Peopling of Thailand
Encyclopedia
The peopling of Thailand refers to the process by which the ethnic groups that comprise the population
of present-day Thailand
came to inhabit the region. Aside from ethnic groups representing recent expatriate migrations, and the earliest Negrito
arrivals, the ethnic groups of Thailand are all believed to be descended from ethnicities associated with clades of Y-DNA Haplogroup O
, suggesting an ancient homogeneous ethnicity in Southeast Asia
some 35,000 years ago which, over time, spread out and independently evolved into diverse sub-ethnicities, branches of which found their way to Thailand at different points in history, employing different migration routes and modes of transportation, only after being infused with elements of other cultures along the way, via both exposure and inter-breeding. The result is an extremely diverse population of distantly related tribes with a common Asian heritage steeped in ancient tradition.
are an indigenous tribe of southern Thailand, who make their home on the Malay Peninsula
. While they speak a Mon–Khmer language, they are not Mon–Khmer people, but rather remnants of an earlier migration into the region. The Mani are the only Negrito
people of Thailand.
term for them is orang asli
, or original people. They are likely descendants of the indigenous populations of the Sunda landmass
and New Guinea, predating the Mongoloid and Australoid
peoples who later entered Southeast Asia. Alternatively, some scientists claim they are merely a group of Australo-Melanesians who have undergone island dwarfing over thousands of years, reducing their food intake in order to cope with limited resources and adapt to a tropical rainforest environment. Regardless of the theory of origin, geographically speaking, they probably came to Thailand via the lower portion of the Malay Peninsula, through present-day Malaysia.
The Mon–Khmer ethnicities were among the earliest aboriginal populations in Southeast Asia. The arrival of these ethnic groups likely represents the first waves of settlement in Thailand, although considerable inter-Southeast-Asian migration has taken place since their arrival, especially during the prevalence of the Khmer Empire
in Thailand. Archaeologists suspect that the Mon–Khmer may have spread through Thailand
throughout the metal ages, bringing rice agriculture, metalworking, domestic animals, and the Mon–Khmer languages to the region. They are believed to have spread through Southeast Asia from west to east along the coast, and then subsequently migrated inland along the rivers to the central plains of Thailand, long before the arrival of the now dominant Tai
.
is the primary marker associated with the Austro-Asiatic ethnicities, suggesting that some 35,000 years ago, the Austro-Asiatic people were homogeneous with the Sino-Tibetan
, Austronesian
, and Hmong–Mien peoples (prior to the evolution of Y-DNA Haplogroup O
into its present clades), sharing a common homeland in Southeast Asia. The coastal immigration theory suggests that the Mon–Khmer probably first entered Thailand from the Malaysia.
), the expansion of individual tribal populations, and the threats imposed by other civilizations in the region. Also, in early days, the Austro-Asiatic were a hunter-gatherer civilization, a lifestyle which lends itself to continuous migration. Along with this ongoing intra-regional migration, there has been considerable cross-cultural inter-marriage over the years between the Mon–Khmer peoples and other Southeast Asian civilizations, resulting in a Mon–Khmer population very different in both physical appearance and culture from other branches of the Austro-Asiatic ethnic tree who migrated elsewhere. Likewise, Mon–Khmer have largely assimilated into the later-arriving dominant Tai population in Thailand, beginning at an early stage in the region's history, thereby infusing their culture and genetics into the modern Thai people.
Since the Mon–Khmer were aboriginal to the region, there is great ethnic diversity among the individual ethnic groups. In fact, there are at least 15 distinct Mon–Khmer ethnic groups who make their home in Thailand today. These groups have resided within Thailand for thousands of years, with the possible exception of the Pearic
peoples who are indigenous to neighboring Cambodia
. The following Mon–Khmer ethnic groups currently reside in Thailand:
The Malay were historically a sea-faring people, as is evident by their prominence on the islands of Southeast Asia, and they likely settled throughout the region via a mixture of sea and land routes. The Malayic migrations to Thailand took place over a vast expanse of time. The Mon–Khmer probably inhabited the Malay Peninsula
prior to or contemporaneous with the Malay people, but long before the Tai
came into the region.
people who originated in Philippines
and then expanded outwards into Sumatra
and later into the Malay Peninsula
, establishing substantial settlements in present-day Malaysia. They were part of an earlier Austronesian
ethnicity originating on the Island of Formosa
(Taiwan). It is believed that the Y-DNA haplogroup O1
is associated with the Austronesian people
, thus suggesting that prior to their arrival in Taiwan, they were part of an earlier ethnicity in China which encompassed the Sino-Tibetan and Austro-Asiatic
people as well. Archaeological evidence supports this theory, and suggests that the Austronesians may have come to Southeast Asia via boat, south from mainland China through Formosa island after settling for a period of time in mainland China.
), are largely clustered in the Isan
region of Thailand.
Comparative linguistic research seems to indicate that the Tai
people were a proto-Tai–Kadaiadai-speaking culture of southern China, and that they, like the Malay-Polynesians, may have originally been of Austronesian descent. Prior to inhabiting mainland China, the Tai are suspected to have migrated from a homeland on the island of Taiwan
where they spoke a dialect of Proto-Austronesian or one of its descendant languages. After the arrival of Sino-Tibetan speaking ethnic groups from mainland China to the island of Taiwan, the Tai would have then migrated into mainland China, perhaps along the Pearl River
, where their language greatly changed in character from the other Austronesian languages under influence of Sino-Tibetan and Hmong–Mien language infusion. The coming of the Han Chinese
to this region of southern China may have prompted the Tai to migrate in mass once again, this time southward over the mountains of southern China into Southeast Asia via the mountains of Burma and Laos
to the north of Thailand
. It is believed that the Tai ethnic groups began migrating southward from China and into Southeast Asia during the first millennium A.D. While this theory of the origin of the Tai is currently the leading theory, there is insufficient archaeological evidence to prove or disprove the proposition at this time, and the linguistic evidence alone is not conclusive. However, in further support of the theory, it is believed that the O1 Y-DNA haplogroup
is associated with both the Austronesian people
and the Tai.
