Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
increased opportunity, but despite rapid improvement, the per capita income here remains
only one-third of the national average.
Language & Culture
Isan is a melting pot of Thai, Lao and Khmer influences. The Isan language, still a more
common first language than Thai, is very similar to Lao. In fact, there are probably more
people of Lao heritage in Isan than in Laos itself. Many villages in the far south still main-
tain Khmer as their primary tongue.
The people of Isan are known by other Thais for their friendliness, work ethic and sense
of humour: flip through radio stations and you'll hear DJs laughing at their own jokes.
Respect and hospitality towards guests is a cornerstone of Isan life and most villagers,
plus plenty of city folk, still pride themselves on taking care of others before themselves.
Isan people are far less conservative than most Thais, but short shorts and spaghetti-strap
tops will earn more stares than other places in Thailand because of the scarcity of tourists
here.
Though this is by far Thailand's poorest region, surveys show that the people of the
northeast are the happiest because of their strong sense of community and close family
ties. In the villages it's often hard to tell who is rich or poor because big homes and fancy
clothes garner little respect. Modern culture, however, is changing this in the minds of
most young people. Additionally, the massive influx of Western men marrying local wo-
men has brought changes too, and these days many Isan village women and their families
hope to land a foreign man of their own.
