Lao Song
Encyclopedia
The Lao Song are an ethnic group
of Thailand
. The Lao Song are also known as the Tai Song (ไทโซ่ง), Lao Song Dam (ลาวโซ่งดำ) or simply as the Song or Song Dam.
peoples from the areas of Tonkin
and areas east of Luang Prabang
when they were forcibly removed to the areas of Central Thailand today as slaves and corvée
labourers during Siamese annexation during the 18th and 19th centuries. Most were members of the Tai Dam
ethnic group (counted by the Chinese government as members of the Dai
ethnic group) and the traditional dress, language, and culture is remarkable as a preservation of Tai Dam culture in the heart of Central Thailand and Thaification
policies. The Lao Song were used as guards for the royal courts and to help control the powerful Chinese minority, which explains their widespread distribution.
, Phitsanulok
, Nakhon Sawan
, Ratchaburi
, Suphan Buri, Kanchanaburi
, Chumphon
and Nakhon Pathom
Provinces.
, most Lao Song are now Theravada Buddhists, but this often co-exists with the older religion.
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
of Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. The Lao Song are also known as the Tai Song (ไทโซ่ง), Lao Song Dam (ลาวโซ่งดำ) or simply as the Song or Song Dam.
History
The Lao Song are descendants of LaoLao people
The Lao are an ethnic subgroup of Tai/Dai in Southeast Asia.-Names:The etymology of the word Lao is uncertain, although it may be related to tribes known as the Ai Lao who appear in Han Dynasty records in China and Vietnam as a people of what is now Yunan Province...
peoples from the areas of Tonkin
Tonkin
Tonkin , also spelled Tongkin, Tonquin or Tongking, is the northernmost part of Vietnam, south of China's Yunnan and Guangxi Provinces, east of northern Laos, and west of the Gulf of Tonkin. Locally, it is known as Bắc Kỳ, meaning "Northern Region"...
and areas east of Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang, or Louangphrabang , is a city located in north central Laos, where the Nam Khan river meets the Mekong River about north of Vientiane. It is the capital of Luang Prabang Province...
when they were forcibly removed to the areas of Central Thailand today as slaves and corvée
Corvée
Corvée is unfree labour, often unpaid, that is required of people of lower social standing and imposed on them by the state or a superior . The corvée was the earliest and most widespread form of taxation, which can be traced back to the beginning of civilization...
labourers during Siamese annexation during the 18th and 19th centuries. Most were members of the Tai Dam
Tai Dam
The Tai Dam or Tai Dum are an ethnic group of Laos, Vietnam, China, and Thailand.Tai Dam speakers in China are classified as part of the Dai nationality along with almost all the other Tai peoples...
ethnic group (counted by the Chinese government as members of the Dai
Dai
Dai can mean:* Dai people, one of the 56 recognized ethnic minorities of China* Dai , ethnic tribe of Chin, Myanmar* Dai County, in Shanxi, China* Dai , a state during the Spring and Autumn Period...
ethnic group) and the traditional dress, language, and culture is remarkable as a preservation of Tai Dam culture in the heart of Central Thailand and Thaification
Thaification
Thaification is the process by which people of different cultural and ethnic origins living in Thailand become assimilated to the dominant Thai culture, or more precisely, to the culture of the Central Thais...
policies. The Lao Song were used as guards for the royal courts and to help control the powerful Chinese minority, which explains their widespread distribution.
Geographic Distribution
There are approximately 34,000 Lao Song spread out over Central Thailand, including PhetchabunPhetchabun Province
Phetchabun is one of the northern provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Loei, Khon Kaen, Chaiyaphum, Lopburi, Nakhon Sawan, Phichit and Phitsanulok.- Geography :...
, Phitsanulok
Phitsanulok Province
Phitsanulok is a provinces of Thailand, located in the north. Neighboring provinces are Loei, Phetchabun, Phichit, Kamphaeng Phet, Sukhothai, Uttaradit. In the north-east it also has a short border with Xaignabouli of Laos....
, Nakhon Sawan
Nakhon Sawan Province
Nakhon Sawan is one of the provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Kamphaeng Phet, Phichit, Phetchabun, Lop Buri, Sing Buri, Chai Nat, Uthai Thani and Tak.- Etymology :...
, Ratchaburi
Ratchaburi Province
Ratchaburi is one of the central provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Kanchanaburi, Nakhon Pathom,Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram and Phetchaburi...
, Suphan Buri, Kanchanaburi
Kanchanaburi Province
- History :Archaeology found in Kanchanaburi dates back to the 4th century which proves of trade with surrounding countries even in that time. Very little is also historically known about the actual Khmer influence in Kanchanaburi but there is evidence of their occupation with Prasat Muang Singh –...
, Chumphon
Chumphon Province
Chumphon ) is one of the southern provinces of Thailand, at the shore of the Gulf of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Prachuap Khiri Khan, Surat Thani and Ranong...
and Nakhon Pathom
Nakhon Pathom Province
Nakhon Pathom ) is one of the central provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Suphan Buri, Ayutthaya, Nonthaburi, Bangkok, Samut Sakhon, Ratchaburi and Kanchanaburi...
Provinces.
Religion
Although originally they believed in animismAnimism
Animism refers to the belief that non-human entities are spiritual beings, or at least embody some kind of life-principle....
, most Lao Song are now Theravada Buddhists, but this often co-exists with the older religion.