Peopling of Thailand

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Chart shows the peopling of Thailand.

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.

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 the mountainous area in the region, where they were able to use their specialized agricultural knowledge relating to the use of mountain water for rice production. The earliest Tai settlements in Thailand were in the river valleys in the northern reaches 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 Austroasiatic 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 Lao, are largely clustered in the Isan region of Thailand.

Origin of the Tai peoples

Main article: Tai peoples
See also: Peopling of China and Rau peoples
Tai-Dong people of Guizhou, China, in traditional dresses, similar to the existing tribe in northern provinces of Thailand

Comparative linguistic research seems to indicate that the Tai peoples were a

Taiwanese Austronesians and the Tai-Kadai peoples of Southern China.[3][4]

James R. Chamberlain (2016) proposes that the Tai-Kadai (Kra-Dai) language family was formed as early as the 12th century BCE in the middle of the

Luo Yue, which moved into Lingnan and Annam and then westward into northeastern Laos and Sip Song Chau Tai, and later became the Central-Southwestern Tai, followed by the Xi Ou, which became the Northern Tai).[5]

The Tai peoples, from

Southwestern Tai and other historical evidence, Pittayawat Pittayaporn (2014) proposes that the southwestward migration of southwestern Tai-speaking tribes from the modern Guangxi to the mainland of Southeast Asia must have taken place sometime between the 8th–10th centuries.[7]
Tai speaking tribes migrated southwestward along the rivers and over the lower passes into Southeast Asia, perhaps prompted by the Chinese expansion and suppression.

Tai ethnic fusion

See also: Thai people

Over the centuries, the Tai intermarried and absorbed many of the other populations who co-inhabited and/or politically occupied the region, particularly populations of

Thai identity
and have adopted Thai cultural norms.

Individual Tai ethnic groups in Thailand

See also:
Tai ethnic groups in Southeast Asia and Ethnic groups in Thailand

There are presently more than 30 distinct Tai ethnic groups in Thailand, contributing nearly 85 percent of the nation's population. The genetic stratification of the ethnic clades of the Tai ethnicity is an ongoing topic of debate among linguists and other social scientists.

Continuous diverse Chinese immigration from the 13th century

See also: Thai Chinese

The history of Chinese 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 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.

Chinese immigration during the Ayutthayan Period

Chinese traders in Thailand, mostly from

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 Chinese traders and soldiers inter-married with local Tai, infusing Chinese culture into the population early in its history.

18th and 19th century male Chinese immigration

In the late-18th century, King Taksin of Thonburi, who was himself half-Chinese, actively encouraged Chinese immigration and trade. Settlers came from Chaozhou prefecture in large numbers.[8] By 1825, the population of Chinese in Thailand had reached 230,000, and it grew steadily due to a constant stream of Chinese immigrants to the country throughout the 19th century. Early Chinese immigration consisted almost entirely of Chinese men, who, of necessity, married Thai women. The children of such intermarriages were called luk-jin (ลูกจีน), meaning 'children of Chinese' in Thai.[9]

20th century immigration of Chinese families

The Chinese population in Thailand had risen to 792,000 by 1910. By 1932, approximately 12.2 percent of the population was ethnic Chinese.[

First World War came overland or by sailboats called sampans, while after World War II most arrived by steam ship.[10]
The earlier tradition of Chinese-Thai intermarriage declined once large numbers of Chinese women immigrated in the early-20th century. New arrivals frequently came as families and resisted assimilation, retaining their Chinese culture and living in all-Chinese areas. Despite this, newer generations of Thai-Chinese have still greatly integrated into Thai culture; second generation or higher Thai-Chinese mostly speak Thai as their primary language and do not speak a Chinese dialect.

Lolo migration from Tibet via Burma

Loloish Akha tribe wearing traditional dress

Some Loloish tribes such as the Lisu arrived in Thailand as recently as 100 years ago,[11] while others came at a much earlier date. The Lolo are believed to have 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.

Origin of the Lolo

See also:
Peopling of Burma

The Lolo (also commonly referred to as the Yi) are 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.

Individual Loloish ethnic groups in Thailand

The Loloish 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:[12]

  • Southern Loloish clade
    • Akha sub-clade
      • Mae Hong Son
        Provinces)
      • Lahu (population of approximately 52,000 in Thailand)
    • Lampang
      Provinces)
    • Mpi
      (population of approximately 1,200 within Thailand)
    • Phunoi
    • Ugong
  • Northern Loloish clade
    • Lisu (population of approximately 16,000 in Thailand)

Hmong–Mien migration from China via Laos

Women in traditional Hmong dress
See also: Hmong people and Miao people

Like the Lolo, many of the Hmong–Mien ethnic groups are among the hill tribes in Thailand. Their population is clustered in the northeastern region of Thailand near the Laotian border. The Hmong–Mien of Thailand generally migrated from China in the second half of the 19th century through Laos, where they established themselves for some time prior to their arrival in Thailand.[13] An exception to the China-Laos-Thailand migration pattern is the Iu Mien people, who apparently passed through Vietnam during the 13th century, prior to entering Thailand through Laos.[13] The Iu Mien arrived in Thailand approximately 200 years ago, contemporaneously with a large number of other Hmong–Mien migrants.[13]

Origin of the Hmong–Mien peoples

See also: Peopling of China

The primary homeland of the Hmong–Mien ethnicity is said to be Kweichow, a province of southern China, where they settled at least 2,000 years ago.[13]

Karen arrival as refugees from Burma

The Karen left

aid agencies estimates that up to 200,000 Karen were driven from their homes during decades of war, with 120,000 more refugees from Burma, mostly Karen, living in refugee camps
on the Thai side of the Burmese-Thai border.

Origin of the Karen

See also:
Peopling of Tibet

The Karen people's ancestors were from Tibet, and are Tibeto-Burman, and therefore distantly related to the Lolo.

Individual Karen ethnic groups in Thailand

There are approximately 510,000 people of Karen descent living in Thailand.[12] A list of the Karen ethnic groups of significant size within Thailand are:[12]

  • Pa'o
  • Pwo clade
    • Phrae Pwo
    • Northern and Western Pwo
  • Sgaw–Bghai clade
    • S'gaw
    • Mae Hong Son Province
      )

See also

References

  1. ^ Sagart 2004, pp. 411–440.
  2. ^ Blench 2004, p. 12.
  3. ^ Blench 2009, pp. 4–7.
  4. ^ Blench 2008, pp. 17–32.
  5. ^ a b c Chamberlain (2016)
  6. ^ Evans 2002, p. 2.
  7. ^ Pittayaporn 2014, pp. 47–64.
  8. ISBN 978-1-4039-6154-9
    .
  9. ISBN 978-0-8223-2517-8
    .
  10. ^ ARAdmin. "Chinese Migration to Thailand". Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  11. ^ "BRIEFLY ABOUT THE LISU HILL-TRIBE IN THAILAND". Archived from the original on 2007-03-02. Retrieved 2007-11-01.
  12. ^ a b c "Thailand". Ethnologue. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  13. ^
    PMID 17767728
    .
  14. ^ Martin Smith (1991). Burma - Insurgency and the Politics of Ethnicity. London and New Jersey: Zed Books. pp. 62–63, 72–73, 78–79, 82–84, 114–118, 86, 119.


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