, and has resulted in a Tai population significantly different in culture, language and physical appearance from the Tai ethnic groups who remained in China. In addition, many of the individual Tai ethnic groups have merged under a common Thai identity, and have adopted a nationalistic view of their culture.
immigration to Thailand
dates back many centuries, and the specific Chinese ethnic groups which made their way to Thailand are numerous, although there is a greater concentration of Chinese from the southern provinces due to their geographic proximity to Thailand. The Chinese are a part of the greater Sino-Tibetan ethnicity which also includes the Tibeto-Burmans. The Chinese immigrants were largely able to merge into the predominant Tai culture, and have contributed significantly to the economy and infrastructure of Thailand over the years. Even the current King of Thailand is part Chinese, on his mother's side. Also of note, the Khek River
in Thailand derives its name from the Thai word Khek, which is the Thai name for the Hakka
people of China who settled along its banks in the Phitsanulok Province
.
by at least the thirteenth century. Ayutthaya was under almost constant Burmese threat from the 16th century, and Qianlong, the Emperor of Qing
was alarmed by the Burmese military might. From 1766-1769, Qianlong sent his armies four times to subdue the Burmese, but all four invasions failed. Ayutthaya fell to the Burmese in 1767. During the Ayutthaya period, many of the Chinese traders and soldiers inter-married with the local Tai, infusing Chinese culture among the population early in its history.
actively encouraged Chinese immigration and trade. Settlers principally from Chaozhou
prefecture came in large numbers. By 1825, the population of Chinese in Thailand was 230,000, and grew steadily as a constant stream of Chinese immigrants entered the country throughout the 19th century. Early Chinese immigration consisted almost entirely of Chinese men who married Thai women. Children of such intermarriages were known as Luk-jin (ลูกจีน) in Thai.
were largely of Tibeto-Burman
ethnicity, particularly members of the Bamar
people, (with an infusion of indigenous Southeast Asian Mon–Khmer ancestry).
, expanding southward into the Himalayas
of Tibet
, and southeast into Burma. Comparative linguistics
suggests that the Tibeto-Burman ethnic groups are part of a larger ethnicity referred to as Sino-Tibetan
. The Sino-Tibetan, Hmong–Mien, Tai and Austronesian
ethnicities all have high incidence of Y-DNA haplogroup O, which suggests a common ancestral ethnicity along the lines of 35,000 years ago in an area within the borders of the present-day Peoples Republic of China.
Some Loloish tribes such as the Lisu arrived in Thailand as recent as 100 years ago, while others came at a much earlier date. The Lolo are believed to be descended from the ancient Qiang people of western China
, who are also said to be the ancestors of the Tibetan
, Naxi and Qiang peoples. They migrated from Southeastern Tibet
through Sichuan and into Yunnan Province, where their largest populations can be found today.
(also commonly referred to as the Yi) is one of the two major distinct Tibeto-Burmese ethnicities within present-day Thailand, along with the Karen
. The Lolo migrated southeast from Burma into Thailand.
of Thailand are generally hill tribes in the northern portion of the country, near the border with Burma. A list of the Loloish ethnic groups of significant size within Thailand are as follows:
Like the Lolo, many of the Hmong–Mien ethnic groups are among the hill tribes in Thailand. Their population is clustered in the north-eastern region of Thailand near the Laotian border. The Hmong–Mien of Thailand generally migrated from China through Laos
during the second half of the nineteenth century, where they established themselves for some time, prior to their arrival in Thailand. An exception to the China-Laos-Thailand migration pattern is the Iu Mien
people, who apparently passed through Vietnam during the thirteenth century, prior to entering Thailand through Laos. The Iu Mien arrived in Thailand approximately 200 years ago, contemporaneously with a large number of other Hmong–Mien migrants.
, a province of southern China
, where they settled at least 2000 years ago.
The Palaungic people are indigenous Southeast Asians. The center of their population cluster in present-day Burma and neighboring regions of China. Most, if not all, of the Palaungic people arrived in Thailand recently as refugees from Burma.
and migrated to Burma as refugees, establishing themselves along the Burmese border with Thailand. When during World War II
the Japan
ese occupied Burma, long-term tensions between the Karen and Burmese turned into open fighting. After the war ended, Burma was granted independence in January 1948, and the Karen, led by the KNU, attempted to co-exist peacefully with the Burman ethnic majority. However, in the fall of 1948, the Burmese government, led by U Nu
, began raising and arming irregular political militias known as Sitwundan. In January 1949, some of these militias went on a rampage through Karen communities. In 2004, the BBC
cited aid agencies estimates that up to 200,000 Karen have been driven from their homes during decades of war, with 120,000 more refugees from Burma, mostly Karen, living in refugee camp
s on the Thai side of the Burmese-Thai border. The conflict continues .
, and are Tibeto-Burman, and therefore distantly related to the Lolo
.
descent living in Thailand. A list of the Karen ethnic groups of significant size within Thailand are as follows:
, who are a nomadic people whose dwindling population has straddled the forests along the Thai-Laotian border for quite some time.
, Korean, European
and African
descent have added to the ethnic pool of Thailand, particularly around the area of Bangkok
. The Thai often refer to Westerners and those of European descent as farang
(from the French word Francaise, "farang-sez"), carrying the connotation of "outsider." Most farangs come to Thailand on a temporary basis, although a growing community has begun to settle in Thailand (around 2 million permanent residents by 2008), as the coastal regions of Thailand are establishing themselves as an ideal locations for western businessmen to retire and enjoy a comfortable living. While cost of living in Thailand is relatively low in comparison to Western nations, it is on par or relatively high when compared with neighboring countries. Thailand's relative political stability compared to other nations in the region, however, makes Thailand particularly attractive to westerners.
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of present-day 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...
came to inhabit the region. Aside from ethnic groups representing recent expatriate migrations, and the earliest Negrito
Negrito
The Negrito are a class of several ethnic groups who inhabit isolated parts of Southeast Asia.Their current populations include 12 Andamanese peoples of the Andaman Islands, six Semang peoples of Malaysia, the Mani of Thailand, and the Aeta, Agta, Ati, and 30 other peoples of the Philippines....
arrivals, the ethnic groups of Thailand are all believed to be descended from ethnicities associated with clades of Y-DNA Haplogroup O
Haplogroup O (Y-DNA)
In human genetics, Haplogroup O is a Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup. Haplogroup O is a close cladistic brother group with Haplogroup N, and is one of several descendants of Haplogroup K ....
