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This article is about Thailand's ethnic majority. For other Tai ethnic groups, see
Tai peoples.
Thai
ไทย
| Total population |
| approx. 70,000,000 |
| Regions with significant populations |
 Thailand |
64,200,000 |
[1] |
 United States |
350,000 |
|
 Laos |
180,000 |
[2] |
 Australia |
150,000 |
[citation needed] |
 China |
139,000 |
|
 Taiwan |
110,000 |
[citation needed] |
 France |
97,000 |
|
 Malaysia |
65,000 |
[3] |
 Singapore |
56,744 |
[4] |
 Japan |
53,221 |
[citation needed] |
 Myanmar |
41,000 |
|
 Vietnam |
40,290 |
|
 Cambodia |
39,556 |
[5] |
 United Kingdom |
38,000 |
[citation needed] |
 Germany |
37,000 |
|
 Hong Kong |
30,000 |
[6] |
 Sweden |
28,739 |
[7] |
 Saudi Arabia |
23,000 |
[8] |
 South Korea |
19,000 |
|
 New Zealand |
18,000 |
|
 Russia |
15,291 |
|
 Indonesia |
13,010 |
|
 Norway |
10,989 |
[9] |
 Canada |
10,500 |
|
 Philippines |
[citation needed]
10,000+ |
|
 United Arab Emirates |
10,000 |
|
 Spain |
9,990 |
|
 Bahrain |
9,670 |
|
 Switzerland |
8,170 |
|
 Qatar |
7,800 |
|
 India |
7,000 |
|
 Hungary |
6,910 |
|
|
| Religion |
|
Predominantly  Theravada Buddhism
|
| Related ethnic groups |
|
Lao, Shan, Ahom, other Tai peoples
|
The Thai people 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. Their language is the Thai language, which is classified as part of the Kradai family of languages, and the majority of Thai are followers of Theravada Buddhism. The term Thai people may also refer to the population of Thailand in general, and not only to ethnic Thais.
History
There have been many theories proposing the origin of the Tai people, especially the association of the Tai people with the Kingdom of Nanzhao that is proved to be invalid. Linguistic studies suggested that the origin of the Tai people lies around the Chinese Province of Guangxi, where the Zhuang people are still a majority. The ancient Tai people should be the part of Chinese Nanyue or "southern barbarians". The Qin dynasty founded Guangdong in 241 BC, initiating the successive waves of Chinese migrations from the north for hundred years to come.
With the political and cultural pressures from the north, the Tai people migrated south where they met classical indianized civilizations of the Southeast Asia. The Tai first established themselves at Mueng Thaen (Thai: เมืองแถน) or modern Dien Bien Phu, according to the Khun Borom Legend. The Tai later scattered all around the continental Southeast Asia threatening the classical kingdoms and then replacing them. The Tai Yuan established themselves in northern Thailand, the Tai Lao people in modern Laos, and the Shans in Burma.
The Tais from the north gradually settled in the Chao Phraya valley from the tenth century onwards assimilating the earlier Austroasiatic Mon and Khmer people. They came into contacts with the Khmer Empire. The Tais were engulfed into the Hindu-Khmer culture and this gave rise to the Thai culture. Early Thai chiefdoms included the Sri Saccanalai and Supanburi. The Kingdom of Lavo, which was the center of Khmer culture in Chao Phraya valley, was also the rallying point for the Thais. The Thai were called “Siam” by the Angkorians and they appeared on the bas relief at Angkor Wat as a part of the army of Lavo kingdom. Sometimes the Thai chiefdoms in the Chao Phraya valley were put under the Angkorian control under strong monarchs (including Suryavarman II and Jayavarman VII) but they were mostly independent.
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 1431. 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 in Southeast Asia that was not colonized by European powers in modern history.
Geography and demographics
The vast majority of the Thai people live in Thailand, although some Thais can also be found in other parts of Southeast Asia. About 60 million live in Thailand alone [10], while thousands can also be found in the United States, Laos, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Myanmar, the United Kingdom, Australia, Sweden, Norway, Libya and the United Arab Emirates.
Culture and society
The Thais 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 people and the people from Laos for example.
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). Indigenous arts include Muay Thai (the Thai version of South East Asian kick boxing), Thai dance, Makruk (Thai Chess), and Nang yai (shadow play).
The Thai have a literacy rate hovering at 94% [1] (one of the highest in Southeast Asia) and a strong predilection towards education and national development.
See also
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).
External links
