Rice is the lifeblood of Thailand; it is the foundation of our cuisine, culture, and traditions.

Rice farming has been a staple of Thai life for centuries, and this is evident in the stone inscription from King Ramkhamhaeng Sukohthai’s era, which reads, “In the water there are fish, in the fields there is rice.”

Each region of Thailand has its unique techniques and varieties of rice, shaped by the local geography and culture. In the southern region, traditional farming methods, such as the “Suan Somrom” or mixed farming, are still practiced using local resources and wisdom. Some farmers still plow their fields using animals and manpower.

Rice farming in rural areas of the south is self-sufficient and primarily depends on rainwater. The harvesting process involves using a grain picker, known as “Kae,” to collect the rice stalks and store them in a rice house.

“Kae,” or the southern rice picker, or the steel blade, is 5-6 cm long. The carved boards are made from sturdy materials such as hardwood cut into a trapezoidal shape to accommodate the sharp blade. The handle, known as “Ria”, is made of bamboo and is 7-8 cm long. It is inserted across the carved board, serving as a handle.

To collect rice using Kae, one would place the tool between their middle finger and ring finger, using their index finger and thumb to grab a grain of rice. The grain is then placed against the edge of the kae, allowing the blade to cut the neck of the broken grain and tie them tightly, creating a “Riang.” This process is repeated during the rice harvesting practice

The beauty of harvesting rice with Kae lies in its precision. The tool is designed to pick only fully ripe rice, producing high-quality grains. Kae is the ideal tool for rice fields in the south, where the plots are not large, and the area is abundant with rain, soil, monsoon winds, and various rice varieties. As a result, the rice plants in this region tend to have tall and large stems when the rice is ripe. The weight of the grains causes the rice to fall flat and the stems to become fragile and easily broken. In these conditions, using Kae is more appropriate than using a sickle, which is better suited for clumping.

The harvested rice is then sun-dried and sorted for threshing. Rice milling uses traditional “Mortar Mills,” resulting in high-nutritional brown rice.

After the farming season, farmers in the south often turn to other means of livelihood, such as growing vegetables, making palm sugar, raising cattle or buffalo, and fishing or fish farming. In some communities, sustainable mixed plantations of rice, fruits, vegetables, and fish farming have become increasingly popular, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic led to many city-dwellers returning to the countryside and starting their own agriculture businesses.

My family has established the “Koak Nhong Na Model'', a sustainable farm model on our land to foster a harmonious way of life and produce an eco-friendly food source. This farm model is an educational resource for local universities and farmer associations to study agriculture. We believe sustainable farming practices are crucial for a brighter and more self-sufficient future, and we hope others will follow suit.