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Isan

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   Isan is the northeastern region of Thailand
   Isan is the northeastern region of Thailand

   Isan, also written as Isaan, Isarn, Issan, or Esarn; ( Isan/ Thai:
   อีสาน) is the northeast region of Thailand. It is located on the Khorat
   Plateau, bordered by the Mekong River to the north and east, and by
   Cambodia to the south. To the west it is separated from Northern and
   Central Thailand by the Phetchabun mountain range.

   Agriculture is the main economic activity, but due to the
   socio-economic conditions and hot, dry climate output lags behind that
   of other parts of the country. This is Thailand's poorest region.

   The main language of the region is Isan (which is similar to Lao), but
   Thai is also spoken by almost everyone. Khmer (the language of
   Cambodia) is widely spoken in regions near the Cambodian border. Most
   of the population is of Lao origin, but the region's incorporation into
   the modern Thai state has been largely successful.

   Prominent aspects of the Culture of Isan include mor lam ( Thai: หมอลำ)
   folk music, Muay Thai boxing, cock fighting and Isan food, in which
   sticky rice ( Thai: ข้าวเหนียว) and chillies are prominent. Sticky rice
   is a staple of Thai Northeastern cuisine, and accompanies almost every
   meal.

History

   Isan has a number of important Bronze Age sites, with cliff paintings,
   artifacts and early evidence of rice cultivation. Iron and bronze
   tools, such as found at Ban Chiang, may predate similar tools from
   Mesopotamia. The region later came under the influence first of the
   Dvaravati culture and then of the Khmer empire, which left temples at
   Phimai and Phanom Rung.

   After the Khmer empire began to decline from the 13th century, Isan was
   dominated by the Lao Lan Xang kingdom, that had been established by Fa
   Ngum. Thereafter the region was increasingly settled by Lao and Thai
   migrants. Siam held sway from the 17th century, and carried out forced
   population transfers from Laos to Isan in the 18th and 19th centuries.
   Franco-Siamese treaties of 1893 and 1904 made Isan the frontier between
   Siam and French Indochina.

   In the 20th century a policy of " Thaification" promoted the
   incorporation of Isan as an integral part of Thailand and de-emphasised
   the Lao origins of the population. This policy extended to the use of
   the name "Isan" itself: the name is derived from that of Iśāna (
   Sanskrit: ईशान), a manifestation of Shiva as deity of the north-east,
   and the Sanskrit word for north-east. The name therefore reinforces the
   area's identity as the north-east of Thailand, rather than as a part of
   the Lao world. Before the central government forcibly introduced the
   Thai alphabet and language in schools, the people of Isan wrote in the
   Lao alphabet. Most Isan people still speak the Isan language which is
   closely related to the Lao language.

Geography

   The rivers of Isan:1. The Loei2. The Songkhram3. The Chi4. The Mun
   Enlarge
   The rivers of Isan:
   1. The Loei
   2. The Songkhram
   3. The Chi
   4. The Mun

   Isan covers 160,000 square km (62,000 square miles). It is roughly
   coterminous with the Khorat Plateau, which tilts from the Phetchabun
   mountain range in the west of the region (the location of several
   national parks) down towards the Mekong River. The plateau consists of
   two main 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 the Phu Phan
   mountains. The soil is mostly sandy, with substantial salt deposits.
   A satellite image of Isan: the borders with Laos and Cambodia can be
   seen due to the greater deforestation within Isan
   Enlarge
   A satellite image of Isan: the borders with Laos and Cambodia can be
   seen due to the greater deforestation within Isan

   The Mekong forms a large part of the border between Thailand and Laos
   to the north and east of Isan, while the south of the region borders on
   Cambodia. The Mekong's main Thai tributary is the Mun River, which
   rises in the Khao Yai National Park near Khorat and runs east, joining
   the Mekong in Ubon Ratchathani Province. The other main river in Isan
   is the Chi River, 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 flowing east through Udon Thani,
   Sakon Nakhon, Nakhon Phanom and Nong Khai Provinces.

   The average temperature range is from 30.2 °C to 19.6 °C. The highest
   temperature recorded was 43.8 °C in Udon Thani province, the lowest 0.1
   °C in Loei province.

