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84-608: Dvaravati also refers to a culture, an art style, and a disparate conglomeration of principalities of Mon people . The Mon migrants as maritime traders might have brought the Dvaravati Civilization to the Menam Valley around 3000 BCE, which continued to the presence of a "Proto-Dvaravati" period that spans the 4th to 5th centuries, and perhaps earlier. The rise of the Angkor in the lower Mekong basin around

168-498: A family, they often leave their children in the care of relatives, friends, or neighbors. Average wages in Isan were the lowest in the country in 2002 at 3,928 baht per month (the national average was 6,445 baht). A Khon Kaen University study (2014) found that marriages with foreigners by Thai northeastern women boosted the gross domestic product of the northeast by 8.67 billion baht (2014: €211 million or US$ 270 million). According to

252-1099: A formation about 10 kilometers (6 mi) long. Siam tulip fields are in Sai Thong National Park and Pa Hin Ngam National Park , both in Chaiyaphum Province. Phu Phan National Park in Sakon Nakhon Province includes the eight meter (26 ft) long Tang Pee Parn natural stone bridge. Among Thailand's best-known national parks are Khao Yai National Park in Nakhon Ratchasima Province and Phu Kradueng National Park in Loei Province. Isan has high biodiversity and many endemic species. Both wildlife and plant species are exploited illegally. Valuable hardwood tree species, in particular Siamese Rosewood , are being extracted for sale, especially in

336-512: A full-scale war. After the war, Hanthawaddy entered its golden age whereas its rival Ava gradually went into decline. From the 1420s to the 1530s, Hanthawaddy was the most powerful and prosperous kingdom of all post-Pagan kingdoms. Under a string of especially gifted monarchs— Binnya Ran I , Shin Sawbu , Dhammazedi and Binnya Ran II —the kingdom enjoyed a long golden age, profiting from foreign commerce. Its merchants traded with traders from across

420-654: A geopolitical standpoint, Anawrahta's conquest of Thaton checked the Khmer advance in the Tenasserim coast . In 1287, the Pagan Empire collapsed due to Mongol invasions , and all its vassal states became independent. In present-day Lower Burma, Wareru established a kingdom for the Mon-speaking people called Ramannadesa by unifying three Mon-speaking regions of Lower Burma: Martaban (Mottama), Pegu (Bago),

504-585: A heavy linguistic minority presence, native Isan speakers of Lao descent comprised anywhere from 60 to 74 per cent of the population, although minority language speakers are also bi- or trilingual in Isan, Thai or both. Isan is home to many speakers of Austroasiatic languages , with one and one-half million speakers of the Northern Khmer dialect and one-half million speakers of the Kuy language , both of which are found in Isan's southernmost provinces. Khmer

588-449: A large installation on the outskirts of Nong Khai . Most provinces have a government-run Rajabhat University , formerly known as Rajabhat Institutes, which originated as teacher training colleges. Isan's culture is predominantly Lao , and has much in common with that of neighboring Laos . This affinity is shown in the region's cuisine, dress, temple architecture , festivals, and arts. Isan food has elements most in common with Laos and

672-598: A lesser extent, rubber. Silk production is an important cottage industry and contributes significantly to the economy. Nong Khai Province , which stretches along the Mekong River, is noted for the production of pineapples , tobacco (which is dried, cured and shredded by the families before collection by cigarette manufacturers), and tomatoes , which are grown on an industrial scale, particularly in Si Chiang Mai District . Despite its dominance of

756-492: A line of princes of Canasapura started by a Bhagadatta and ended by a Sundaravarman and his sons Narapatisimhavarman and Mangalavarman. But at that time, the 12th century, Dvaravati began to come under constant attacks and aggressions of the Khmer Empire and central Southeast Asia was ultimately invaded by King Suryavarman II in the first half of the 12th century. Hariphunchai survived its southern progenitors until

840-436: A mini-tractor composed of a small diesel engine mounted on two wheels with long wooden or metal handlebars for 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. Most of Thailand's rural poor live in Isan. The region's poverty

