphu Province who went to Finland to harvest berries. But there were hundreds more involved in this labor practice in Finland. Currently, workers are seeking redress for the unfair compensation paid to them and the question of whether the conditions under which they were contracted constitutes human trafficking.

“The award does not belong only to our team but it also belongs to the people in Isaan who have come together to raise their voices, the voices of Isaan people sent to Finland under the watch of the Finnish and Thai embassies. They speak to raise awareness of this problem and we are ready to continue to amplify voices like this.” Ardchawit said.

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Author: Krittima Khlangmontree

17/01/2024

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the uncertainty and instability of being a “molam artist” as a career choice, despite its being a long-respected profession in Thailand.

Having a second job or “side hustle” was one way of surviving: though it wasn’t by choice. Anyone could become unemployed at any time, so it wasn’t a good time to spend money recklessly.

“Speckled eyes. Flushed cheeks. Three lines on the neck. Stocking-like white markings on four legs.”

These are the peculiar characteristics marking a quality buffalo that can be valued up to several hundreds of thousands of baht. The buying and reselling of buffaloes has been the novel way of earning an income for the legendary molam artist “Srichan Weesee,” who decided on a career change during the COVID-19 pandemic.

16/01/2024

Molam has long been a cultural force in Isaan and produced many legendary molam artists for generations. Today, the cultural legacy lives on through young molam artists.

But in a fast-changing world, how do traditional molam artists adapt to connect with their audience? At Buddhist events these days, modern-era molam artists turn to beating drums and exciting melodies.

We sat down with Bunjong Mattayarak, a traditional molam artist who’s adapted her lam singing technique to be more exciting, yet still filled with life lessons. “While we can’t do it all, conserving the tradition this way is better than letting molam disappear for good.”

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The Berries Blues

The Isaan Record has spent over two years following the movement of Thai berry pickers in Finland and Sweden, and found the practices of companies and procedures used by related government agencies between 2010 to now to be problematic. Civil-society organizations claim that these companies and governments might have been involved, wittingly or not, in one of the biggest transnational human trafficking networks ever encountered. Here we follow stories of workers who traveled thousands of miles overseas full of hope, only to return with empty hands and even more debt. A network of workers went from agency to agency from 2010 to 2022 to demand justice and compensation. They also raised their voices as a warning to those considering the prospect of becoming a berry picker to think things through. But their ultimate goal is to push the government to reform its policy regarding worker welfare so no one becomes a victim of human trafficking again. --- Video creators: Nathida Prabpan, Ardchawit Inha --- #berrypickers

Molam Srichan in a fast-changing world

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the uncertainty and instability of being a “molam artist” as a career choice, despite its being a long-respected profession in Thailand. Having a second job or “side hustle” was one way of surviving: though it wasn’t by choice. Anyone could become unemployed at any time, so it wasn’t a good time to spend money recklessly. “Speckled eyes. Flushed cheeks. Three lines on the neck. Stocking-like white markings on four legs.” These are the peculiar characteristics marking a quality buffalo that can be valued up to several hundreds of thousands of baht. The buying and reselling of buffaloes has been the novel way of earning an income for the legendary molam artist “Srichan Weesee,” who decided on a career change during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Molam artist Bunjong: Traditional Art with Life Lessons

Molam has long been a cultural force in Isaan and produced many legendary molam artists for generations. Today, the cultural legacy lives on through young molam artists. But in a fast-changing world, how do traditional molam artists adapt to connect with their audience? At Buddhist events these days, modern-era molam artists turn to beating drums and exciting melodies. We sat down with Bunjong Mattayarak, a traditional molam artist who’s adapted her lam singing technique to be more exciting, yet still filled with life lessons. “While we can’t do it all, conserving the tradition this way is better than letting molam disappear for good.”

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