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Though this is by far Thailand’s poorest region, the people of the northeast top the government’s Gross Domestic Happiness Index. A strong sense of community and close family ties are the main reasons cited, but it also stems from the fact that the people of Isan seek happiness from the inside, not from what they own. In the villages you can almost never tell who is rich or poor, because big homes and fancy clothes garner little respect.

The region’s music is born out of a distinctive folk tradition and uses instruments such as the kaan (a reed instrument with two long rows of bamboo pipes and a hardwood soundbox), the ohng·lahng (like a xylophone) and the pin (a small three-stringed lute played with a large plectrum). The most popular song form is the lôok tûng (literally, children of the fields), which is far more rhythmic than the classical styles of central Thailand.

Thailand’s best silk comes from the northeast, particularly from Khon Kaen, Surin, Chaiyaphum and Nakhon Ratchasima. Cotton fabrics from Loei, Nakhon Phanom and Udon Thani are also highly regarded. The defining style uses mát·mèe methods (see boxed text, Click here) in which threads are tie-dyed before weaving. Most large stores stock some fabrics naturally dyed using plant materials, an old process being revived across Isan. Prices for fabrics can be 20% to 30% cheaper (maybe 50% for less-common fabric styles) in the weaving villages than in Bangkok shops. Another handicraft speciality of the northeast is mrn kwhn (literally, axe pillow), a stiff triangle-shaped pillow used as an arm support while sitting on the floor. Sticky-rice baskets also make good souvenirs.

Getting There & Away

The main train and bus lines in the northeast run between Bangkok and Nong Khai, and between Bangkok and Ubon Ratchathani, though buses link even small towns directly to Bangkok at least once a day. The northeast can also be reached from northern Thailand by bus through Phitsanulok, with Khon Kaen as the gateway. Several cities are also connected to Bangkok by air, though the number of flights is limited.

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EATING ISAN

Isan’s culinary creations are a blend of Lao and Thai cooking styles that make use of local ingredients. The holy trinity of northeastern cuisine – gài yâhng (grilled chicken), sôm·am (papaya salad) and kôw ne·o (sticky rice) – is integral to the culture. Also essential are chillies, as well as a fistful of potent peppers that find their way into most dishes, especially lâhp (a super spicy meat salad originating from Laos). Gaang aòrm has little in common with typical Thai curries as it uses lah ráh (a popular fermented fish sauce that looks like rotten mud) instead of coconut and sugar. It is sometimes served with glass noodles, but even then it is still meant to be eaten with rice.

Fish dominates Isan menus with lah dùk (catfish), lah chôrn (striped snake-head) and lah boo (sand goby) among the most popular options. These are mostly caught in the Mekong and a few other large rivers. Fish that families catch themselves are usually small (sometimes so tiny they’re eaten bones and all) because they come from streams and rice paddies, as do crabs, frogs and eels. The most famous fish associated with the northeast is lah bèuk (giant Mekong catfish), but it’s seldom eaten here because it’s expensive. Fish farming, however, is slowly bringing it back to menus.

To both Westerners and other Thais, nothing stands out in Isan cuisine like insects. Even as recently as the 1970s insects composed a large part of the typical family’s diet, though it became a fading tradition when the government promoted chicken and pig farming, thus lowering the prices of these now popular meats. While the younger generation doesn’t eat bugs all that often anymore, insects are still very common as snacks and chilli-sauce ingredients. You might see purple lights shining out in the countryside; these are for catching giant water bugs, which, along with