924-463: A substantial independent polity prior to Pagan's expansion. Possibly in this period, the delta sedimentation—which now extends the coastline by three miles (4.8 kilometres) in a century—remained insufficient, and the sea still reached too far inland, to support a population even as large as the modest population of the late precolonial era. The earliest evidence of Burmese script is dated to 1035, and possibly as early as 984, both of which are earlier than

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1008-612: Is de facto standard . The number of Isan speakers has been estimated at between 15–23 million, with the majority living in Isan. Written with the Thai alphabet (instead of the historically used Tai Noi script ), Isan belongs to the Chiang Saeng and Lao–Phutai language groups, which along with Thai are members of the Tai languages of the Kra–Dai language family . Central Thai ( Khorat Thai )

1092-597: Is mut-mee , which is tie-dyed to produce geometric patterns on the thread. The Buddhist temple (or wat ) is the major feature of most villages. These temples are used for not only religious ceremonies but also festivals, particularly mor lam , and as assembly halls. They are mostly built in Lao-style, but with less ornamentation than the more elaborate central Thai temples or the Lao-style temples in central Laos. Lao-style Buddha images are also prevalent. The people of Isan celebrate many traditional festivals, such as

1176-728: Is Thailand's largest region , on the Khorat Plateau , bordered by the Mekong River (along the Laos–Thailand border ) to the north and east, by Cambodia to the southeast and the Sankamphaeng Range south of Nakhon Ratchasima . To the west it is separated from northern and central Thailand by the Phetchabun Mountains . Isan covers 167,718 km (64,756 sq mi), making it about half

1260-685: Is also spoken by almost everyone and is the language used in education but natively spoken by one-fourth the population of in Nakhon Ratchasima Province only. The Khorat dialect , spoken by around 10,000 people, occupies a linguistic position somewhere between Lao and standard Thai, and is an archaic Central Thai dialect with heavy Khmer and some Lao influence. Most of the "tribal" Tai languages, so called because of their origins in mountainous areas of Laos or their adherence to animism, are closely related to Isan, and all but Tai Yam are generally mutually intelligible. Even in areas with

1344-412: Is commonly eaten by hand using sticky rice pressed into a ball with the fingers of the right hand. Soups are a frequent element of any meal, and contain vegetables, herbs, noodles, chunks of fish, balls of ground pork, or a mixture of these. They are eaten using a spoon and chopsticks at the same time. The traditional dress of Isan is the sarong . Women's sarongs most often have an embroidered border at

1428-519: Is far less reliable and suffers considerable downtime due to overloading, heavy cloud cover, and rain. Despite, in theory, being "always on", it often lacks adequate stability for streaming and clarity of VOIP. Many Isan people seek higher-paying work outside the region, particularly in Bangkok . Some of these people have settled permanently in the city, while some migrate to and fro. Others have emigrated in search of better wages. Rather than relocate as

1512-584: Is known about the administration of Dvaravati. It might simply have been a loose gathering of chiefdoms rather than a centralised state, expanding from the coastal area of the upper peninsula to the riverine region of Chao Phraya River . Hinduism and Buddhism were significant. The three largest settlements appear to have been at Nakhon Pathom , Suphanburi , and Praak Sriracha, with additional centers at U Thong , Chansen, Khu Bua , Pong Tuk, Mueang Phra Rot, Lopburi , Si Mahosot, Kamphaeng Saen , Dong Lakhon, U-Taphao, Ban Khu Mueang, and Si Thep . According to

1596-734: Is now being superseded by cellular technology. The region also has the nation's lowest literacy rate. By the beginning of 2008, most amphoe had been provided with ADSL by the TOT , leaving the majority of the rural population dependent on dial-up connections for those few who have landline telephones. This results in slow service that does not adequately meet modern needs. Most rural people rely on smartphones for data services. Internet shops with high-speed connections have for many years provided service to those who cannot afford or do not have access to high-speed Internet. They are heavily patronized by primary and secondary school children who come not only to use

1680-468: Is reflected in its infrastructure: eight of the ten provinces in Thailand with the fewest physicians per capita are in Isan. Sisaket Province has the fewest, with one physician per 14,661 persons in 2001, with the national average being 3,289. It also has eight of the ten provinces with the fewest hospital beds per head. Chaiyaphum Province has the fewest, with one per 1,131 in 2001 (the national average