   Rainfall is unpredictable, but is concentrated in the rainy season from
   May to October. Average annual precipitation varies from 2000 mm in
   some areas to 1270 mm in the southwestern provinces of Nakhon
   Ratchasima, Buriram, Maha Sarakham, Khon Kaen and Chaiyaphum. The rainy
   season begins with occasional but heavy showers, eventually raining
   very heavily for longer periods almost every day, usually in the late
   afternoon or at night until it ends abruptly at the onset of the cool
   season.

   The other seasons are the cool season from October to February, when
   the people sit outside around fires in the evenings, and the hot season
   from February to May with its sudden peak of high temperatures in
   April.

Economy

   Growing rice in Isan (September 2004)
   Enlarge
   Growing rice in Isan (September 2004)

   Agriculture is the largest sector of the economy, generating around 22%
   of the Gross Regional Product (compared to 8.5% for Thailand as a
   whole). Rice is the main crop (accounting for about 60% of the
   cultivated land), but farmers are increasingly diversifying into
   cassava ( manioc), sugar cane and other cash crops. The long narrow
   province of Nong Khai Province which stretches along the Mekong River
   is also noted for the production of pineapples, tobacco (which is
   dried, cured and shredded by the families before collection by the
   cigarette manufacturers)and tomatoes which are grown on an industrial
   scale, particularly around the town of Sri Chiang Mai.

   Despite its dominance of the economy, agriculture in the region is
   extremely problematic. The climate is prone to drought, while the flat
   terrain of the plateau is often flooded 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 at the expense of the trade and service sectors. Very few
   farmers still use water buffalo rather than tractors. Nowadays, the
   water buffalo 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
   referred to as 'kwai lek' ( Thai: ควายเหล็ก, or "iron/steel buffalo"),
   a mini tractor comprising a small diesel engine mounted on two wheels
   with two long wooden handlebars for control and 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. Isan is the poorest region of Thailand: in
   2002 average wages were the lowest in the country at 3,928 baht per
   month (the national average was 6,445).

   The region's poverty is also shown in its infrastructure: eight of the
   ten provinces in Thailand with the fewest physicians per capita are in
   Isan ( Sisaket has fewest, with one per 14,661 in 2001; the national
   average was 3,289); it also has eight of the ten provinces with the
   fewest hospital beds per head ( Chaiyapum has fewest, with one per
   1,131 in 2001; the national average was 453). Nevertheless, as in the
   rest of Thailand, all amphur districts have a hospital, and all tambon
   sub-districts have a clinic providing primary health care. Many people
   travel to the modern private hospitals and clinics in the large cities
   for non urgent specialist consultations and care.

   The region also 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 (Amphur)
   had at least one publicly accessible internet connection either in the
   local computer shop or in the district office. Extension of landline
   telephones to remoter areas not previously served has been largely
   superceeded by the use of cell phones, primarily of the GSM format,
   which now cover the entire region with the exception of a few sparsely
   populated mountainous areas and large national parks. Many people, even
   the poorest and sometimes children, have cellular telephones, although
   they have no fixed-line telephone.

   Many Isan people seek higher-paying work outside the region,
   particularly in Bangkok, where they fill many of the worst paid and
   lowest-ranking jobs. 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 a family they usually
   leave their babies and school-age children in the care of relatives,
   friends or neighbours.

Demographics

   Isan's total population as of 2000 was 20,825,000. 40% of the
   population is concentrated in the provinces of Khorat, Ubon
   Ratchathani, Udon Thani and Khon Kaen. These provinces surround the
   four major cities of the same names; as of 2000, their populations
   were: Udon Thani 220,493; Khorat 204,391; Khon Kaen 141,034; and Ubon
   Ratchathani 106,552. However, as of 1996 only 6.3% of the region's
   population lived in municipal areas. Khon Kaen was the most urbanised
   province (with 12.4% in municipal areas), and Roi Et the least (2.8%).
   Thus, the population is still largely rural, but concentrated around
   the urban centres.