, suggesting an ancient homogeneous ethnicity in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
some 35,000 years ago which, over time, spread out and independently evolved into diverse sub-ethnicities, branches of which found their way to Thailand at different points in history, employing different migration routes and modes of transportation, only after being infused with elements of other cultures along the way, via both exposure and inter-breeding. The result is an extremely diverse population of distantly related tribes with a common Asian heritage steeped in ancient tradition.
Early arrival of the Aboriginal Mani people
The ManiMani people
The Maniq are an ethnic group of Thailand. They are the only Negrito group in Thailand and speak Maniq , a Mon–Khmer language in the Aslian language group...
are an indigenous tribe of southern Thailand, who make their home on the Malay Peninsula
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
. While they speak a Mon–Khmer language, they are not Mon–Khmer people, but rather remnants of an earlier migration into the region. The Mani are the only Negrito
Negrito
The Negrito are a class of several ethnic groups who inhabit isolated parts of Southeast Asia.Their current populations include 12 Andamanese peoples of the Andaman Islands, six Semang peoples of Malaysia, the Mani of Thailand, and the Aeta, Agta, Ati, and 30 other peoples of the Philippines....
people of Thailand.
Origin of the Negrito
Being among the least-known of all living human groups, the origins of the Negrito people is a much debated topic. The MalayMalay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
term for them is orang asli
Orang Asli
Orang Asli , is a generic Malaysian term used for people indigenous to Peninsular Malaysia...
, or original people. They are likely descendants of the indigenous populations of the Sunda landmass
Sundaland
Sundaland is a biogeographical region of Southeastern Asia which encompasses the areas of the Asian continental shelf that was exposed during the last ice age. It included the Malay Peninsula on the Asian mainland, as well as the large islands of Borneo, Java, and Sumatra and their surrounding...
and New Guinea, predating the Mongoloid and Australoid
Australoid
The Australoid race is a broad racial classification. The concept originated with a typological method of racial classification. They were described as having dark skin with wavy hair, in the case of Veddoids from South Asia and Aboriginal Australians, or hair ranging from straight to kinky in the...
peoples who later entered Southeast Asia. Alternatively, some scientists claim they are merely a group of Australo-Melanesians who have undergone island dwarfing over thousands of years, reducing their food intake in order to cope with limited resources and adapt to a tropical rainforest environment. Regardless of the theory of origin, geographically speaking, they probably came to Thailand via the lower portion of the Malay Peninsula, through present-day Malaysia.
Coastal migration of the indigenous Mon–Khmer populations
Khmer Empire
The Khmer Empire was one of the most powerful empires in Southeast Asia. The empire, which grew out of the former kingdom of Chenla, at times ruled over and/or vassalized parts of modern-day Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Burma, and Malaysia. Its greatest legacy is Angkor, the site of the capital city...
in Thailand. Archaeologists suspect that the Mon–Khmer may have spread through 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...
throughout the metal ages, bringing rice agriculture, metalworking, domestic animals, and the Mon–Khmer languages to the region. They are believed to have spread through Southeast Asia from west to east along the coast, and then subsequently migrated inland along the rivers to the central plains of Thailand, long before the arrival of the now dominant Tai
Tai peoples
The Tai ethnicity refers collectively to the ethnic groups of southern China and Southeast Asia, stretching from Hainan to eastern India and from southern Sichuan to Laos, Thailand, and parts of Vietnam, which speak languages in the Tai family and share similar traditions and festivals, including...
.
Origin of the Mon–Khmer peoples
Comparative linguistics reveals that the Mon–Khmer are of Austro-Asiatic descent. Genetic research suggests that Y-DNA Haplogroup O2aHaplogroup O2a (Y-DNA)
In genetics, Haplogroup O2a is a human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup.Haplogroup O2a is a descendent branch of Haplogroup O2. Its closest extant phylogenetic relatives are the Haplogroup O2* Y-chromosomes found at a low frequency throughout most of East Eurasia and the Haplogroup O2b Y-chromosomes...
is the primary marker associated with the Austro-Asiatic ethnicities, suggesting that some 35,000 years ago, the Austro-Asiatic people were homogeneous with the Sino-Tibetan
Sino-Tibetan languages
The Sino-Tibetan languages are a language family comprising, at least, the Chinese and the Tibeto-Burman languages, including some 250 languages of East Asia, Southeast Asia and parts of South Asia. They are second only to the Indo-European languages in terms of the number of native speakers...
, Austronesian
Austronesian people
The Austronesian-speaking peoples are various populations in Oceania and Southeast Asia that speak languages of the Austronesian family. They include Taiwanese aborigines; the majority ethnic groups of East Timor, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei, Madagascar, Micronesia, and Polynesia,...
, and Hmong–Mien peoples (prior to the evolution of Y-DNA Haplogroup O
Haplogroup O (Y-DNA)
In human genetics, Haplogroup O is a Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup. Haplogroup O is a close cladistic brother group with Haplogroup N, and is one of several descendants of Haplogroup K ....
into its present clades), sharing a common homeland in Southeast Asia. The coastal immigration theory suggests that the Mon–Khmer probably first entered Thailand from the Malaysia.
Regional Mon–Khmer migration throughout Southeast Asia and cross-cultural infusion
Throughout the history of Southeast Asia, the various Mon–Khmer and other Austro-Asiatic ethnic groups of the region have migrated from one territory to another within the region, for reasons such as the expansion and contraction of political boundaries (particularly during the Khmer EmpireKhmer Empire
The Khmer Empire was one of the most powerful empires in Southeast Asia. The empire, which grew out of the former kingdom of Chenla, at times ruled over and/or vassalized parts of modern-day Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Burma, and Malaysia. Its greatest legacy is Angkor, the site of the capital city...