1764-592: Is somewhat distinct from central Thai cuisine . The most obvious difference is the consumption of sticky rice that accompanies almost every meal rather than non-sticky long-grain rice. French and Vietnamese influences found in Lao cuisine are absent in Isan. Popular Lao dishes that are also staples in Isan include tam mak hung , or in central Thai, som tam ( green papaya salad ), larb (meat salad), and kai yang (grilled chicken). These dishes have spread to other parts of Thailand, but normally in versions that temper

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1848-546: Is supplemented in the larger cities by the private sector (mostly Catholic and international schools). Following the national pattern of education in Thailand , there are primary (elementary) schools in all larger villages and ( tambon ) capitals, with secondary (high) schools to grade 12 (approximately age 18) in the district ( amphoe ) towns. Many other secondary schools provide education only to grade 9, while some combined schools provide education from grade 1 through grade 9. Rural schools are generally less well equipped than

1932-681: Is the Chi, 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 east through Udon Thani , Sakon Nakhon , Nakhon Phanom , and Nong Khai Provinces. The average temperature range is from 30.2 °C (86.4 °F) to 19.6 °C (67.3 °F). The highest temperature recorded

2016-544: Is widely spoken in Buriram , Surin , and Sisaket , along the Cambodian border. Several small ethnic groups speak various other Austroasiatic languages, but most are fairly small and restricted to a few villages, or, like Vietnamese , spoken by small groups in cities. Other languages spoken in Isan, mainly by tribal minorities, are: Education is well-provided for by the government in terms of numbers of establishments and

2100-632: The Irrawaddy delta in May 1755, the French defended port of Thanlyin in July 1756, and finally the capital Pegu in May 1757. The fall of Restored Hanthawaddy was the beginning of the end of Mon people's centuries-old dominance of Lower Burma. Konbaung armies' reprisals forced thousands of Mons to flee to Siam . By the early 19th century, assimilation, inter-marriage, and mass migration of Burman families from

2184-442: The Irrawaddy delta . The kingdom's first capital was at Martaban but the capital was moved to Pegu in 1369. For its first 100 years, the kingdom was merely a loose collection of three Mon-speaking regions. The high kings at the capital had little substantive authority over the vassals. Indeed, Martaban was in open rebellion from 1363 to 1389. A more centralised rule came with the reign of King Razadarit , who not only firmly unified

2268-498: The Kuy people ("Soui"), who live in the south of Isan, speak Austroasiatic languages and follow customs more similar to those of Cambodia than to those of the Thai and Lao, who are Tai peoples . The main language is Isan , the name by which the Lao language is called in Thailand for political reasons, though most people in the Isan region still call it Lao among themselves and in non-official settings, but dialect from Khon Kaen

2352-630: The Lao Isan are now the main ethnolinguistic group involved in the pro-Thaksin "Red Shirt movement" of the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship . Several Thai prime ministers have come from the region. Isan has a number of important Bronze Age sites, with prehistoric art in the form of cliff paintings, artifacts and early evidence of rice cultivation . Iron and bronze tools such as those found at Ban Chiang may predate similar tools from Mesopotamia . The region later came under

2436-521: The Mon -speaking people in parts of present-day Myanmar and Thailand . The polities ranged from Dvaravati and Haripuñjaya in present-day northern Thailand to Thaton , Hanthawaddy (1287–1539), and the Restored Hanthawaddy (1740–1757) in southern Myanmar. The first recorded kingdom attributed to the Mon people is Dvaravati , which prospered until around 1000 CE when their capital

2520-726: The Phu Phan Mountains . The soil is mostly sandy, with substantial salt deposits. The Mekong forms most of the border between Thailand and Laos to the north and east of Isan, while the south of the region borders Cambodia . The Mekong's main Thai tributary is the Mun River, which rises in the Khao Yai National Park near Nakhon Ratchasima Province and runs east, joining the Mekong in Ubon Ratchathani Province . Isan's other main river

2604-638: The " mandala system ". Accordingly, in 1718 the first Lao mueang in the Chi River valley—and indeed anywhere in the interior of the Khorat Plateau—was founded at Suwannaphum District (in present-day Roi Et Province ) by an official in the service of King Nokasad of the Kingdom of Champasak . The region was increasingly settled by both Lao and Thai emigrants. Thailand held sway from the 17th century, and carried out forced population transfers from