   Most people are of Lao origin, although the distinction between the Lao
   and Thai ethnicities is often blurred. Although there are certain
   physical features which are more prominent in the Lao, the distinction
   is primarily one of culture and language. The main language of the
   region is Isan (which is basically a dialect of Lao). Standard Thai is
   spoken by almost everyone and Khmer, the language of Cambodia is spoken
   in the southeast. The number of speakers of Isan has been estimated at
   between 15 million and 23 million, the majority of these being in Isan.
   The Khorat dialect, spoken by around 400,000 people, occupies a
   linguistic position somewhere between Isan and standard Thai.

   There is a substantial Khmer minority, concentrated in the southern
   provinces, and some Vietnamese refugees in Mukdahan and Nakhon Phanom.

   Other languages spoken in Isan, mainly by tribal minorities, are as
   follows:
   Language Family Speakers Distribution
   Aheu Mon-Khmer 750 Sakon Nakhon
   Eastern Bru Mon-Khmer 5000 Sakon Nakhon
   Western Bru Mon-Khmer 20,000 Mukdahan, Amnatcharoen, Ubon
   Northern Khmer Mon-Khmer 1,000,000 Surin, Sisaket, Buriram, Khorat
   Kuy Mon-Khmer 300,000 Buriram, Surin, Sisaket, Ubon, Roi Et
   Nyah Kur Mon-Khmer Unknown Khorat, Chaiyaphum
   Nyaw Tai-Kadai 50,000 Sakon Nakhon, Nong Khai, Nakhon Phanom
   Nyeu Mon-Khmer Unknown Sisaket
   Phu Thai Tai-Kadai 156,000 Nakhon Phanom, Ubon, Kalasin, Sakon Nakhon
   Phuan Tai-Kadai Unknown Udon, Loei
   Saek Tai-Kadai 11,000 Nakhon Phanom
   So Mon-Khmer 55,000 Nakhon Phanom, Sakon Nakhon, Nong Khai, Kalasin
   Tai Dam Tai-Kadai 20,000 Nong Khai, Khorat, Loei (plus Saraburi)
   Yoy Tai-Kadai 5,000 Sakon Nakhon

Education

   Education is well provided by the government in numbers of
   establishments and is supplemented in the larger cities by the private
   sector (mostly either Catholic schools and international schools) and
   follows the national pattern of Education in Thailand with Primary
   (Elementary) schools in all larger villages and tambons (sub district
   capitals), with Secondary (High) schools to Grade 12 (Eng. 6th Form) in
   the amphur (district) towns. Many other Secondary schools provide
   education only to Grade 9, while some combined school provide education
   from Grade 1 through Grade 9. Many children attend pre-school classes
   (kindergarten). Rural schools are generally less well equipped than the
   schools in the large towns and cities and the standard of instruction,
   particularly for the English language, is much lower. In Isan, many
   children of poorer families leave school after Grade 9 (sometimes
   earlier in spite of the legal requirement) to work on the farms. Many,
   particularly the girls, move to areas of dense or tourist populations
   or to get married.

   There are 43 (2001) government vocational and polytechnic colleges
   throughout the region, several specialised training colleges in the
   private sector, and large colleges of Agriculture and Nursing in Udon
   Thani province.

   Universities are in the major cities of Khon Kaen (one of the country's
   largest), Ubon Ratchathani, and the smaller province capital of
   Mahasarakham. Some Bangkok based universities have a small campus in
   Isan and Khon Kaen university also maintains a large installation on
   the outskirts of Nong Khai. For a full list of universities in Isan
   see: List of universities in Thailand. Most provinces have a government
   Rajabhat University, formerly Rajabhat Institute, traditionally a
   Teacher Training College.

Culture

   Isan's culture is predominantly Lao, and has much in common with that
   of the neighbouring country of Laos. This affinity is shown in the
   region's cuisine, dress, temple architecture, festivals and arts.

