The Phai are an ethnic group

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...

 in 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...

 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...

.

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

The Phai speak a language also called Phai, which is a Khmuic language

Khmuic languages

Khmuic languages are a subgroup of the Mon–Khmer languages.*Khao: Khao, Bit *Mlabri: Mlabri, Yumbri*Xinh Mul: Khang, Phong-Kniang, Puoc...

. The Khmuic languages are Austro-Asiatic. There is some debate as to whether the Khmuic languages are of the Mon-Khmer

Mon-Khmer languages

The Mon–Khmer languages are a language family of Southeast Asia. Together with the Munda languages of India, they are one of the two traditional primary branches of the Austro-Asiatic family...

 branch, but the majority opinion is that they are not.

Geographic Distribution

• Population in Thailand: 36,000 in Nan Province
  Nan Province
  Nan is one of the northern provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Uttaradit, Phrae and Phayao. To the north and east it borders Sainyabuli of Laos.-Geography:...
  
  
• Population in Laos: 15,000 in Phongsali and Xaignabouli Provinces