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2688-453: The 11th–13th centuries, the Menam Valley and the upper Malay peninsula conquered of Tambralinga 's king Sujita who also seized Lavo in the mid-10th century, the 9-year civil wars in the Angkor in the early 11th century, which led to the devastation of Lavo , as well as the Pagan invasion of Menam Valley around the mid-11th century. All of these potentially are the causes of the fall of

2772-479: The 13th century, Isan was dominated by the Lao kingdom of Lan Xang , which had been established by Fa Ngum . Due to a scarcity of information from the periods known as the Post-Angkor Period , the plateau seems to have been largely depopulated. There were few if any lines of demarcation, because until the 19th-century introduction of modern mapping, the region fell under what 20th-century scholars called

2856-642: The 266-year-old Toungoo dynasty. A new dynasty called Konbaung led by King Alaungpaya rose in Upper Burma to challenge the southern forces, and went on to conquer all of Upper Burma by January 1754. After Hanthawaddy's second invasion of Upper Burma failed in May 1754, the kingdom's leadership in self-defeating measures killed off the Toungoo royal family, and persecuted ethnic Burmans in the south, both of which only strengthened Alaungpaya's hand. In 1755, Alaungpaya invaded Lower Burma. Konbaung forces captured

2940-505: The Chinese furniture market. These trees are so valuable that poachers, coming across the border from Cambodia, are heavily armed, and both rangers and poachers have been killed over them. In national parks such as Ta Phraya , rangers have been trained since 2015 in military-style counter-poaching measures by the elite ranger squad Hasadin. Isan is home to one-third of Thailand's population of 67 million, but contributes only ten per cent to

3024-613: The Chinese record during the Tang Dynasty , Dvaravati has two vassal kingdoms, including Tou Yuan (陀垣) near the present- Chanthaburi , and an island kingdom Tanling (曇陵), whose exact location remains unknown. The excavation in several sites found silver coins dated the 7th century that mentioned the king and queen of the kingdom written in Sanskrit with Pallava script : śrīdvaravatīsvarapunya (King Sridvaravati, who has great merit) and śrīdvaravatīsvaradevīpuṇya (the goddess of

3108-668: The Dvaravati civilization. However, a new kingdom, Ayutthaya , was subsequently founded southward on the bank of the Chao Phraya River in 1351, as the succeeded state, as its capital's full name referred to the Kingdom of Dvaravati; Krung Thep Dvaravati Si Ayutthaya ( Thai : กรุงเทพทวารวดีศรีอยุธยา ). All former Dvaravati principalities, Lavo, the northern cities of the Sukhothai Kingdom , and Suphannabhumi,

3192-466: The Indian Ocean, filling the king's treasury with gold and silver, silk and spices, and all the other stuff of early modern trade. The kingdom also became a famous centre of Theravada Buddhism . It established strong ties with Ceylon , and encouraged reforms that later spread throughout the country. The powerful kingdom's end came abruptly. Due to the inexperience of King Takayutpi , the kingdom

3276-463: The Internet but also to play online games, use VOIP , or just to use the computer and printers. Resident Western expatriates and foreign tourists are also frequent customers. For those outside the district towns who require a serious use of the Internet in their homes, the mobile phone or an iPstar broadband satellite connection is the only alternative, although more expensive than a DSL connection. It

3360-462: The Isan region is ethnically Lao, but distinguish themselves not only from the Lao of Laos but also from the Central Thai by calling themselves khon Isan or Thai Isan in general. But some refer to themselves as simply Lao , and academics have recently been referring to them as Lao Isan or as Thai Lao , with the main issue with self-identification as Lao being stigma associated with

3444-494: The Lao identity in Thai society. The Lao Isan people are aware of their Lao ethnic origin, but Isan has been incorporated as a territory into the modern Thai state through over 100 years of administrative and bureaucratic reforms, educational policy, and government media. Despite this, since the election of Thaksin Shinawatra as prime minister in the 2001 Thai general election , the Lao Isan identity has reemerged, and