   Isan food is distinct from Thai and Lao cuisines, but has elements in
   common with each. The most obvious characteristics are the use of
   sticky rice that accompanies almost every meal rather than plain rice,
   as well as fiery chillies. Popular dishes include tammakhung, or in
   central Thai, som tam ( papaya salad), larb (meat salad) and gai yang (
   grilled chicken). These have all spread to other parts of Thailand, but
   normally in versions which temper the extreme heat and sourness
   favoured in Isan for the more moderate Central Thai palate.
   A khene player wearing an Isan men's sarong and pakama
   Enlarge
   A khene player wearing an Isan men's sarong and pakama
   A musician wearing an Isan women's sarong
   Enlarge
   A musician wearing an Isan women's sarong

   Conversely Central Thai food has become popular in Isan, but the French
   and Vietnamese influences which have affected Lao cuisine are absent.
   The people of the region 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 savour these animals as delicacies or
   snacks. Food is commonly eaten by hand using the sticky rice pressed
   into a ball with the fingers as a tool. Soups are a frequent element of
   any meal and contain either vegetables and 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 the hem, while men's are in a chequered
   pattern. They are worn "straight", not hitched between the legs in
   Central Thai style. Men also wear a pakama — a versatile length of
   cloth which can be used as a belt, a money and document belt, as
   headwearfor protection from the sun, as a hammock or as a bathing
   garment. Isan is the main centre for the production of Thai silk. The
   trade received a major boost in the post-war years, when Jim Thompson
   popularised Thai silk among westerners. One of the best-known types of
   Isan silk 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 not only for religious ceremonies, but also for
   festivals, particularly mor lam, and as assembly halls.

   They are mostly built in the Lao style, with less ornamentation than in
   Central Thailand. Lao style Buddha images are also prevalent.
   The library of Tung Sri Muang temple, Ubon Ratchathani, illustrates the
   typical style of Isan.
   Enlarge
   The library of Tung Sri Muang temple, Ubon Ratchathani, illustrates the
   typical style of Isan.
   Isan houses are often built on stilts: the area underneath the house
   can be used as a living area, for storage or for keeping animals. The
   large jar or ohng (โอ่ง) to the left of this house is used for storing
   water.
   Enlarge
   Isan houses are often built on stilts: the area underneath the house
   can be used as a living area, for storage or for keeping animals. The
   large jar or ohng (โอ่ง) to the left of this house is used for storing
   water.

   The people of Isan celebrate many traditional festivals, such as the
   Bun Bungfai Rocket Festival. This fertility rite, originating in
   pre-Buddhist times, is celebrated in a number of locations both in Isan
   and in Laos, but most vigorously and most famously in Yasothon
   province. Other Isan festivals are the Candle Festival, which marks the
   start of vassa in July in Ubon and other locations; the Silk Festival
   in Khon Kaen, which promotes local handicrafts; the Elephant Round-up
   in Surin; and the bangfai phayanak or Naga fireballs of Nong Khai.

   The main indigenous music of Isan is mor lam; it exists in a number of
   regional variants, plus modern forms. Since the late 1970s it has
   acquired greater exposure outside the region thanks to the presence of
   migrant workers in Bangkok. Many mor lam singers also sing Central Thai
   luk thung music, and have produced the hybrid luk thung Isan form.
   Another form of folk music, kantrum, is popular with the Khmer minority
   in the south. Although there is no tradition of written secular
   literature in the Isan language, in the latter half of the 20th century
   the region produced several notable writers, such as Khamsing Srinawk
   (who writes in Thai) and Pira Sudham (who writes in English).
   Mor lam needs a special mention as its festival-type production which
   is very commonplace in Isan, has not been exported to other regions.
   Although it is a very exciting affair, not being on the tourist trail
   it is largely ignored by foreign visitors. When the locals speak of mor
   lam (pronounced mor'ram with stress on the second syllable), one will
   often hear them say pai doo morram (lit. 'go see mor'ram'). They are
   referring to the most common form of evening entertainment in the
   region. Somewhere, in a village within easy reach, there will be a mor
   lam festival on a Friday or Saturday evening. Usually, the
   rock-festival sized stage is constructed either in a temple compound or
   on a sports field. Thousands of people will sit on mats on the ground
   and watch the fun-filled program of variety entertainment. The
   traditional music and song is accompanied by extremely colorful
   choreography, executed by a group of up to fifty female (and some male
   katoey) dancers. The fantastic costumes are changed several times
   throughout the program, and the transitions are bridged by often
   raunchy gags, slap-stick comedy, and speeches by local dignitaries. A
   mor lam festival is a family affair and the area is surrounded by food
   and drink stalls. At home, people will often forgo on the evening's TV
   selection to watch CD, VCD and DVD recordings of mor lam festivals.
   Every family owns a CD/DVD player and a large screen TV, and the media,
   with Thai content, can be purchased very cheaply.

