Thailand's Northeast "Problem" In Historical Perspective

The turbulent events of the last fifteen years have brought to the fore a number of critical issues in Thailand's political and social structure.

One of these issues concerns the unparalleled attention given to regions in the nation's political make-up, especially the role of the northeast region. It is with this region that the present chapter will be concerned. In the present circumstances of the recent passing of King Bhumibol, it is more important than ever to understand the roots of the regional and political divisions in Thailand.

I will first summarize a few salient points about the northeast, also termed Isan, and sometimes termed the Khorat Plateau. As far as terminology is concerned, I will use the three terms interchangeably, and will generally refer to Siam, rather than Thailand, for events prior to 1939 (when the name Thailand was adopted). It should be noted, though, that the term "Isan", supposedly meaning "northeast", is of rather recent origin, used for an administrative unit called a monthon only since 1900.

Most scholars would agree that the vast majority of those living in the northeast are of Lao descent, perhaps eighty per cent. It is beyond the scope of this chapter to enter into the complex issue of ethnic identity, but this question has been discussed informatively by a number of writers.¹

The northeast region consists of 20 of the country's 77 provinces. Many of these Isan provinces are among the poorest in the nation. The northeast is a significant region in a number of respects, in terms of land area, production, population, and also in terms of the political landscape. The twenty provinces account for approximately a third of the nation's land area and roughly a third of the population. These ratios have remained fairly constant since the beginning of the twentieth century, when Thailand's present-day boundaries were settled and the first population census was taken. In 2014, Thailand's population was estimated at just over 67.9 million, of which 18.9 million lived in the northeast. Although the proportion of the northeast's to Thailand's total population has been falling in recent years, the northeast remains easily the most populous of the major regions. Thus, in 2014 the Central region had 3.1 million people, the Eastern region 5.3 million, the South 8.9 million, the North 11.6 million, and Bangkok and surrounding provinces 15.0 million.

Since many northeasterners live and work in other provinces, especially in Bangkok, the census, and estimates based on the census, may exaggerate the weight of the northeast in relation to the total population. On the other hand, eligibility to vote is based on registration, which is usually based on place of birth. Thus, in political terms, the high count for the northeast population is of immense significance. A system based on one man, one vote gives a clear major weighting to the northeast region.

A broad picture of the various regions of Thailand might conclude that the northeast is, in some respects, the most homogenous. In turn this would cement a sense of identity, common values, and shared aspirations. The northern region, for example, has a long history of separate kingdoms and cultural diversity, with Chiang Mai, Lampang, Lampoon, Phrae, and Nan all having ancient traditions and divergent local histories. The South has obvious sharp contrasts and diversity, stemming from the former Malay sultanates and the strong Islamic influences in the provinces bordering the Malay regions, as well as the old centre of Nakhon Sri Thammarat, and the numerous coastal regions. Similar local diversity and old traditions mark much of the central and southeastern provinces, the latter influenced by its seaports and trading traditions. By contrast, the entire northeastern region is landlocked, without significant mountain ranges, without any ancient urban centres such as Chiang Mai, Ayutthaya, Nakhon Sri Thammarat, or Phitsanulok, and with a village culture based for much of its history—until relatively recent times—on rural self sufficiency.

It is common knowledge that the northeast is the poorest of Thailand's regions. Many factors account for...