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3528-504: The age of the inscription, and Harshavarman I's grandfather was Indravarman I , not Isanavarman as the inscription mentioned. Moreover, the inscription found in Ban Wang Pai, Phetchabun province (K. 978), dated 550 CE, also mentions the enthronement of the Dvaravati ruler, who was also a son of Prathivindravarman, father of Bhavavarman I of Chenla , which shows the royal lineage relation between Dvaravati and Chenla. However,

3612-456: The central government introduced the Thai alphabet and language in regional schools, the people of Isan wrote in the Tai Noi script , which is very similar to the one that Thai adopted. Many people speak Isan, a variety of Lao, as their first language. A significant minority in the south also speak Northern Khmer . The Kuy people, an Austroasiatic people concentrated around the core of what

3696-589: The city of Thaton and Pegu (Bago) are believed to have been established in the 9th century. The states were important trading ports between Indian Ocean and mainland Southeast Asia. Still, according to traditional reconstruction, the early Mon city-states were conquered by the Pagan Kingdom from the north in 1057, and that Thaton's literary and religious traditions helped to mould early Pagan civilisation. Between 1050 and about 1085, Mon craftsmen and artisans helped to build some two thousand monuments at Pagan,

3780-514: The descendants of the Ayutthaya. The culture of Dvaravati was based around moated cities, the earliest of which appears to be U Thong in what is now Suphan Buri Province . Other key sites include Nakhon Pathom , Phong Tuk , Si Thep , Khu Bua and Si Mahosot , amongst others. Legends engraved on royal urns report the following kings: Suryavikrama (673-688), Harivikrama (688-695), Sihavikrama (695-718). A Khmer inscription dated 937 documents

3864-503: The district office. Extension of landline telephones to remote areas not previously served has been largely superseded by the use of mobile phones, primarily of GSM format, which now covers the entire region with the exception of a few sparsely populated mountainous areas and large national parks. Many people, even the poorest and frequently also children, have cellular telephones, although they have no fixed-line telephone. In this sense, Isan has led advanced nations where landline service

3948-672: The earliest evidence of the Burma Mon script (1093). Research from the 2000s argues that the Pyu script was the source of the Burmese script. Though the size and importance of these states are still debated, all scholars accept that during the 11th century, Pagan established its authority in Lower Burma and this conquest facilitated growing cultural exchange, if not with local Mon, then with India and with Theravada stronghold Sri Lanka. From

4032-405: The economy, agriculture in the region is problematic. The climate is prone to drought, while the flat terrain of the plateau often floods 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 trade and

4116-514: The extreme heat and sourness favored in Isan for the more moderate central Thai palate. Conversely, central Thai food has become popular in Isan. The people of Isan, a mixture of Lao, Vietnamese, Khmer, Mon, Cham, and other Tai groups, famously eat a wide variety of creatures, such as lizards, frogs, and fried insects, such as grasshoppers, crickets, silkworms, and dung beetles. Originally forced by poverty to be creative in finding foods, Isan people now savor these creatures as delicacies or snacks. Food

4200-465: The fractions was discovered probably the center of Dvāravatī. The traditional chronology of Dvaravati is mainly based on the Chinese textual account and stylistic comparison by art historians. However, the results from excavations in Chan Sen and Tha Muang mound at U-Thong raise questions about the traditional dating. Newly dated typical Dvaravati cultural items from the site of U-Thong indicate that

4284-432: The hem, while men's are in a checkered pattern. Men also wear a pakama , a versatile length of cloth which can be used as a belt, a money and document belt, headwear for protection from the sun, a hammock, or a swimsuit. Isan is a center for the production of Thai silk . The trade received a major boost in the postwar years, when Jim Thompson popularized Thai silk among Westerners. One of the best-known types of Isan silk

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4368-604: The influence of the Dvaravati culture, followed by the Khmer Empire . The latter built dozens of prasats (sanctuaries) throughout Isan. The most significant are at Phimai Historical Park and Phanom Rung Historical Park . Preah Vihear Temple was also considered to be in Isan, until the International Court of Justice in 1962 ruled that it belonged to Cambodia. After the Khmer Empire began to decline in

