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.

23/09/2025

The atmosphere after a screening of the documentary film "Blood Berries | หมากไม้" at the FA Theater, at Khon Kaen University’s Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, on September 20, 2025.

The audience reflected unanimously that the documentary powerfully portrays the bitter lives of Isaan workers who travelled to pick wild berries in Finland and Sweden.
The team simulated the experience of workers by having attendees “board a plane” to follow the lives of Isaan workers to the forests of Finland and Sweden.

Additionally, in front of the theater, there was an exhibition displaying belongings of workers, such as berry-picking rakes, raincoats, and rubber boots. Having belonged to the Isaan workers, these items allowed viewers to understand and connect with their lives both before and after going abroad to harvest berries. This includes challenging post-return circumstances, where many face debt problems, and some have even contemplated su***de.

The film screening on September 20 attracted over 300 viewers, including local Thais and foreigners living in and around Khon Kaen. Many participants were moved to tears during the film.

After the screening, there was a discussion, “The Path of Berries: Behind the scenes of Blood Berries documentary film | หมากไม้.” A panel—featuring a former berry picker, a professor studying transnational migration, and one of the people involved in making the film—explored the fate of Isaan workers involved in forest berry collection and questioned, “Why are their lives like this?”

One insight shared by a former berry picker was: “Poverty forces people to struggle, but they have never thought that traveling abroad for work would lead so many workers into debt and being exploited as slaves.”

For those in other provinces who wish to watch this documentary, please stay tuned for updates on The Isaan Record’s social media channels, where the date, time, and location will be announced soon.

This project is supported by the under the European Union .

Photos: Thanaphat Singtho, Siriyapon Ngamna, and Wittawin Sakaew

16/09/2025

“Many Isaan workers have migrated to work in Israel. Even though they face the threat of war, they say that poverty is more frightening. Some believe that if they were to die there, their families would receive more compensation than they could earn in years of working.”

This information came from a representative of the Thai Ministry of Labor at a seminar titled “Revisiting Isan Migration: Lives, Labor, and Mobility Pathways.” The information was gathered from conversations with Isaan workers before they left for Israel.

Read - Isaan Migrants Risk Lives In Israel as Poverty Proves More Frightening Than War
https://theisaanrecord.co/2025/09/16/isaan-migrants-worker/

Author: Editorial Team Cover Photo: Mahidol University

15/09/2025

Over the past decades, more than 4,000 Thai workers have fallen victim to human trafficking networks — suffering losses worth tens of billions of baht (about 260 million euros).

This documentary is the result of three years of data collection and fieldwork by The Isaan Record, telling the stories of workers trafficked to the berry forests of Finland and Sweden, where many were exploited and treated as slaves.

Join us for the screening of “Blood Berries | หมากไม้,” followed by a panel discussion with the filmmakers and experts.

📅 Saturday, September 20, 2025
🕐 1:00 – 4:00 PM
📍 FA Theater, Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Khon Kaen University

Please register for you tickets : https://forms.gle/1RNEtZqLzeSTPCdF7

08/09/2025

Join us to watch the documentary “Blood Berries | หมากไม้”.

For three years, The Isaan Record team has followed the lives of migrant workers fleeing poverty in Isaan and seeking a new beginning in the berry forests of Finland and Sweden.

It has been three years of capturing footage to tell the most complete stories of the people of Isaan.

Come discover with us what the fate of Isaan workers mining “gold” abroad is truly like.

Date: Saturday, September 20, 2025
Time: 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Venue: FA Theater, Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Khon Kaen University
Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/5drf6yKgXAwDf3ZZ8

Register now for free admission and secure your spot to watch!
https://forms.gle/zq2uvickGx2FH8LQ8

04/09/2025

Appeals Court Upholds Prison Sentences in Section 112 Case; Charges Stem from Speech Criticizing the Monarchy Outside Phu Khiao Police Station in 2021.

Read more: Pai Dao Din & Kru Yai Jailed in Phu Khiao, Chaiyaphum Province https://theisaanrecord.co/2025/09/04/pai-dao-din-kru-yai-jailed-in-phu-khiao/

---

Author: Hathairat Phaholtap

26/08/2025

It has been eight years since the Ibadur Rahman Mosque, or Ban Aeaw Mong Mosque, in Khon Kaen province tried to register with the relevant authority to become a legitimate religious institution, but there has been virtually no progress.

The trouble stems from a group of Buddhists that came out to oppose there being a mosque in their community. They claimed that a mosque would become a haven for radicalized Muslims from the deep south of Thailand. Their movement led to a survey of opinions in the community, and it turned out that a majority of local residents opposed the establishment of a mosque.

A local Muslim leader appealed to the Khon Kaen governor and petitioned the Office of the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand, saying that the decision was discrimination and a violation of human rights. However, this did not seem to help. The Muslim community in Khon Kaen still waits with hope that one day a legitimate mosque could be founded there.

The Isaan Record explored the wishes of Muslims in Isaan and those of people in the region who oppose the mosque.

Read- Muslim communities in Khon Kaen struggle to build a mosque due to persistent Islamophobia in Isaan
https://theisaanrecord.co/2025/08/26/muslim-communities-in-khon-kaen-struggle-to-build-a-mosque-due-to-persistent-islamophobia-in-isaan/
---
Author: Phongsathon Tancharoen
Photographers: Thanaphat Singtho, Thippawan Lohasan

20/08/2025

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra announced in her 2023 campaign speech that Thailand would immediately change if her Pheu Thai party became government, and that all Thai people would “have enough to eat, have enough to spend, equally with honor and dignity.”

Since the general election in May 2023, Thailand has already had two prime ministers, Paetongtarn and her predecessor Srettha Thavisin.

