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172-497: Thai Chinese (also known as Chinese Thais , Sino-Thais ) are Chinese descendants in Thailand . Thai Chinese are the largest minority group in the country and the largest overseas Chinese community in the world with a population of approximately 7–10 million people, accounting for 11–14 percent of the total population of the country as of 2012. It is also the oldest and most prominently integrated overseas Chinese community, with

344-595: A Thai language test and for principals of all schools to implement standards set by the Thai Ministry of Education . Legislation by King Rama VI (1910–1925) that required the adoption of Thai surnames was largely directed at the Chinese community as a number of ethnic Chinese families left Burma between 1930 and 1950 and settled in the Ratchaburi and Kanchanaburi Provinces of western Thailand. A few of

516-459: A Thai Chinese author Botan. In the modern Thai language there are many signs of Chinese influence. In the 2000 census, 231,350 people identified themselves as speakers of a variant of Chinese ( Teochew , Hakka , Hainanese , Hokkien or Cantonese ). The Teochew dialect has served as the language of Bangkok's influential Chinese merchants' circles since the foundation of the city in the 18th century. Although Chinese language schools were closed during

688-457: A burgeoning marketplace. This trend was especially pronounced among Chinese merchants who ventured into small-scale agricultural enterprises, such as the trading of longans, durians, mangosteens, oranges, and apples. In addition to those in the shipping industry, some of the original traders have progressed to become wholesalers, operating warehouses along the river to facilitate the distribution of goods to Bangkok and other parts of Thailand. Within

860-673: A cease-fire and, in 1996, the Mon Unity League was founded. Nowadays, the Mon are a major ethnic group in Myanmar and a minor ethnic group in Thailand . The Mons from Myanmar are called Burmese Mon or Myanmar Mon. The Mons from Thailand are referred as Thai Raman or Thai Mon. A recent study shows that there is a close genetic relationship between central Thai and Mon people in Thailand, who migrated from southern Myanmar. Due to

1032-1023: A dominant group of Chinese particularly in the south of Thailand, mostly can trace their ancestry from Xiamen ; aside from Thais, they also traded with Indians and other foreigners in Thailand. Hokkiens primarily live in Bandon in Surat Thani Province . A smaller Hoklo community can also be found in Hatyai in Songkhla Province . Some Hokkiens live in Bangkok traces their ancestry from Zhangzhou , like Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha . Prominent Hokkien politicians include former prime ministers Chuan Leekpai , Anand Panyarachun and Srettha Thavisin . The Cantonese predominantly came from Taishan as well as Xinhui counties in Jiangmen as well as

1204-480: A fiercely competitive atmosphere, albeit they are overshadowed by stiff competition from petty Chinese traders offering Chinese goods in the border markets of northern Laos and northern Vietnam, as well as in urban Cambodia. With the rise of China as a global economic power, Thai businesses under Chinese hands are now at the forefront of opening up the country's economy for foreign direct investment from mainland China and Thai businesses that are Chinese-owned are now

1376-516: A history dating back to the 1100s. Slightly more than half of the ethnic Chinese population in Thailand trace their ancestry to Chaoshan . This is evidenced by the prevalence of the Teochew dialect among the Chinese community in Thailand as well as other Chinese languages. The term as commonly understood signifies those whose ancestors immigrated to Thailand before 1949. The Thai Chinese have been deeply ingrained into all elements of Thai society over

1548-598: A lasting commercial real estate foothold in the Chiang Saen area for overseas investment purposes. Entrepreneurs operating within the private sector of Chiang Saen vastly outnumber investors, with shipping agents being a prominent group, boasting at least ten registered enterprises situated along the banks of the Chiang Saen river. Many of these entrepreneurs share a common ethnic background, having commenced their business endeavors as small-scale operators whose initial calculated speculations yielded significant dividends within

1720-417: A living in both places. The area is known for its high-quality clay and the Mon pottery, including containers and decorative items, is a symbol of their heritage and expertise. The pottery is made of porous earthenware in light orange to red color and features unique designs inspired by nature. Despite technological advancements, the Mon continue to preserve this traditional handicraft. Floral umbrellas have

1892-560: A localized accent or variant of Central Thai, known as Leangkaluang ( Thai : แหลงข้าหลวง ) which exhibits Southern Thai influences. Almost all Thai-Chinese or Sino-Thais, especially those who came to Thailand before the 1950s, only use Thai surname in public, while it was required by Rama VI as a condition of Thai citizenship. The few retaining native Chinese surnames are either recent immigrants or resident aliens. For some immigrants who settled in Southern Thailand before

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2064-592: A long history in Mon culture, dating back to ancient times. In fact, inscriptions have been discovered in northern Thailand that mention the use of umbrellas and palm-leaf manuscripts in Mon religious ceremonies during the Hariphunchai Kingdom , which lasted from the 7th to the 13th century. Today, floral umbrellas are still used in various ceremonies and festivals throughout Mon communities, such as weddings, ordinations, and temple fairs, and remain an important part of Mon cultural heritage. Mon literature

2236-502: A major role in the development of Thailand's economy and national private sector. The early-21st century saw Thais of Chinese ancestry dominate Thai commerce at every level of society. Their economic clout plays a critical role in maintaining the country's economic vitality and prosperity. The economic power of the Thai Chinese is far greater than their proportion of the population would suggest. With their powerful economic presence,