), the expansion of individual tribal populations, and the threats imposed by other civilizations in the region. Also, in early days, the Austro-Asiatic were a hunter-gatherer civilization, a lifestyle which lends itself to continuous migration. Along with this ongoing intra-regional migration, there has been considerable cross-cultural inter-marriage over the years between the Mon–Khmer peoples and other Southeast Asian civilizations, resulting in a Mon–Khmer population very different in both physical appearance and culture from other branches of the Austro-Asiatic ethnic tree who migrated elsewhere. Likewise, Mon–Khmer have largely assimilated into the later-arriving dominant Tai population in Thailand, beginning at an early stage in the region's history, thereby infusing their culture and genetics into the modern Thai people.
Individual Mon–Khmer ethnic groups in Thailand
Pear people
The Pear people are an indigenous group living a sparse existence after years of conflict in Cambodia and Thailand.-Ethnography:Pears call themselves: Samré in Pursat Province; Samray in Battambang; Chong and Chong-Samré in the Trat Province of eastern Thailand; and Chong la and Chong heap, in...
peoples who are indigenous to neighboring Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
. The following Mon–Khmer ethnic groups currently reside in Thailand:
- Aslian clade (indigenous to the Malay Peninsula)
- Kensiu
- Kintaq
- Viet–Muong clade
- So (forest tribe straddling the Thai-Laotian border)
- Monic clade (indigenous to Burma and Thailand)
- MonMon peopleThe Mon are an ethnic group from Burma , living mostly in Mon State, Bago Division, the Irrawaddy Delta, and along the southern Thai–Burmese border. One of the earliest peoples to reside in Southeast Asia, the Mon were responsible for the spread of Theravada Buddhism in Burma and Thailand...
- NyahkurNyah Kur languageThe Nyah Kur language is an Austroasiatic language spoken by a remnant of the Mon people of Dvaravati, the Nyah Kur people, who live in present-day Thailand...
(Nyah Kur, Chao-bon)
- Mon
- Pearic cladePear (people)The Pear people are an indigenous group living a sparse existence after years of conflict in Cambodia and Thailand.-Ethnography:Pears call themselves: Samré in Pursat Province; Samray in Battambang; Chong and Chong-Samré in the Trat Province of eastern Thailand; and Chong la and Chong heap, in...
(indigenous to Cambodia, fled recently to Thailand, but were probably a people of Thailand as well during prehistoric times)- ChongChong languageChong, or more specifically Western Chong , is an endangered language spoken in Cambodia and southeastern Thailand. It is a Western Pearic language in the Eastern Mon–Khmer language family branch. Chong is currently the focus of a language revitalization project in Thailand.The Chong language is...
- Chong Heap
- Chong La
- Chong-Samré
- Sa'ochPear (people)The Pear people are an indigenous group living a sparse existence after years of conflict in Cambodia and Thailand.-Ethnography:Pears call themselves: Samré in Pursat Province; Samray in Battambang; Chong and Chong-Samré in the Trat Province of eastern Thailand; and Chong la and Chong heap, in...
- Chong
- Katuic clade (indigenous to Thailand and surrounding countries to the east)
- BruBru peopleThe Bru are an ethnic group living in Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. They speak Bru, a Mon–Khmer language, which has several dialects...
- KuyKuy languageKuy language is a Katuic language, part of the larger Austroasiatic family.Kuy is one of the more important languages of the Mon–Khmer family...
- Nyeu
- Bru
- KhmerKhmer peopleKhmer people are the predominant ethnic group in Cambodia, accounting for approximately 90% of the 14.8 million people in the country. They speak the Khmer language, which is part of the larger Mon–Khmer language family found throughout Southeast Asia...
(indigenous to Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam)
Arrival of Malayic peoples by sea
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
prior to or contemporaneous with the Malay people, but long before the Tai
Tai peoples
The Tai ethnicity refers collectively to the ethnic groups of southern China and Southeast Asia, stretching from Hainan to eastern India and from southern Sichuan to Laos, Thailand, and parts of Vietnam, which speak languages in the Tai family and share similar traditions and festivals, including...
came into the region.
Origin of the Malayic peoples
It is believed that the ancient Malayic speakers were once part of a greater Malayo-PolynesianMalayo-Polynesian languages
The Malayo-Polynesian languages are a subgroup of the Austronesian languages, with approximately 385.5 million speakers. These are widely dispersed throughout the island nations of Southeast Asia and the Pacific Ocean, with a smaller number in continental Asia...
people who originated in Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and then expanded outwards into Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
and later into the Malay Peninsula
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
, establishing substantial settlements in present-day Malaysia. They were part of an earlier Austronesian
Austronesian people
The Austronesian-speaking peoples are various populations in Oceania and Southeast Asia that speak languages of the Austronesian family. They include Taiwanese aborigines; the majority ethnic groups of East Timor, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei, Madagascar, Micronesia, and Polynesia,...
ethnicity originating on the Island of Formosa
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
(Taiwan). It is believed that the Y-DNA haplogroup O1
Haplogroup O1 (Y-DNA)
In human genetics, Haplogroup O1 is a Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup. Haplogroup O1 is a descendent branch of the greater Haplogroup O.The great majority of Y-chromosomes within Haplogroup O1 belong to its subgroup O1a .-Origins:...
is associated with the Austronesian people
Austronesian people
The Austronesian-speaking peoples are various populations in Oceania and Southeast Asia that speak languages of the Austronesian family. They include Taiwanese aborigines; the majority ethnic groups of East Timor, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei, Madagascar, Micronesia, and Polynesia,...
, thus suggesting that prior to their arrival in Taiwan, they were part of an earlier ethnicity in China which encompassed the Sino-Tibetan and Austro-Asiatic
Austro-Asiatic languages
The Austro-Asiatic languages, in recent classifications synonymous with Mon–Khmer, are a large language family of Southeast Asia, also scattered throughout India and Bangladesh. The name Austro-Asiatic comes from the Latin words for "south" and "Asia", hence "South Asia"...
people as well. Archaeological evidence supports this theory, and suggests that the Austronesians may have come to Southeast Asia via boat, south from mainland China through Formosa island after settling for a period of time in mainland China.