   Isan is known for producing a large number of muay Thai boxers: as with
   Western boxing, kickboxing provides a rare opportunity to escape from
   poverty. Isan's most famous sportsman, however, is tennis player
   Paradorn Srichaphan, whose family are from Khon Kaen.

   Marriage and courtship in Isan still mainly follows strict tradition,
   especially in rural areas, and most young women are married by the time
   they are 20 years old. Many girls, in spite of the legal requirement,
   marry as young as fourteen to escape poverty as usually marriage is
   associated with a dowry paid by the husband to the bride's family. A
   dowry will not normally be less than 20,000 Thai baht, and according to
   the staus of the bride and/or her family, can often greatly exceed
   100,000 baht. Isan women rarely have boyfriends until they meet the man
   whom they will eventually marry, and tradition requires that the
   betrothal is then announced. Younger fiancées will be chaperoned,
   usually by a female friend, brother or sister while in the company of
   their future husband. The wedding ceremony usually takes place in the
   bride's home and is normally officiated by one or several monks or a
   respected village elder who has been a monk. Young couples are
   increasingly registering their marriages at the city hall which they
   can do if they are over 17. The extended family system is still very
   much the traditional social structure in Isan, with newly wed couples
   often living with in-laws or building a home on the family compound or
   farmland. It is not unusual however, for many women to remain single
   until much later. Tradition demands that the youngest or only daughter
   continues to live at home to take care of her parents. They are then
   only free to marry when both parents are deceased. There is also the
   tradition that a woman should 'marry up' in status. If the woman is
   tied to an occupation in a rural area as a farm or business owner,
   teacher, or similar profession, finding a suitable husband and one who
   is prepared to relocate is often not easy.

   Water buffalo are a regular feature, even in the suburbs, being walked
   to and from the fields at dawn and dusk. Although rarely used nowadays
   for working the land, they are condidered an important status symbol
   and in spite of the fact that Isan is considered a poor region, buffalo
   are owned by most agricultural families and it is rare for rural Isan
   families not to own at least a few hectares of land. The current value
   (2006) of one head of buffalo is about 20,000 Thai baht (2006: USD
   530).

   The cultural separation from Central Thailand, combined with the
   region's poverty and the typically dark skin of its people, has
   encouraged a considerable amount of racism against the people of Isan
   from ethnic Thais; the novelist Pira Sudham wrote that, "Some Bangkok
   Thais... said that I was not Thai, but... a water buffalo or a
   peasant". Even though many Isan people now work in the cities rather
   than in the fields, they are largely restricted to low-status jobs such
   as construction workers and prostitutes, stall vendors and tuk-tuk taxi
   drivers, and discriminatory attitudes persist. Nevertheless, the
   Central Thai perception of Isan is not wholly negative: Isan food and
   music have both been enthusiastically adopted and adapted to the tastes
   of the rest of the country.

   The process of Thaification has diluted somewhat the distinctive
   character of Isan culture, particularly in the cities and in provinces,
   such as Khorat, which are closest to the Central Thai heartlands and
   which have been under Thai rule the longest.

Religion

   As in the rest of Thailand, the population is almost exclusively
   Theravada Buddhist, although this is combined with elements of animism.
   The large cities have Christian churches, sometimes of several
   denominations. Many major district towns do however have a small
   Christian church or chapel, usually Roman Catholic, and there are
   others in rural areas serving pockets of this religion.

Transportation

   The State Railway of Thailand has two lines in Isan, both connecting
   the region to Bangkok. One runs east from Khorat, through Surin to
   Ubon; the other runs north through Khon Kaen and Udon to Nong Khai.