4452-624: The late 13th century, when it was incorporated into Lan Na . The term Dvaravati derives from coins which were inscribed in Sanskrit śrī dvāravatī . The Sanskrit word dvāravatī literally means "that which has gates". According to the inscription N.Th. 21 found in 2019 in Wat Phra Ngam in Nakhon Pathom, dated the 6th century, three regional cities were mentioned, including Śrīyānaṁdimiriṅga or Śrīyānaṁdimiriṅgapratipura, then Hastināpurī and Dvāravatī, which made Nakhon Pathom where

4536-454: The late afternoon or at night, until it ends abruptly at the onset of the cool season. The cool season runs from October to February and the hot season from February to May with the peak of high temperatures in April. Isan has around 26 national parks . Province Khon Kaen has four national parks, of which Phu Pha Man National Park is notable for its large daily exodus of bats at dusk, making

4620-504: The meritorious King Dvaravati). In addition, the copper plate dating from the 6th–mid 7th centuries found at U Thong also mentions King Harshavarman (หรรษวรมัน), who was assumed by Jean Boisselier  to be one of the kings of Dvaravati, while  George Cœdès considered the plate was brought from the  Khmer Empire , and the name mentioned might be the Khmer king as well. However, the periods seem unrelated since King Harshavarman I of Khmer reigned from 910–923, 200 years later than

4704-504: The mid-18th century, the golden age of Hanthawaddy was fondly remembered by the Mon. In 1740, they rose up against a weak Toungoo Dynasty on its last legs, and succeeded in restoring the fallen Hanthawaddy Kingdom. Supported by the French , the upstart kingdom quickly carved out a space for itself in Lower Burma, and continued its push northward. On 23 March 1752, its forces captured Ava, and ended

4788-452: The modern conception of Thai nationality and de-emphasized the use of ethnic markers, for ethnic Laos and Khmers, as it was deemed uncivilized and to prevent ethnic discrimination among the Thai people. This policy extended to the use of the name "Isan" itself: the name is derived from the Pali word [IAST] Error: {{Lang}}: invalid parameter: |3= ( help ) , meaning "northeast", in turn from

4872-408: The modern private hospitals and clinics in the large cities for non-urgent specialist consultations and care. The region lags in new technology: there was only one Internet connection per 75 households in 2002 (national average: one per 22 households) [update needed], but by 2006 every district town (amphoe) had at least one publicly accessible Internet connection, either in a local computer shop or in

4956-482: The more populous left (east) bank of the Mekong to the right bank in the 18th and 19th centuries. This became more severe following the Lao rebellion (1826–1828) , during which Anouvong , the last of the kings of Vientiane , rebelled against Siamese suzerainty, and lost a war that lasted two years. Khorat was then repopulated by forced migration of Mekong Valley Lao, with a heavy influx of voluntary Chinese migrants. In

5040-434: The name of Iśāna ( Sanskrit : ईशान ), a manifestation of Shiva as deity of the northeast. The name therefore reinforces the area's identity as northeastern Thailand, rather than as a part of the Lao kingdom, which had recently been created by the French colonial discourse, as "race was then an important ideological tool for French colonialists in the attempt to seize the 'Laotian' and 'Cambodian' portions of Siam." Before

5124-535: The name of such a king was missing. The other king was mentioned in the Nern Phra Ngam inscription, found in Nakhon Pathom province , dated mid 5th – mid 6th centuries CE but the name was missing as well. The following is a list of rulers of Dvaravati. Dvaravati itself was heavily influenced by Indian culture, and played an important role in introducing Buddhism and particularly Buddhist art to

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5208-437: The national GDP . In terms of regional value-added per capita, Isan is Thailand's poorest region. Bangkok is the richest, followed by central Thailand , southern Thailand , then northern Thailand . This ordering has been unchanged for decades. Thailand's highly centralized fiscal system reinforces the status quo. An example of this Bangkok-centric policy is the allocation of budgets: Bangkok accounts for about 17 percent of

5292-432: The north had reduced the Mon population to a small minority. Isan Northeastern Thailand or Isan ( Isan / Thai : อีสาน , pronounced [ʔīː.sǎːn] ; Lao : ອີສານ , romanized :  Īsān ; also written as Isaan, Isarn, Issarn, Issan, Esan, or Esarn; from Pāli 𑀇𑀲𑀸𑀦 isāna or Sanskrit ईशान्य īśānya "northeast") consists of 20 provinces in northeastern Thailand . Isan

