Rurality and the Discourse of "Bannok" in Thai Identity
Deconstructing Myths of the Countryside, the Peasantry, and the New Middle Class
By Samchai Srisan
Foreword by Attachak Satayanuruk
Ignorant, Impoverished, Ailing: Beyond the Stigmatization of the "Rural." A groundbreaking deconstruction of the myths that have colonized the Thai collective consciousness for generations.
In this seminal work, Samchai Srisan invites readers to scrutinize the shifting perceptions and meanings attributed to "Rurality" (Khwam-pen-chonnabot) and the "Hinterland" (Bannok). He argues that these perceptions are never neutral; rather, they constitute a "Regime of Knowledge" inextricably linked to the state’s operations and the social prejudices of each era.
Employing a rigorous historical-genealogical method, Srisan traces the conceptual origins of the Thai countryside from its nascent past into the contemporary political arena. He examines how labels such as "Peasant" (Chao-na), "Commoner" (Phrai), and the "Red Shirt/Yellow Shirt" dichotomy are weaponized to reinforce urban hegemony and middle-class anxieties.
The central thesis of this volume is a radical call for a "Re-cognition" of the rural. Srisan seeks to dismantle the archaic, romanticized, or derogatory frameworks that have long imprisoned the countryside in a state of perceived inferiority. By redefining rurality, the book paves the way for an intellectual liberation—one that allows the rural subject to emerge as a potent, modern, and autonomous political actor.
// Table of Contents //
Foreword | Attachak Satayanuruk
Preface
Introduction: The Thai Countryside — Origins and Meanings
Chapter 1: The Rural as a Site of Exploitation and Class Struggle
Chapter 2: The Rural as a Primitive Space in Need of Development
Chapter 3: The Rural as an Abundant, Idyllic, and "Sufficient" Community
Chapter 4: The Rural as a Socially Constructed Discourse
Chapter 5: The Rural as a Political Arena: Understanding the Countryside through Red Shirt Politics
Chapter 6: Studying the Rural through the Body: Under the Counter-Discourse of the Thai Elite
Chapter 7: Post-Rurality: A Study of Contemporary Thai Countryside
Details
▪️Format : Paperback
▪️Piyavit Tepumnuaysakul : Editor
▪️Designed by ● SM STUDIO | Chirawat Rotaim ●
▪️Published : March 2026
▪️Length : 312 pages
▪️ISBN : 978-616-562-088-8
▪️Dimensions (in) : 5.25 x 8.25
▪️Price : 350 THB
