Thai people
An ethnic group native to Thailand, part of the Tai ethno-linguistic group, speaking Sukhothai languages within the Kra–Dai family.
Thai people, historically known as Siamese people, are an ethnic group native to Thailand. In a narrower and ethnic sense, the Thais are also a Tai ethnic group dominant in Central Thailand (Siam proper). Part of the larger Tai ethno-linguistic group native to Southeast Asia as well as Southern China, Thais speak the Sukhothai languages (Central Thai and Southern Thai language), which is classified as part of the Kra–Dai family of languages. The majority of Thais are followers of Theravada Buddhism.
- label
- Thai people
- also_known_as
- Siamese people
- language_family
- Kra–Dai (Sukhothai languages: Central Thai and Southern Thai)
- majority_religion
- Theravada Buddhism
- population_context
- Dominant ethnic group of Thailand; substantial Han Chinese minority at 12–15%
- historical_exonym
- Siamese
Lore & Background
Government policies during the late 1930s and early 1940s resulted in the successful forced assimilation of various ethno-linguistic groups into the country's dominant Central Thai language and culture, leading to the term Thai people to come to refer to the population of Thailand overall. This includes other subgroups of the Tai ethno-linguistic group, such as the Northern Thais and the Isan people, as well as non-Southeast Asian and non-Tai groups, the largest of which is that of the Han Chinese, who form a substantial minority ethnic group in Thailand at about 12 to 15%.
Reader's Guide
By endonym, Thai people refer themselves as 'Thai' (ไทย, ไท), whose term eventually being derived from Proto-Tai meaning free, which emphasise that Thailand has never been a colony in the late modern period. Academically, Thai people are referred to as the Chao Phraya Thais (ไทยลุ่มเจ้าพระยา, Thai lum chao phraya). Ethnically, Thai people are called Siamese (สยาม, sayam) or Thai Siam (ไทยสยาม, thai sayam), which refers to the Tai people inhabited in Central and Southern Thailand; Siamese people are subdivided into three groups: Khon Phak Klang (คนภาคกลาง, lit: Central Thai people) or Khon Tai (คนใต้, lit: Southern Thai people) and Khorat Thai (โคราช). Siamese was also, by historically, the exonym of those people. In Du royaume de Siam, Simon de la Loubère recorded that the people whom he spoke were Tai Noi (ไทน้อย), which were different from Shan people (or Tai Yai), who lived on the mountainous area of what is now Shan State in Myanmar. On 24 June 1939, however, Plaek Phibunsongkhram formally renamed the country and its people Thailand and Thai people respectively. Due to the partial success of Thaification, the term Thai people, often creates ambiguity among the various Tai groups in the country, especially the Sino-Thai who also call themselves the same.
Did You Know?
- The term 'Thai' is derived from Proto-Tai meaning 'free', emphasising that Thailand has never been a colony in the late modern period.
- The French diplomat Simon de la Loubère recorded that the Siamese call themselves 'Tai Noe' (little Siams), while 'Tai yai' (great Siams) live in the Northern Mountains.
- The present-day descendants of the ancient Qiān population, known as the Nyah Kur people, maintain the Nyah Kur language and reside primarily in the highland region surrounding Si Thep.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the Thai people?
They are a Tai ethnic group originally centered in Central Thailand, historically identified by outsiders as the Siamese. They constitute the dominant ethnic group within modern Thailand.
What language family do Thai people belong to?
They speak languages within the Kra–Dai family, specifically the Sukhothai branch, which encompasses Central Thai and Southern Thai varieties.
What is the majority religion among Thai people?
Theravada Buddhism is the predominant faith practiced across the Thai population.
How did 'Thai people' come to refer to all of Thailand's population?
During the late 1930s and early 1940s, state assimilation policies pushed diverse ethno-linguistic communities toward a unified Central Thai identity, broadening the label to cover the entire national population including subgroups like the Northern Thai.
What is the historical exonym for Thai people?
The term 'Siamese' was the widely used external designation before the name shifted to 'Thai' as the standard reference.
More in Ethnic & Indigenous Groups 1-23
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