Thailand: Thailand People Profile

About 75 % of the inhabitants of Thailand are Thai, a Mongoloid people ethnically related to the Lao of Laos and the Shan of Burma. The Thai are divided into four major groups—the Thai Bhak Klang, as well known as the Central Thai because they live in the central region around Bangkok; the Thai Pak Tai in the south; the Thai Yuan in the north; and the Thai Isan (or Lao), who live in the northeast along the Laotian border.

Thailand's major non-Thai minority consists of Chinese, who make up additional than 10 % of the people. Part the other non-Thai peoples are Malays, Karens, Indians, Cambodians, and Vietnamese.

 

The ancestors of the Thai inhabited the Yangtze valley in southern China some 4,500 years ago. Pressure from the Chinese gradually forced them farther and farther south into what is presently Thailand.

Theravada Buddhism is the national religion; about 95 % of the people is Buddhist. A lot of of these people are as well animists; they believe in spirits, the power of charms, and the sacredness of the white elephant. Religious life centers around the wat (temple), which is as well significant in the social, cultural, and civic life of each community. All other religions in Thailand, inclunding Islam, Christianity, Confucianism, and Hinduism, have complete freedom.

The official language is Thai. In general, the words are monosyllables and are similar in pronunciation to Chinese, with various intonations and inflections. There are several Thai dialects, the principal one being Central Thai. English is a second language of most well-educated Thais and is taught in a lot of schools. Additional than 30 other languages and dialects are spoken in Thailand.

The alphabet of Thailand was developed by King Ramkamhaeng in the 13th century. It is derived from a script that can be traced to 7th- and 8th-century Sanskrit inscriptions from southern India.