You've lived in Isaan for a year, you say. How much have you traveled? How many places have you visited in Isaan?
It seems to me you are either basing your comments on one small area or you've saved your thoughts from 40 years ago and only now decided to post.
It would also be interesting to know how you garnered your information. Did you speak to the locals, police, doctors, politicians? Or did you see one or two people up to no good and assume they're all at it?