Individual Malayo-Polynesian ethnic groups in Thailand
- Cham (population of 4,000 in Thailand, considered to be descendants of the kingdom of ChampaChampaThe kingdom of Champa was an Indianized kingdom that controlled what is now southern and central Vietnam from approximately the 7th century through to 1832.The Cham people are remnants...
, the only Malayo-Polynesian ethnic group in Thailand to have migrated by land, coming from the coastal region of Vietnam where they had settled over a thousand years ago by sea, to Thailand via CambodiaCambodiaCambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
in recent times) - Malay (Peninsular and Island ethnic groups in Southern Thailand)
- PattaniPattaniPattani may refer to* Pattani Province, in southern Thailand* Pattani , in southern Thailand* Pattani , which includes the above province** Pattani Kingdom, a former semi-independent kingdom...
- SatunSatun ProvinceSatun is one of the southern provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Trang, Phatthalung and Songkhla...
- Pattani
- Moklen clade (Nomadic sea-based tribes)
- MokenMokenThe Moken , are an Austronesian ethnic group with about 2,000 to 3,000 members who maintain a nomadic, sea-based culture. They speak their own language which belongs to the Austronesian language family.-Nomenclature:They refer to themselves as Moken...
- Moklen
- Moken
- Urak LawoiUrak LawoiUrak Lawoi are an ethnic group residing on the islands of Phuket, Phi Phi, Jum, Lanta, Bulon and on Lipe and Adang, in the Adang Archipelago, off the western coast of Thailand...
(Sea Gypsies residing on the islands of Lipe and Adang, in the Adang Archipelago off the western coast of Thailand)
Gradual inland migration of Tai peoples from China
The Tai migration from the northern mountains into Thailand and Laos was a slow process, with the Tai generally remaining near to the mountainous regions within the region, where they were able to use their specialized agricultural knowledge relating to the use of mountain water resources for rice production. The earliest Tai settlements in Thailand were along the river valleys in along the northern border of the country. Eventually, the Tai settled the central plains of Thailand (which were covered with dense rainforest) and displaced and inter-bred with the pre-existing Austro-Asiatic population. The languages and culture of the Tai eventually came to dominate the regions of both modern-day Laos and Thailand. In more recent times, many of the Tai tribes of Laos also migrated west across the border establishing communities in Thailand. The Laotian Tai ethnic groups, often referred to as the 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...
), are largely clustered in the Isan
Isan
Isan is the northeastern region of Thailand. It is located on the Khorat Plateau, bordered by the Mekong River to the north and east, by Cambodia to the southeast and the Prachinburi mountains south of Nakhon Ratchasima...
region of Thailand.
Origin of the Tai peoples
Tai peoples
The Tai ethnicity refers collectively to the ethnic groups of southern China and Southeast Asia, stretching from Hainan to eastern India and from southern Sichuan to Laos, Thailand, and parts of Vietnam, which speak languages in the Tai family and share similar traditions and festivals, including...
people were a proto-Tai–Kadaiadai-speaking culture of southern China, and that they, like the Malay-Polynesians, may have originally been of Austronesian descent. Prior to inhabiting mainland China, the Tai are suspected to have migrated from a homeland on the island of Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
where they spoke a dialect of Proto-Austronesian or one of its descendant languages. After the arrival of Sino-Tibetan speaking ethnic groups from mainland China to the island of Taiwan, the Tai would have then migrated into mainland China, perhaps along the Pearl River
Pearl River (China)
The Pearl River or less commonly, the "Guangdong River" or "Canton River" etc., , is an extensive river system in southern China. The name Pearl River is usually used as a catchment term to refer to the watersheds of the Xi Jiang , the Bei Jiang , and the Dong Jiang...
, where their language greatly changed in character from the other Austronesian languages under influence of Sino-Tibetan and Hmong–Mien language infusion. The coming of the Han Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
to this region of southern China may have prompted the Tai to migrate in mass once again, this time southward over the mountains of southern China into Southeast Asia via the mountains of Burma and Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
to the north 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...
. It is believed that the Tai ethnic groups began migrating southward from China and into Southeast Asia during the first millennium A.D. While this theory of the origin of the Tai is currently the leading theory, there is insufficient archaeological evidence to prove or disprove the proposition at this time, and the linguistic evidence alone is not conclusive. However, in further support of the theory, it is believed that the O1 Y-DNA haplogroup
Haplogroup O1 (Y-DNA)
In human genetics, Haplogroup O1 is a Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup. Haplogroup O1 is a descendent branch of the greater Haplogroup O.The great majority of Y-chromosomes within Haplogroup O1 belong to its subgroup O1a .-Origins:...
is associated with both the Austronesian people
Austronesian people
The Austronesian-speaking peoples are various populations in Oceania and Southeast Asia that speak languages of the Austronesian family. They include Taiwanese aborigines; the majority ethnic groups of East Timor, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei, Madagascar, Micronesia, and Polynesia,...
and the Tai.
Tai ethnic fusion
Over the years, the Tai intermarried and absorbed many of the other populations who co-inhabited and/or politically occupied the region, particularly populations of Mon–Khmer, Burmese, and Chinese descent. This fusion of ethnicity has led to considerable genetic diversity in the modern Thai peopleThai people
The Thai people, or Siamese, 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...
, and has resulted in a Tai population significantly different in culture, language and physical appearance from the Tai ethnic groups who remained in China. In addition, many of the individual Tai ethnic groups have merged under a common Thai identity, and have adopted a nationalistic view of their culture.
