Travel like the wind : Suchart Choolee
As dawn touches the horizon in the far south, a thin veil of mist slowly fades, revealing the Banthat mountain range casting its shadow over the verdant green rice fields of Ketri. The sun’s golden light bathes the rice panicles, heavy with grain, and on the paddy ridge, a farmer in a sarong and a kopiah hat appears, bending down to touch the earth with love and faith. Carried on the breeze, a soft prayer mingles with the earthy scent of the soil… “Alhamdulillah.”
This is the origin of the auspicious name of an indigenous rice variety, “Khao Alhamdulillah,” or as the people affectionately call it, “Khao Alham.” Its meaning is profound: “Thank you, God.” For the people of Ketri in Satun province, this is not merely a grain to nourish the body, but a spiritual heritage, a symbol of wisdom, and the very breath of a self-sufficient way of life passed down from their ancestors.
Khao Alham stands proudly and miraculously between earth and sky. It thrives on rainwater and minerals from the soil, without reliance on chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Unlike foreign varieties that demand intensive care, this rice is a testament to agroecology—a path of faith that respects nature, and nature, in turn, rewards it with abundance.
“Earthy and filling, it sustains you long, for enduring work.”
This is not just a saying, but a simple truth reflected in the sweat of the farmers who toil under the sun and rain. Each grain of Khao Alham is packed with energy and nutrients, providing long-lasting satiety. It is the vital source of strength that allows them to work with resilience against the elements.
Although this grain once traveled as far as Phatthalung and was known by a new name, “Khao Khao Satun” (Satun’s White Rice), its spirit and identity remained unchanged. The fragrant aroma when cooked, the soft texture, and the nutritional value remain as potent as ever—like the very blood of the Satun people, embedded in every grain.And what is most heartening is the rise of a “new wave of hope”—the youth of Ketri who have volunteered to carry on the legacy of Khao Alham. They define the rice fields as their greatest classroom…
Here, the sky is the ceiling, the mountains are the walls, and the mud-stained earth is the essential textbook. Their learning is hands-on, real, and visceral. This is the transmission of wisdom through direct experience, something that cannot be found in any book. While they may not yet see a monetary return, what they and their community gain is far more precious: the forging of strong-hearted people, the building of a love for their homeland, and the planting of deep roots in the consciousness of the new generation.
Khao Alham is, therefore, not just a grain of rice, but a seed of hope, sprouting and growing in the hearts of the people. It is a bridge connecting the past to the present, linking ancestral wisdom with the vibrant spirit of the youth. Amidst the fierce tide of commercial agriculture that threatens to silence the stories of indigenous rice varieties, the fact that “Khao Alham” still lives, has a legend, and is nurtured by its people is a miraculous story that deserves to be told, and to be thankful for…
Thank you, God… for Khao Alham.
Leave a comment