subject: The Mysterious Heartland Of Thailand [print this page] I will tell you of a place I have never been- Eastern Thailand and Cambodia. I say a place rather than places because I feel they have a lot in common in terms of culture, environment, and philosophy of life.
What I am about to say is blaspheme to Thais perhaps, but Eastern Thailand is really the extension of the Western Cambodian heartland. Sure, the people speak Thai and are loyal to the king, but it is not hard to subjugate a people. The fact remains that I have met many people from both areas and the similarities are quite striking in their general demeanor. Truly, these are brethren.
Again, Thais do not want to acknowledge this, but it was not long ago that the Khmer (Cambodians) ruled the third largest empire in the world at the time, after China and India. It was during this time that Angkor Wat was built, and later lost to the jungle. The Khmer empire spanned so long that it went through the Hindu transition to the Buddhist one. Nearly all of Thailand and Burma were part of this vast empire.
At its center though were the plains of Southeast Asia, including what is now Eastern Thailand. This was the great rice basket for the whole of the empire- surely the people of Eastern Thailand at that time were in fact Khmer.
I would love to see this part of the world. Though rural, hot, and flat, it may seem boring to many, without much to offer in the way of natural attractions. I am sure though that it has a culture unlike any other on earth and that the people are friendly and fascinating. Someday I will go.