Individual Tai ethnic groups in Thailand
There are presently upwards of 30 distinct Tai ethnic groups within Thailand, making up nearly 85% of the nation's population. The genetic stratification of the ethnic clades of the Tai ethnicity is a topic of present debate among linguists and other social scientists. A list of the individual Tai ethnic groups is provided in a separate article: List of Tai ethnic groups in Southeast Asia (Thailand).Continuous diverse Chinese immigration from the 13th century
The history of ChineseThai Chinese
The Thai Chinese are an overseas Chinese community who live in Thailand. Thailand is home to the largest, oldest, most prominent, and most integrated overseas Chinese community in the world with a population of approximately 9.5 million people...
immigration to 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...
dates back many centuries, and the specific Chinese ethnic groups which made their way to Thailand are numerous, although there is a greater concentration of Chinese from the southern provinces due to their geographic proximity to Thailand. The Chinese are a part of the greater Sino-Tibetan ethnicity which also includes the Tibeto-Burmans. The Chinese immigrants were largely able to merge into the predominant Tai culture, and have contributed significantly to the economy and infrastructure of Thailand over the years. Even the current King of Thailand is part Chinese, on his mother's side. Also of note, the Khek River
Wang Thong River
The Wang Thong River is a river in Thailand. Its source lies in the Phetchabun Mountains in the Khao Kho District, Thailand.It flows through Thung Salaeng Luang National Park and forms Namtok Sri Dit and Namtok Kaeng Sopha in the Wang Thong District of Phitsanulok Province, and finally flows...
in Thailand derives its name from the Thai word Khek, which is the Thai name for the Hakka
Hakka people
The Hakka , sometimes Hakka Han, are Han Chinese who speak the Hakka language and have links to the provincial areas of Guangdong, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan and Fujian in China....
people of China who settled along its banks in the Phitsanulok Province
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....
.
Chinese immigration during the Ayutthayan Period
Chinese traders in Thailand, mostly from Fujian and Guangdong, began arriving in AyutthayaAyutthaya kingdom
Ayutthaya was a Siamese kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767. Ayutthaya was friendly towards foreign traders, including the Chinese, Vietnamese , Indians, Japanese and Persians, and later the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and French, permitting them to set up villages outside the walls of the...
by at least the thirteenth century. Ayutthaya was under almost constant Burmese threat from the 16th century, and Qianlong, the Emperor of Qing
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
was alarmed by the Burmese military might. From 1766-1769, Qianlong sent his armies four times to subdue the Burmese, but all four invasions failed. Ayutthaya fell to the Burmese in 1767. During the Ayutthaya period, many of the Chinese traders and soldiers inter-married with the local Tai, infusing Chinese culture among the population early in its history.
18th and 19th century male Chinese immigration
In the 18th century, General TaksinTaksin
Taksin ; was the only King of the Thonburi Kingdom...
actively encouraged Chinese immigration and trade. Settlers principally from Chaozhou
Chaozhou
Chaozhou is a city in eastern Guangdong province of the People's Republic of China. It borders Shantou to the south, Jieyang to the southwest, Meizhou to the northwest, the province of Fujian to the east, and the South China Sea to the southeast...
prefecture came in large numbers. By 1825, the population of Chinese in Thailand was 230,000, and grew steadily as a constant stream of Chinese immigrants entered the country throughout the 19th century. Early Chinese immigration consisted almost entirely of Chinese men who married Thai women. Children of such intermarriages were known as Luk-jin (ลูกจีน) in Thai.
20th century immigration of Chinese families
The Chinese population in Thailand rose to 792,000 by 1910. By 1932, approximately 12.2% of the population of Thailand was Chinese. The corruption of the Qing dynasty and the massive population increase in China, along with very high taxes, caused many families to leave China for Thailand in search of work. The Chinese who came before the World War One generally came by sailboats called sampans; whereas by the end of World War Two, most came by steam ships. The earlier tradition of Chinese-Thai intermarriage declined when large numbers of Chinese women began to emigrate into Thailand in the early 20th century. Moreover, the new arrivals frequently came in families and resisted assimilation.Burmese infusion during the Ayutthaya Period
Historical evidence suggests that Burmese intermarriage with the Tai in Thailand likely occurred during the Burmese occupation of Ayutthaya. These Burmese invaders from the Pagan KingdomPagan Kingdom
The Pagan Kingdom or Pagan Dynasty was the first kingdom to unify the regions that would later constitute the modern-day Burma...
were largely of Tibeto-Burman
Tibeto-Burman languages
The Tibeto-Burman languages are the non-Chinese members of the Sino-Tibetan language family, over 400 of which are spoken thoughout the highlands of southeast Asia, as well as lowland areas in Burma ....
ethnicity, particularly members of the Bamar
Bamar
The Bamar are the dominant ethnic group of Burma , constituting approximately two-thirds of the population. The Bamar live primarily in the Irrawaddy basin, and speak the Burmese language, which is also the official language of Burma. Bamar customs and identity are closely intertwined with general...
people, (with an infusion of indigenous Southeast Asian Mon–Khmer ancestry).
Origin of the Tibeto-Burman peoples
The Tibeto-Burmans in Southeast Asia primarily took a migration route from western ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, expanding southward into the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
of Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
, and southeast into Burma. Comparative linguistics
Comparative linguistics
Comparative linguistics is a branch of historical linguistics that is concerned with comparing languages to establish their historical relatedness....
suggests that the Tibeto-Burman ethnic groups are part of a larger ethnicity referred to as Sino-Tibetan
Sino-Tibetan languages
The Sino-Tibetan languages are a language family comprising, at least, the Chinese and the Tibeto-Burman languages, including some 250 languages of East Asia, Southeast Asia and parts of South Asia. They are second only to the Indo-European languages in terms of the number of native speakers...
. The Sino-Tibetan, Hmong–Mien, Tai and Austronesian
Austronesian people
The Austronesian-speaking peoples are various populations in Oceania and Southeast Asia that speak languages of the Austronesian family. They include Taiwanese aborigines; the majority ethnic groups of East Timor, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei, Madagascar, Micronesia, and Polynesia,...
ethnicities all have high incidence of Y-DNA haplogroup O, which suggests a common ancestral ethnicity along the lines of 35,000 years ago in an area within the borders of the present-day Peoples Republic of China.
Lolo migration from Tibet via Burma
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, who are also said to be the ancestors of the Tibetan
Tibetan people
The Tibetan people are an ethnic group that is native to Tibet, which is mostly in the People's Republic of China. They number 5.4 million and are the 10th largest ethnic group in the country. Significant Tibetan minorities also live in India, Nepal, and Bhutan...