Although Pheu Thai remains the government, its administration has been far from stable. It has faced numerous challenges including consistent lawfare and conflicts within its coalition government, suggesting a weakness to its ability in policy-making.

The Isaan Record therefore is taking a look at Pheu Thai’s past work, to see whether its election promises to the people have become reality or just empty words from a campaign speech.

Read- Checking In on Pheu Thai’s election promises after two years on the job
https://theisaanrecord.co/2025/08/20/checking-in-on-pheu-thais-election-promises-after-two-years-on-the-job/
---
Author: Phongsathon Tancharoen
---

18/08/2025

People might forget about pollution during the monsoon season, but there is another season—the smoke season—when there is a high concentration of PM2.5, or ultrafine particles in the air. This causes long-lasting health impacts for people who are exposed to it. Nakhon Phanom is one of the provinces that has been seriously affected by air pollution.

Read - Cross-border haze and domestic burning drive Nakhon Phanom’s air pollution into a crisis
https://theisaanrecord.co/2025/08/18/cross-border-haze-and-domestic-burning-drive-nakhon-phanoms-air-pollution-into-a-crisis/

15/08/2025

"STUCK IN TRANSIT: Isan Lives in Motion" Exhibition

🛤️ Over half a century of Isan migration in images, sounds, and stories

📅 19–31 Aug 2025 | 📍 5th Floor, BACC | 🎟️ Free entry

✨ Experience the journeys, dreams, and connections of Isan migrants

06/08/2025

If you travel to southern Isaan, in Surin and Si Sa Ket provinces, you have a chance to discover and learn about the unique and valuable culture of the ethnic Kuy people, whose deep ties with nature, spiritual traditions, and their very existence as a culture, are being challenged by modernity.

A trip into the ethnicity, souls and existence of Kuy people in southern Isaan
https://theisaanrecord.co/2025/08/06/a-trip-into-the-ethnicity-souls-and-existence-of-kuy-people-in-southern-isaan/
---
Teerasak Maneewong : Author
Thanaphat Singtho: Photos

17/07/2025

Thailand-Cambodia relations have been complicated. There have been times of cooperation and conflict, especially when it comes to land borders. There are deep historical ties to the issue, particularly after the modern land border demarcation by France at the time that it colonized Cambodia.

The conflict is not just on the state-to-state level. It is also felt deeply — and personally — among the citizens of both countries, and this is inflamed through information conveyed by the mass media and influencers, which play a crucial role in communication and setting tones of public emotions.

The media and influencers have contributed to border tensions between Thailand and Cambodia, both the Preah Vihear conflict in 2011 and the most recent one in May, when one Cambodian soldier was killed after armed forces of both sides fired at each other at Chong Bok.

Therefore, it’s important to look back on both incidents and determine how the media can be either peacemaker or agitator in the conflict.

Read more https://theisaanrecord.co/2025/07/16/exploring-the-role-of-media-and-influencers-in-the-thailand-cambodia-conflict/

If you suspect any incorrect content or messages, please send them to us for review via Facebook at The Isaan Record or email at [email protected]

This fact-checking initiative is supported by the U.S. Embassy Bangkok.

13/06/2025

On June 2, the page of the Embassy of Sweden in Bangkok issued a statement regarding advertisements on the TikTok platform that entice individuals to work harvesting wild fruits. The message explains that these misleading advertisements encourage people to pay money in exchange for berry-picking work in Sweden.

The embassy clarified that it has no involvement with these advertisements or the accounts spreading such information. For accurate information about berry-picking work, the Swedish Migration Agency is the sole authority responsible for processing applications for work permits, said the embassy. Those seeking legitimate details can visit the Swedish Migration Agency's official website at www.migrationsverket.se.

The Isaan Record has been closely monitoring this issue. Going back to 2025, Finland and Sweden enacted laws to ensure fairness for seasonal workers traveling to gather wild fruits. Finland implemented its Seasonal Workers Directive on February 17, 2025, and Sweden enacted a similar law on June 1, 2025.

The key points of the changes can be summarized simply as: workers will be protected by having a written contract, and they must obtain a Seasonal Work Permit to safeguard their rights and benefits and prevent human trafficking. Previously, berry pickers traveled using Schengen visas as tourists, exercising their right to access natural resources—which included wild berries—as part of the “Everyman’s Right.”

Before the new laws were enacted, Aranuch Polphinyo, coordinator of the Thailand Foreign Workers Union, shared statistics indicating that over the past 18 years (2006-2024), a total of 4,025 people had filed complaints with the Ministry of Labour—760 from Finland and 2,665 from Sweden. According to Aranuch, each person owed at least 170,000 baht, leading to stress, asset seizures, selling homes, fleeing debt, and some even taking their own lives due to unbearable burdens.

Despite the legal changes from February to June 2025, Aranuch expressed concern to The Isaan Record that the law might not fully address or protect workers' rights as it should.

“Based on the information we have, both Finland and Sweden still pay middlemen around 15,000-20,000 baht each season, which shouldn’t be the case. I think companies are finding ways to cope with the changes in the law this year,” she explained.

"Actually, workers often don’t realize that the law has changed; they just want to find opportunities to earn a living. If the company asks them to pay, they will. It’s also difficult for them to access information—will local people be able to access the embassy website? And would they understand the language? To really solve the problem, the best way is to send workers directly from government to government, without intermediaries. But that approach isn’t being applied; instead, the issues keep recurring," she added.

Read on website: Swedish Embassy, Bangkok Warns berry pickers To Beware of scams promising work opportunities
https://theisaanrecord.co/2025/06/13/swedish-embassy-bangkok-warns-berry-pickers-to-beware-of-scams-promising-work-opportunities/

---
Author: Ardchawit Inha
---