Thai people

Thailand in Southeast Asia

Thai or Thai woman ( Thai : สัญชาติ ไทย ) is the name of the nationals of the Kingdom of Thailand in Southeast Asia , who currently number around 65 million people. In addition to the most important ethnic group, the Thais , there are representatives of numerous larger and smaller ethnic groups (see ethnic groups in Thailand ). The vast majority of Thais speak the Thai language , which is spoken and understood nationwide despite regional dialects.

As a result of emigration, many Thai people live outside of Thailand. According to the Federal Statistical Office, 58,827 (December 31, 2014) Thais live in Germany. According to statistics from the Swiss Confederation, 8,558 Thais (December 31, 2014) live in Switzerland. According to the Federal Statistical Office of Austria, 4,400 Thai people (January 1, 2015) live in Austria.

Ethnic composition

The anthropologist Charles Keyes, who specializes in Thailand, divides the Thai population into “real Thai”, “regional Thai”, “assimilated Thai” and ethnic minorities. As "real Thai" he describes the Thai who speak standard Thai or central Thai dialects at home. He gives their share of the local population at 36%. The "regional Thai" speak dialects or regional languages ​​that are clearly different from Central Thai and maintain their own cultural traditions, but are also considered Thai as a result of national integration. They make up a total of 46% of the population, made up as follows: 27% Khon Isan (northeast Thai; historically ethnic Lao ), 10% Khon Mueang (northern Thai or Tai Yuan ), 8% Khon Pak Tai (southern Thai ) and 1% other Tai-speaking peoples (e.g. Phu Thai , Phuan , Tai Lü ). He regards the Sino-Thais (descendants of Chinese immigrants) who speak standard Thai at home (6.5%) and people who speak a Mon Khmer language (especially northern Khmer ) in their families as "assimilated Thai" fluent in standard Thai to outsiders (2.5%). In a broader sense, 91% of Thais are “Thai”.

Real ethnic minorities, who are culturally and linguistically distinct from the majority population and are sometimes viewed by them as "problematic Thais", are the unassimilated Chinese (2%), Malays (6%) and " hill tribes " (1%) ).

List of ethnicities

• Akha
• Bru
• Cham
• Chinese (mostly Chaozhou and Hakka )
• Chong
• Hmong
  • Hmong Daw ("White Hmong")
  • Hmong Njua ("Green / Blue Hmong")
• Kaleun
• Karen
  • Kayah
  • Pwo-karen
• Khmer
• Khmu
• Kuy
• Lahu
• Lao
  • Lao Khrang
  • Lao Lom
  • Lao song
  • Lao Wiang
• Lawa
• Lisu
• Malays
• Mani ( Negrito )
• Mlabri
• Moken
• Mon
• Nyahkur (Nyah Kur, Chao-bon)
• Nyaw
• Palaung (De'ang)
• Pear
• Phai
• Phunoi
• Phu Thai
• Phuan
• Saek
• Sam-Sam
• Sa'och
• Shan
  • Tai Kham Ti
• So
• Tai Dam
• Tai Lü (Lü)
• Tai Nüa
• Thai
  • Khorat Thai
  • Isan
  • South Thai
  • Tai Yuan
  • Central Thai
• Urak Lawoi
• Vietnamese
• Yao (Iu-Mien)
• Yi (Lolo)
• Yong

Population development

See main article : Thailand # population

Population development of Thailand

literature

• Chris Baker and Pasuk Phongpaichit : A History of Thailand . Cambridge University Press, 2005.
• Scot Barné: Luang Wichit Wathakan and the Creation of a Thai Identity . Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore 1993.
• Charles F. Keyes: Thailand: Buddhist Kingdom as modern nation state . Boulder, Co .: Westview Press, 1987.
• Pinkaew Laungaramsri: Ethnicity and the politics of ethnic classification in Thailand. In: Ethnicity in Asia. Routledge Shorton, London / New York 2003.
• Sompong Sucharitkul: Thai Nationality in International Perspective. In: Nationality and International Law in Asian Perspective. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Dordrecht 1990, pp. 453-492.
• David K. Wyatt : Thailand. A short history. 2nd edition, Silkworm Books, Chiang Mai: 2003. ISBN 974-9575-44-X .

Individual evidence

1. ^ Volker Grabowsky : Brief history of Thailand. CH Beck, Munich 2010, ISBN 978-3-406-60129-3 , p. 92.