, Naxi and Qiang peoples. They migrated from Southeastern Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
through Sichuan and into Yunnan Province, where their largest populations can be found today.
Origin of the Lolo
The LoloYi people
The Yi or Lolo people are an ethnic group in China, Vietnam, and Thailand. Numbering 8 million, they are the seventh largest of the 55 ethnic minority groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China...
(also commonly referred to as the Yi) is one of the two major distinct Tibeto-Burmese ethnicities within present-day Thailand, along with the Karen
Karen people
The Karen or Kayin people , are a Sino-Tibetan language speaking ethnic group which resides primarily in southern and southeastern Burma . The Karen make up approximately 7 percent of the total Burmese population of approximately 50 million people...
. The Lolo migrated southeast from Burma into Thailand.
Individual Loloish ethnic groups in Thailand
The LoloishYi people
The Yi or Lolo people are an ethnic group in China, Vietnam, and Thailand. Numbering 8 million, they are the seventh largest of the 55 ethnic minority groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China...
of Thailand are generally hill tribes in the northern portion of the country, near the border with Burma. A list of the Loloish ethnic groups of significant size within Thailand are as follows:
- Southern Loloish clade
- Akha sub-clade
- Akha (population of approximately 60,000 in Thailand, centered around Chiang RaiChiang Rai ProvinceChiang Rai is the northernmost province of Thailand. Neighbouring provinces are Phayao, Lampang and Chiang Mai. In the north it borders Shan State of Myanmar and Bokeo of Laos.-Geography:...
, Chiang MaiChiang Mai ProvinceChiang Mai is the second-largest province of Thailand, located in the north of the country. Neighboring provinces are Chiang Rai, Lampang, Lamphun, Tak, and Mae Hong Son. In the north it borders Shan State of Burma...
and Mae Hong SonMae Hong Son ProvinceMost of the areas of Mae Hong Son Province are complex mountain ranges and likely still pristine virgin forest. Of the approximately 6,976,650 rai of national forest reserves, 88.02% is thought to be pristine virgin forest...
Provinces) - LahuLahu peopleThe Lahu are an ethnic group of Southeast Asia and China.They are one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China, where about 450,000 live in Yunnan province. An estimated 150,000 live in Burma. In Thailand, Lahu are one of the six main hill tribes; their...
(population of approximately 52,000 in Thailand)
- Akha (population of approximately 60,000 in Thailand, centered around Chiang Rai
- Bisu (population of approximately 1,000 in Thailand, centered around Chiang RaiChiang Rai ProvinceChiang Rai is the northernmost province of Thailand. Neighbouring provinces are Phayao, Lampang and Chiang Mai. In the north it borders Shan State of Myanmar and Bokeo of Laos.-Geography:...
and LampangLampang ProvinceLampang is one of the northern provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Chiang Rai, Phayao, Phrae, Sukhothai, Tak, Lamphun and Chiang Mai. The old name of Lampang is Khelang Nakhon.-Geography:...
Provinces) - MpiMPI-Science, information technology and engineering:* Magnetic particle imaging, an imaging technique still being developed* Magnetic-particle inspection, a non-destructive method used to detect defects in ferrous materials...
(population of approximately 1,200 within Thailand) - Phunoi
- UgongUgongThe Ugong are an ethnic group in ThailandIt is also a town in Pasig City in the Philippines-Geographic Distribution:There are approximately 500 Ugong in the Suphan Buri Province of Thailand....
- Akha sub-clade
- Northern Loloish clade
- Lisu (population of approximately 16,000 in Thailand)
Hmong–Mien migration from China via Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
during the second half of the nineteenth century, where they established themselves for some time, prior to their arrival in Thailand. An exception to the China-Laos-Thailand migration pattern is the Iu Mien
Iu Mien language
The Iu Mien language is one of the main languages spoken by the Yao people in China, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and more recently the United States, in diaspora. There are about 2,172,000 speakers in total, according to census data in 2000 from China, Vietnam, Thai, Laos, United States of America,...
people, who apparently passed through Vietnam during the thirteenth century, prior to entering Thailand through Laos. The Iu Mien arrived in Thailand approximately 200 years ago, contemporaneously with a large number of other Hmong–Mien migrants.
Origin of the Hmong–Mien peoples
The primary homeland of the Hmong–Mien ethnicity is said to be KweichowGuizhou
' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the southwestern part of the country. Its provincial capital city is Guiyang.- History :...
, a province of southern China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, where they settled at least 2000 years ago.
Palaungic Arrival as Burmese Refugees
Origin of the Palaungic peoples
The Palaungic are closely related to the Mon–Khmer. They are an Austro-Asiatic people of Burma.Individual Palaungic ethnic groups in Thailand
The following is a list of Palaungic ethnic groups of significant size in Thailand:- BlangBlangThe Blang people are an ethnic group. They form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China.-Language:...
(larger population clusters in China and Burma) - LametLametThe Lamet people are an ethnic group in Thailand and Laos.-Name Variations:Lamet are also often referred to as:*Lamed*Khamet*Khamed-Geographic Distribution:...
(larger population cluster in Laos) - LawaLawa peopleLawa are an ethnic group in Laos and northern Thailand. They lived there before Thai people arrived. Today they live often in their traditional way of life, often professing animism. As the other mountain ethnic groups of Thailand, they are known for extraordinary craft skills...
(larger population cluster in China) - Mok (nearly extinct culture along the Wang RiverWang RiverThe Wang River is a river in northern Thailand.-Geography:The Wang River is altogether 335nsnp;km long. Its waters flow from north to south. One of the principal settlements along the river is Lampang, which is situated on the north bank of a curve in the river. From Lampang, the river extends...
in ThailandThailandThailand , 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...
with only 7 members able to speak their aboriginal language) - PalaungDe'angThe Palaung are a Mon–Khmer ethnic minority found in Shan State of Burma, Yunnan province of China and northern Thailand. They live mainly in the northern parts of Shan State in the Pa Laung Self-Administered Zone, with the capital at Namhsan. There are three main subgroups of Palaung: the Palé,...
