Thai people

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This article is about Thailand's ethnic majority. For other Tai ethnic groups, see Tai peoples.

Thai
ไทย

Khon dance performance in Frankfurt, Germany

Total population

approx. 49,000,000 (28,000,000 excl. Isan)

Regions with significant populations

Thailand	approx. 48,500,000 (includes 21,000,000 Isan speakers)	[1]
United States	136,000	^{[citation needed]}
Laos	121,000	^{[citation needed]}
Taiwan	102,000	^{[citation needed]}
Singapore	48,000	^{[citation needed]}
Japan	41,384 (2007)	[2]
Burma	41,000	^{[citation needed]}
Cambodia	41,000
Australia	26,000	[3]
Malaysia	25,000	^{[citation needed]}
Israel	25,000	[4]
United Kingdom	16,256	^{[citation needed]}
Hong Kong	15,000	[5]
Sweden	11,244 (2004)	[6] <br
Saudi Arabia	16,000	[7]
Kuwait	5,000	[8]
Bahrain	3,000	[9]

Languages

Thai

Religions

Predominantly Theravada Buddhism and Minorities is Muslim, Christian, Mahayana Buddhism, and small group peoples is believe in other religions

Related ethnic groups

Lao, Shan, Ahom, other Tai peoples

The Thai (or Tai) are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries in Southeast Asia as well as southern China. They are also known as Thailanders. Their language is the Thai language, which is classified as part of the Tai-Kadai family of languages, and the majority of Thai are followers of Theravada Buddhism.

1 History
2 Geography and demographics
3 Culture and society
4 See also
5 References
6 Online references

[edit] History

The earliest mention of the Thai, as a nation in south China call NAN-JOA (Nanzhao or Nanman), comes from Chinese records dating back to the sixth century BCE. These early Thai emanated out of the Yunnan region and dispersed into the general area of what is today Thailand. These Thai peoples arrived in various waves and displaced the earlier native Mon and Khmer populations as they settled the region with a large group settling in Thailand during the Sung period of China roughly around 960 CE. The related Lao people split off from the early Tai-Kadai peoples and moved into Southeast Asia, mainly Laos, while another kindred people, the Shan, made their way into Myanmar.^{[citation needed]}

The founding of the Sukhothai kingdom culminated in the emergence of the first Thai nation-state founded in 1238. Various conflicts in the Chinese-dominated region of Nanchao facilitated increased migration of the Thai, especially mercenaries fleeing from the Mongol conquest of China, and helped establish the Thai as a regional power. Successful wars with the Mon helped to establish the kingdom of Lan Na as the Thai increased their hold in Southeast Asia. The early Thai brought their Buddhist and Chinese traditions, but also assimilated much of the native Khmer and Mon culture of Southeast Asia. (See Thai Chinese for more details)

A new city-state known as Ayutthaya, named after the Indian city of Ayodhya, was founded by Ramathibodi (a descendant of Chiang Mai) and emerged as the center of the growing Thai Empire starting in 1350. Inspired by the then Hindu-based Khmer Empire (Cambodia), the Ayutthaya Empire's continued conquests led to more Thai settlements as the Khmer Empire weakened after their defeat at Angkor in 1444. During this period, the Thai developed a feudal system as various vassal states paid homage to the Thai kings. Even as Thai power expanded at the expense of the Mon and Khmer, the Thai Ayutthaya faced setbacks at the hands of the Malay at Malacca and were checked by the Toungoo of Burma.

Though sporadic wars continued with the Burmese and other neighbors, Chinese wars with Burma and European intervention elsewhere in Southeast Asia allowed the Thai to develop an independent course by trading with the Europeans as well as playing the major powers against each other in order to remain independent. The Chakkri dynasty under Rama I held the Burmese at bay, while Rama II and Rama III helped to shape much of Thai society, but also led to Thai setbacks as the Europeans moved into areas surrounding modern Thailand and curtailed any claims the Thai had over Cambodia, in dispute with Burma and Vietnam. The Thai learned from European traders and diplomats, while maintaining an independent course. Chinese, Malay, and British influences helped to further shape the Thai people who often assimilated foreign ideas, but managed to preserve much of their culture and resisted the European colonization that engulfed their neighbors.Thailand is also the only country that was not colonized in Southeastern Asia area in the early history.

[edit] Geography and demographics

The vast majority of the Thai people live in Thailand, although some Thai can also be found in other parts of Southeast Asia. Nearly 50 million live in Thailand alone [10], while thousands can also be found in Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States.

[edit] Culture and society

The Thai can be broken down into various regional groups including the main Thai, northeastern, northern, and southern Thai with their own regional dialects of their mutually intelligible Thai language. Modern Central Thai has become more dominant due to official government policy which was designed to assimilate and unify the disparate Thai in spite of ethnolinguistic and cultural ties between the northeastern Thai and the Lao for example. The Thai written language or Thai alphabet developed shortly after the conquest at Angkor, suggesting that it was adopted from the Khmer.

The modern Thai are predominantly Theravada Buddhist and strongly identify their ethnic identity with their religious beliefs that include aspects of ancestor worship (see Culture of Thailand). Some of modern Thai literature are Sanskrit base borrowed via the Khmers and Mon cultures, while ethnically the Thai are mostly linked to the southern Chinese. Indigenous arts include Muay Thai (kick boxing), Thai dance, and Nang Yai (shadow play). Thai cuisine tends to be quite eclectic and resembles the foods of neighboring countries of Burma, Laos, and Cambodia.

The Thai have a literacy rate hovering at 90% and a strong predilection towards education and national development.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

Girsling, John L.S., Thailand: Society and Politics (Cornell University Press, 1981).
Terwiel, B.J., A History of Modern Thailand (Univ. of Queensland Press, 1984).
Wyatt, D.K., Thailand: A Short History (Yale University Press, 1986).

[edit] Online references

BangkokSpace.com the social network website of thai people.

ETHNOLOGY & THAI HILL TRIBES
Contemporary Thai music radio (Listen Free, Contemporary Thai Music, internet radio station)

v • d • e

Ethnic groups in Thailand by language family

Tai
Isan · Khorat Thai · Khün · Lanna · Lao · Lao Ga · Lao Krang · Lao Lom · Lao Loum · Lao Ngaew · Lao Song · Lao Ti · Lao Wieng · Lu · Northeastern Thai · Northern Thai · Nyaw · Nyong · Phu Thai · Phuan · Saek · Shan · Southern Thai · Tai Bueng · Tai Daeng (Red Tai) · Tai Dam (Black Tai) · Tai Gapong · Kaleun · Tai Nüa · Tai Wang · Tai Yuan · Thai (Central Thai) · Yoy