Sanitsuda Ekichai, feature writer for the Bangkok Post

Khun Sanitsuda Ekichai is a senior feature writer for the Bangkok Post's "Outlook" section. The Post is the second largest English print newspaper in Thailand. She is responsible for writing in the area of religion and society, including rural development, women, and Buddhism. Two collections of her feature stories on Thai rural development have been published: Voices of Isan and Behind the Smile: Voices of Thailand. Here most recent books include: Seeds of Hope: Local Initiatives in Thailand (1994) and Keeping the Faith: Thai Buddhism at the Crossroads (2001). In 1991 she received the A.H.l Boerma Award from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and in 1993, the Women in the media Ward granted by the National Commission on Women's Affairs of the Prime Minister's Office. When I first traveled to Thailand, I had the opportunity to meet with her at her Bankgok Post office. I found her to be a gracious host, as we drank tea next to her office and talked about changes that are occurring within Thai society and the Sangha, the role of the media in relationship to these changes, and how it is to be a mom who has chosen to have children later in life, as we both have.

Khun Sanitsuda indicated to me, during this meeting that during the last 10 years, there has been greater opportunity to report freely about the what is really happening within the Sangha. Previously, people would not accept the notion that there is really anything wrong. But, with the economic crises that have hit Thailand, and many of the social problems people are facing, the Thai people appear to be ready to critique and reform the Sangha. Certainly, Khun Sanitsuda has been a key player as grassroots people give voice to their concerns. During her time as a reporter, she has traveled to remote and rural areas of Thailand to study, document, and report about the initiatives that are developing there. This research and reporting culminated in her book, Seeds of Hope. During the last 10 years, she has written extensively about Sanga reform and corruption, women's issues in Buddhism, the ordination of women and the arguments against it, the rise of new religious movements such as Santi Asoke (click here for more information on Santi Asoke) and the Dhammagaya Movement.

During my second visit to Thailand, Khun Santisuda joined Ajaan Parichart and Samaneri Dhammananda for a mini-conference on feminism that I called together at Wat Kalanyi. While there she engaged with dialogue with the two other women. She pointed out to us that middle class women tend not to question women's rights, while the poor women work for them. Many women end up being single mothers, but the government does not recognize single mothers. Thai women suffer from double the work because they may work outside of the home but are still expected to run the household as well. She indicated that there is some help available from more radical monks, like Phra Paisal, because they have gained media attention. She indicated that there is a lot of good that can be found within the religions and she things that the religions themselves can be used to address the problems in Thai society. She also noted that people in power don't change unless they are pressured to do so. Her writings, such as those collected in Keeping the Faith, indicate some of the ways that people are calling for change within Thailand.