   There are 15,000 km of highway, centred on the Thanon Mitraphap
   ("Friendship Highways") built by the United States to supply its
   military bases in the 1960s and 1970s. A road bridge (the Saphan
   Mitraphap or Friendship Bridge) jointly built by the Australian, Laos
   and Thai governments forms the border crossing over the Mekong River on
   the outskirts of Nong Khai to Vientiane, the capital of Laos, about 25
   km away. Most roads in Isan are paved. All major roads interconnecting
   the province capitals are in excellent condition for driving and most
   are centrally divided four or six-lane highways. The paving on some
   minor roads in the poorer districts may be navigable with difficulty
   due to large, deep potholes. Unpaved, graded roads link some of the
   smaller, remoter villages but they are comfortably navigable at normal
   driving speeds for wheeled vehicles. Most of the stretches of paved
   roads through villages are lit at night, many with powerful sodium
   lighting some of which are on indipendently solar-powered masts.
   Reflecting 'cats-eyes' marking the central line of two-lane roads are a
   common feature. Crash barriers are installed along the sides of
   dangerous bends and precipitous verges. Signposting is excellent and
   follows international style. Since 2002 (with the exception of some
   poorer sub-districts) all signs are bilingual in Thai and Roman script,
   although the spellings in Roman script may defy the logic of English
   pronunciation, and vary signifiantly. The main highways have frequent,
   Western-style rest and refuelling stations which accept payment by
   major credit/debit cards. In 2006, all fuel stations sell 91 and 95
   octane gasoline/petrol and diesel fuel, but LPG (Liquid Petroleum Gas)
   and NGV (Natural Gas for Vehicles) is very rare outside the cities of
   Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen and Udon Thani.

   Buses provide the mass transport throughout the region. Bangkok and all
   provincial capitals are connected by air-conditioned bus routes. All
   amphur towns operate at least one similar nightly route to and from
   Bangkok. All towns and villages are interconnected with frequent
   services of song-thew covered truck style busses or covered pick-up
   trucks with seats.

   Taxi transport is not well developed, even in the very large cities
   where sam-lor, three-wheeled motorcycle taxis similar to the Bangkok
   tuk-tuk, provide the mainstay of urban transport. The large cities do
   have some pick-up trucks operating on regular inner-city and suburban
   routes. Airports are served by collective vans which tend to be
   expensive for the local population and sam-lors for private hire.

   There are airports (see: List of Airports in Thailand) at Khorat (no
   scheduled services due to its proximity to Bangkok), Khon Kaen
   (international), Ubon Ratchathani (domestic), Udon Thani
   (international), Nakhon Phanom (domestic, scheduled services), Sakon
   Nakhon (domestic, scheduled services), Roi Et (domestic, scheduled
   services) and Buriram (domestic, scheduled services). Domestic air
   travel between the capital and the region is well developed,
   particularly since 2002, and has become a viable alternative to rail,
   long-distance bus and self-driving. Fares are cheap and Udon and Khon
   Kaen which both opened brand new airport terminals in 2005 and 2006
   respectively, are served by many daily flights and also have routes
   connecting other major destinations in Thailand with some companies
   operating wide-bodied aircraft.

   There is little traffic using the Mekong, as rapids and variable flow
   make navigation difficult. Bridges are rare because of the high cost of
   spanning this very wide river, but there are a great many passenger and
   vehicle ferries. A bridge spanning the Mekong between the cities of
   Mukdahan (Thailand) and Savannakhet (Laos) is nearing completion
   scheduled for 2007. Some new bridges which still do not feature on
   '2005 Edition' maps have been built over smaller rivers and dams. There
   are also passenger and vehicle ferries operating across some large
   reservoirs.

Administration

   Isan is divided into 19 provinces, although the south-western province
   of Nakhon Ratchasima is considered by some to be more closely connected
   with Central Thailand.
   The provinces of Isan
    1. Amnat Charoen
    2. Buriram
    3. Chaiyaphum
    4. Kalasin
    5. Khon Kaen
    6. Loei
    7. Maha Sarakham
    8. Mukdahan
    9. Nakhon Phanom
   10. Nakhon Ratchasima
   11. Nongbua Lamphu
   12. Nong Khai
   13. Roi Et
   14. Sakon Nakhon
   15. Sisaket
   16. Surin
   17. Ubon Ratchathani
   18. Udon Thani
   19. Yasothon

   Isan returns 136 of the national parliament's 400 constituency MPs. In
   the 2005 election the Thai Rak Thai party took 126 of these seats, with
   six for Chart Thai and two each for the Democrat party and Mahachon
   Party .
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isan"
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   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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