Riverine Border Practices: People's Everyday Lives on the Thai-Lao Mekong Border

This book explores the practices of unofficial border crossings by the Thai Ban along the Mekong Thai-Lao border,theorizing them as a contribution to borderland studies. It emphasizes the importance of the Third Space and its effects on pluralities of border-crossings,using the Khong Chiam-Sanasomboun borderland as a case study. The findings reveal a mixture of subversion, rejection, and acceptance of the boundary, resulting in a sedentary assumption of Thai-Lao territory co-existing with peoples everyday mobility.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 204 pages
Publication date: 03 November 2022
Publisher: Springer Verlag, Singapore

This captivating book delves into the intricate practices of unofficial border crossings along the Mekong Thai-Lao border, shedding light on the ways in which the Thai Ban, a community residing in this region, navigate these crossings. By examining these border crossings through the lens of borderland studies, the book offers valuable insights into the broader field. It emphasizes the significance of the Third Space concept and its impact on the diverse experiences of border-crossings in the borderland.

To illustrate the complexity of the Third Space, the book utilizes the borderland of Khong Chiam-Sanasomboun as a case study. This area, characterized by quasi-state checkpoints and mobile checkpoints, serves as a vivid illustration of the multifaceted negotiations involved in border crossings. The author employs an ethnographic approach, employing four methods: participant observations, interviews, interpreting visual presentations, and essay readings, to delve into the daily practices of the Thai Ban people as they cross the border between the riverine villages in Thailand and Lao PDR.

Through their fieldwork, the author reveals that the Thai Ban people exhibit a nuanced stance when it comes to crossing the border. Rather than simply embracing or rejecting the existence of Thai-Lao territory, their position is a blend of subversion, rejection, and acceptance, leading to the establishment of a sedentary assumption in the form of Thai-Lao territory coexisting with their everyday mobility.

This book not only contributes to our understanding of border crossings but also highlights the importance of the Third Space concept in analyzing the complexities of borderlands. It sheds light on the ways in which individuals and communities navigate the boundaries between different nations, cultures, and identities, and how these negotiations shape the spatial and political landscapes of the borderland. By exploring the experiences of the Thai Ban and their interactions with the border, this book provides valuable insights into the broader field of borderland studies and offers a deeper appreciation of the multifaceted dynamics that shape our world.

Weight: 283g
Dimension: 210 x 148 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9789811628689
Edition number: 1st ed. 2022