5376-405: The population and 25.8 percent of GDP, but benefits from about 72.2 percent of total expenditures. Isan accounts for about 34 percent of the population and 11.5 percent of GDP, but receives only 5.8 percent of expenditures. Agriculture is the largest sector of the economy, generating around 22 percent of the gross regional product (compared to 8.5 percent for Thailand as a whole). Sticky rice,

5460-514: The region is primarily gently undulating land, most of it varying in elevation from 90–180 m (300–600 feet), tilting from the Phetchabun Mountains in the west down to the Mekong River . The plateau consists of two plains : the southern Khorat plain is drained by the Mun and Chi rivers, while the northern Sakon Nakhon plain is drained by the Loei and Songkhram rivers. The two plains are separated by

5544-493: The region, several specialised training colleges in the private sector, and large colleges of agriculture and nursing in Udon Thani Province. Universities are found in the major cities of Khon Kaen (one of the country's largest), Nakhon Ratchasima, Ubon Ratchathani, and the smaller provincial capital of Maha Sarakham . Some Bangkok-based universities have small campuses in Isan, and Khon Kaen University maintains

5628-488: The region. Stucco motifs on the religious monuments include garudas , makaras , and Nāgas . Additionally, groups of musicians have been portrayed with their instruments, prisoners, females with their attendants, soldiers indicative of social life. Votive tablets have also been found, also moulds for tin amulets , pottery, terracotta trays, and a bronze chandelier, earrings , bells and cymbals . Mon kingdoms Mon kingdoms were polities established by

5712-568: The remains of which today rival the splendors of Angkor Wat . The Mon script is considered to be the source of the Burmese script , the earliest evidence of which was dated to 1058, a year after the Thaton conquest, by the colonial era scholarship. However, research from the 2000s—still a minority view—argues that Mon influence on the interior after Anawrahta's conquest is a greatly exaggerated post-Pagan legend, and that Lower Burma in fact lacked

5796-634: The schools in the large towns and cities and the standard of instruction, particularly for the English language, is much lower. Many children of poorer families leave school after grade 6 (age 12) to work on the farms. A number move to areas of dense or tourist populations to work in the service industry. Many primary schools operate their own websites and almost all schoolchildren in Isan, at least from junior high school age, are now (2008) largely computer literate in basic programs. In 2001, there were 43 government vocational and polytechnic colleges throughout

5880-458: The service sector have been increasing. Very few farmers still use water buffalos rather than tractors . Nowadays, water buffalos 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 called "kwai lek" ( Thai : ควายเหล็ก , or "iron/steel buffalo"), or more generally by its manufacturer's name of "Kobota",

5964-417: The size of Germany and roughly the size of England and Wales . The total forest area is 25,203 km (9,731 sq mi) or 15 percent of Isan's area. Since the beginning of the 20th century, northeastern Thailand has been generally known as Isan , while in official contexts the term phak tawan-ok-chiang-nuea ( ภาคตะวันออกเฉียงเหนือ ; "northeastern region") may be used. The majority population of

6048-406: The staple food of the region, is the main agricultural crop (accounting for about 60 percent of cultivated land). It thrives in 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 sugarcane and cassava , which are cultivated on a vast scale, and to

6132-590: The starting point of the tradition of Dvaravati culture possibly dates as far back as 200 CE. Archaeological, art historical, and epigraphic (inscriptions) evidence all indicate, however, that the main period of Dvaravati spanned the seventh to ninth centuries. Dvaravati culture and influence also spread into Isan and parts of lowland Laos from the sixth century onward. Key sites include Mueang Fa Daet in Kalasin Province , Sema  [ th ] in Nakhon Ratchasima Province , and many others. Little

6216-567: The study, after a northeastern woman married a foreigner, she will send 9,600 baht a month on average to her family to help with its expenses. The activity also created 747,094 jobs, the study found. The 2010 census found that 90 percent of the slightly more than 27,000 foreigners living in the northeastern region were married to women from there. According to the governor of Nakhon Phanom Province , "The entire Northeast [Isan] gained only 2.9 percent of [the] country's tourism income of 2.7 trillion baht [in 2017]." Isan's total population as of 2010

