Biography

Bampen Chaiyarak is a freelance journalist and holds a Master's degree in Arts (Anthropology) from Silpakorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. She has been involved with several environmental documentary books and news reports, including a book titled "Mae Nam Si Khiew Khram" that tells community history and ecological aspects of the Sogkram River, a tributary of the Mekong River. The book won a popular vote for the best non-fiction creative writing at Thailand's 10th Nai In literary Award 2009.

Other books she is involved with are "The Clouds of Mystery," telling a history of mining in Thailand, and “Plants Animal Salt and Spirits: How people live with and talk about the environment in rural Cambodia Laos and Thailand” published by Mekong Watch.

Bampen has 15 years of experience in research on the environment and culture. She has assisted local and international organizations in conducting research with local communities in Thailand's northeastern provinces and the Mekong region.