(indigenous to Burma where they have a population of 257,539, compared to a population of 5,000 in Thailand who arrived recently as refugees)
Karen arrival as refugees from Burma
The Karen left TibetTibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
and migrated to Burma as refugees, establishing themselves along the Burmese border with Thailand. When during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese occupied Burma, long-term tensions between the Karen and Burmese turned into open fighting. After the war ended, Burma was granted independence in January 1948, and the Karen, led by the KNU, attempted to co-exist peacefully with the Burman ethnic majority. However, in the fall of 1948, the Burmese government, led by U Nu
U Nu
For other people with the Burmese name Nu, see Nu .U Nu was a leading Burmese nationalist and political figure of the 20th century...
, began raising and arming irregular political militias known as Sitwundan. In January 1949, some of these militias went on a rampage through Karen communities. In 2004, the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
cited aid agencies estimates that up to 200,000 Karen have been driven from their homes during decades of war, with 120,000 more refugees from Burma, mostly Karen, living in refugee camp
Refugee camp
A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees. Hundreds of thousands of people may live in any one single camp. Usually they are built and run by a government, the United Nations, or international organizations, or NGOs.Refugee camps are generally set up in an impromptu...
s on the Thai side of the Burmese-Thai border. The conflict continues .
Origin of the Karen
The Karen people's ancestors were from TibetTibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
, and are Tibeto-Burman, and therefore distantly related to the Lolo
Yi people
The Yi or Lolo people are an ethnic group in China, Vietnam, and Thailand. Numbering 8 million, they are the seventh largest of the 55 ethnic minority groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China...
.
Individual Karen ethnic groups in Thailand
There are approximately 510,000 people of KarenKaren people
The Karen or Kayin people , are a Sino-Tibetan language speaking ethnic group which resides primarily in southern and southeastern Burma . The Karen make up approximately 7 percent of the total Burmese population of approximately 50 million people...
descent living in Thailand. A list of the Karen ethnic groups of significant size within Thailand are as follows:
- Pa'o
- Pwo clade
- Phrae Pwo
- Northern and Western Pwo
- Sgaw–Bghai clade
- S'gawS'gawThe S'gaw or Paganyaw are an ethnic group of Burma and Thailand. They speak the S'gaw Karen language.-Classification:The S'gaw are a Karen ethnic group, part of the larger Tibeto-Burman ethnicity...
- Kayah (population of approximately 100,000 in Thailand, centered around Mae Hong Son ProvinceMae Hong Son ProvinceMost of the areas of Mae Hong Son Province are complex mountain ranges and likely still pristine virgin forest. Of the approximately 6,976,650 rai of national forest reserves, 88.02% is thought to be pristine virgin forest...
)
- S'gaw
Khmuic arrival as refugees from Laos
The Khmuic people are indigenous Southeast Asians. The center of their population cluster in present-day Laos. They were by and large absorbed by the later arriving Tai ethnicity, except for small populations that migrated to the mountainous regions of Laos during the Tai migration into the region. Most of these ethnic groups entered Thailand recently as refugees from Laos around the outset of the Vietnam War. An exception is the MlabriMlabri
The Mlabri or Mrabri are an ethnic group of Thailand and Laos, and have been called "the most interesting and least understood people in Southeast Asia". Only about 300 or fewer Mlabris remain in the world today, with some estimates as low as 100. A hill tribe in northern Thailand along the border...
, who are a nomadic people whose dwindling population has straddled the forests along the Thai-Laotian border for quite some time.
Origin of the Khmuic peoples
The Khmuic peoples are closely related to the Palaungic peoples. They are an Austro-Asiatic people of Laos.Individual Khmuic ethnic groups in Thailand
The following is a list of Khmuic ethnic groups of significant size in Thailand:- KhmuKhmu peopleThe Khmu is one of the largest ethnic groups based in northern Laos. They can also be found in Burma, southwest China , Thailand, and Vietnam, where they are an officially recognized ethnic group...
- LuaLua peopleThe Lua People are a minority cultural group native to Laos, although some also live in Thailand.Animism, Shamanism and Theravada Buddhism are common spiritual practices for the Lua....
- MlabriMlabriThe Mlabri or Mrabri are an ethnic group of Thailand and Laos, and have been called "the most interesting and least understood people in Southeast Asia". Only about 300 or fewer Mlabris remain in the world today, with some estimates as low as 100. A hill tribe in northern Thailand along the border...
- PhaiPhai peopleThe Phai are an ethnic group in Thailand and Laos.-Name Variation:The Phai are also commonly referred to as Phay, Thung Chan Pray, Kha Phay, and Prai. In Laos they are also referred to as Htin.-Language:...
- Pray
- Tin (referred to as the Mal in Laos)
Expatriate populations in recent times
In recent times, since the development of inter-continental modes of transport in Thailand, including air travel, populations of Indian, JapaneseJapanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
, Korean, European
European people
European people may refer to:*Ethnic groups in Europe*Demographics of Europe*people from Europe*people from the European Union*People outside of Europe of European descent** European African or White African**White American ***European American...
and African
African people
African people refers to natives, inhabitants, or citizen of Africa and to people of African descent.-Etymology:Many etymological hypotheses that have been postulated for the ancient name "Africa":...
descent have added to the ethnic pool of Thailand, particularly around the area of Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
. The Thai often refer to Westerners and those of European descent as farang
Farang
Farang , also spelled falang, is the generic Thai word for a Westerner. A general term for foreigners is khon tang prathet . There is no expressly negative or positive implication in the word itself. However when it is used along with other words, it can bring a negative meaning depending on...
(from the French word Francaise, "farang-sez"), carrying the connotation of "outsider." Most farangs come to Thailand on a temporary basis, although a growing community has begun to settle in Thailand (around 2 million permanent residents by 2008), as the coastal regions of Thailand are establishing themselves as an ideal locations for western businessmen to retire and enjoy a comfortable living. While cost of living in Thailand is relatively low in comparison to Western nations, it is on par or relatively high when compared with neighboring countries. Thailand's relative political stability compared to other nations in the region, however, makes Thailand particularly attractive to westerners.