6300-522: The three Mon-speaking regions together but also successfully fended off the northern Burmese -speaking Kingdom of Ava in the Forty Years' War (1385–1424). The war ended in a stalemate but it was a victory for Hanthawaddy as Ava finally gave up its dream of restoring the Pagan Empire. In the years following the war, Pegu occasionally aided Ava's southern vassal states of Prome and Toungoo in their rebellions but carefully avoided getting plunged into

6384-665: The wake of the Franco-Siamese crisis of 1893 , the resulting treaty with France and the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 made the plateau a border region between Thailand and the Laos of French Indochina . Roi Et was established early in the 20th century to further Siamese control, and to further assimilation of the population into the kingdom. In the mid-20th century, the state-supported assimilation policy called Thaification promoted Isan's ethnic integration into

6468-443: Was 21,305,000. Forty percent of the population is concentrated in the provinces of Khorat, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, and Khon Kaen, known as "big four of Isan". These provinces surround the four major cities of the same names. As of 2010, their populations were: Khorat 142,169; Udon Thani 137,979; Khon Kaen 113,828; and Ubon Ratchathani 83,148. As of 2010, 50 percent of the region's population lived in municipal areas. Kalasin

6552-636: Was 43.9 °C (111.0 °F) in Udon Thani, the lowest −1.4 °C (29.5 °F) at Sakhon Nakhon Agro Station. Rainfall is unpredictable, but is concentrated in the rainy season from May to October. Average annual precipitation varies from 2,000 mm (79 in) in some areas to 1,270 mm (50 in) 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 heavily for longer periods almost every day, usually in

6636-438: Was 453). Nevertheless, as in the rest of Thailand, all districts ( amphoe ) have a hospital, and all sub-districts ( tambon ) have clinics providing primary health care. The introduction of the " 30 baht " health card has dramatically changed the numbers of those attending hospitals for treatment, as it has meant that full health care is available to all who register for only 30 baht per visit. The few who can afford it travel to

6720-472: Was captured by a smaller kingdom to the north, Kingdom of Toungoo in 1539 led by King Tabinshwehti and his deputy Gen. Bayinnaung . Toungoo captured the Irrawaddy delta and Pegu in 1538–1539, and Martaban in 1541. The kingdom was briefly revived in 1550 after Tabinshwehti was assassinated. But Bayinnaung quickly defeated the rebellion in 1552. Though Toungoo kings would rule all of Lower Burma well into

6804-532: Was later incorporated to the Ayutthaya Kingdom in 1388, 1438, and the mid-15 century, respectively. According to an inscription on a bronze gun acquired by the Burmese in 1767, when Ayuthia, Siam's capital at the time, fell to an invading Burmese force, the Burmese still referred to Ayutthaya as Dvaravati. Several genetic studies published in the 2020s also founded the relations between the Mon people and Siamese people (Central Thai people) who were

6888-460: Was once called "Chenla" and known as the Khmer Boran ("ancient Khmer"), are a link to the region's pre-Tai history. Isan is roughly coterminous with the Khorat Plateau , which tilts gently from its northwestern corner, where it is about 213 m (700 feet) above sea level, to the southeast, where the elevation is only about 62 metres (200 feet). Except for a few hills in the northeastern corner,

6972-401: Was ruled by the Khmer Empire and a significant portion of the inhabitants fled west to present-day Lower Burma and eventually founded new polities. Another Mon-speaking state Haripuñjaya also existed in northern Thailand down to the late 13th century. According to colonial period scholarship, the Mon established small polities (or large city-states) in Lower Burma in the 9th century. Both

7056-476: Was the most urbanized province (with almost 100 percent in municipal areas), and Roi Et the least (2.8 percent). Thus, the population is still largely rural, but concentrated around the urban centers. There is a substantial Khmer minority, concentrated in the southern provinces of Buriram , Surin , and Sisaket , and some Vietnamese refugees in Mukdahan and Nakhon Phanom . The Khmer -speaking minority and

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