2408-653: A more political or ideological aspect in its use; while many in China may use Zhongguoren to mean the Chinese ethnicity, some in Taiwan would refuse to be called Zhongguoren . Mon people The Mon were one of the earliest to reside in Southeast Asia , and were responsible for the spread of Theravada Buddhism in Mainland Southeast Asia . The civilizations founded by the Mon were some of

2580-505: A mythological water bird that is often illustrated as a swan. It is commonly known by its Burmese name, hintha ( Burmese : ဟင်္သာ , IPA: [hɪ́ɰ̃θà] ) or its Thai name: hong (หงส์). The hongsa is the state symbol of Myanmar's Bago Region and Mon State , two historical Mon strongholds. Also, the hongsa is the city symbol of Thailand's Pak Kret City , a historical Mon settlement area. Mon culture and traditional heritages includes spiritual dances, musical instruments such as

2752-503: A price below the value of the tax revenues. The local Chinese community had long dominated domestic commerce and had served as agents for royal trade monopolies. With the rise of European economic influence, however, many Chinese shifted to opium trafficking and tax collecting, both of which were despised occupations. From 1882 to 1917, nearly 13,000 to 34,000 Chinese legally entered Thailand per year, mostly settling in Bangkok and along

2924-611: A prominent telecommunications and mobile phone manufacturing company in a joint venture with British Telecom since making its foray into the Thai telecommunications industry. Mainland China's most exclusive golf and country clubs, were established and owned by a Thai business tycoon of Chinese ancestry, Chanchai Rouyrungruen (operator of Red Bull drink business in China). It is cited as the most popular golf course in Asia. In 2008, Chanchai became

3096-640: A result of noticeable decrease in barriers to emigration. This shift has resulted in a notable increase in mainland Chinese migrants relocating to developing nations in Southeast Asia, particularly to Thailand during the 1990s and 2000s. Many of these Chinese immigrants include petty traders, financial middlemen, investors, owners of small to medium-sized enterprises in the formal business sector, shipping agents (some of which have Thai partners), smaller import-export agents, as well as independent traders and intermediaries associated with Chinese enterprises. For

3268-548: A select few Chinese entrepreneurs, a number of them have ventured into Thailand to explore potential investment prospects in a market that remains largely untapped amidst the intensifying commercial competition back in China. Certain Chinese real estate investors opt to acquire properties, particularly modern townhouses and structures located along the riverside and in market areas. The rationale behind these property investments has varied, as some investors seek to utilize them for personal residential use, while others strive to establish

3440-412: A wellspring of upfront private equity and venture capital that serve as chief financial backers behind Thailand's latest investment developments including funding Thailand's newest construction projects in addition to financing the country's state-of-the-art telecommunications sector , as Thai entrepreneurs of Chinese ancestry are the key power players behind Thailand's telecommunications industry, being at

3612-555: Is a rich collection of works created by the Mon people in Myanmar and Thailand, including chronicles, poems, songs, folktales, and religious texts. " Lik Smin Asah " is a legendary tale about the establishment of the city of Pegu, "Sangada" is a well-known Mon folktale that has been adapted into Thai and Laotian literature as "Sangsinchay", and "Rājādhirāj" or "Razadarit" is a chronicle of the Mon king translated into Burmese as " Razadarit Ayedawbon " and into Thai as "Rachathirat." Mon literature

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3784-836: Is a small minority of Chinese Muslims known as Chin Ho . They are mainly the descendants of Hui people migrated from Yunnan, China . There are seven Chinese mosques in Chiang Mai . The best known is the Ban Ho Mosque . In addition, Thai Chinese also have some customs that are different from the mainland China, such as not eating beef , especially among elderly who worship Guanyin , etc. The vast majority of Thai Chinese belong to various southern Chinese dialect groups. Of these, 56 percent are Teochew (also commonly spelled as Teochiu), 16 percent Hakka and 11 percent Hainanese . The Cantonese and Hokkien each constitute seven percent of

3956-597: Is a translation into Thai of his family's former name Ma ( trad. 馬, simp. 马, lit. 'horse'). Similarly, the Lim in Sondhi Limthongkul 's and Pita Limjaroenrat 's name is the pronunciation of the name Lin (林). For an example, see the background of the Vejjajiva Palace name. Note that the latter-day Royal Thai General System of Transcription would transcribe it as Wetchachiwa and that

4128-656: Is an identification card issued to residents of the Republic of China who do not hold a National Identification Card. The relationship between ROC nationality and PRC nationality is disputed. Overseas Chinese refers to people of Chinese ethnicity or national heritage who live outside the People's Republic of China or Taiwan as the result of the continuing diaspora . People with one or more Chinese ancestors may consider themselves overseas Chinese. Such people vary widely in terms of cultural assimilation . In some areas throughout

4300-648: Is another prominent Thai Chinese group which are mainly concentrated in Bangkok , Samui and some central provinces. Notable Hainanese Thai families include the Chirathivat family of Central Group and the Yoovidhya family of Krating Daeng , while politicians from this dialect group include former prime minister Pote Sarasin and politicians such as Boonchu Rojanastien , Banyat Bantadtan , Jurin Laksanawisit and Sondhi Limthongkul . Hokkiens or Hoklos are

4472-674: Is another traditional festival celebrated during the Mon New Year. It features boat races, music, dance, feasting, releasing lanterns, and gift exchanging. The festival brings the Mon community together to make offerings for peace and prosperity. The Hae Hang Hong Tong Ta Khab Festival, also known as the Tawai Tong Ta Khab Festival, is an important tradition of the Mon people in Thailand, primarily in Pathum Thani , Pak Kret , and Phra Pradaeng . The festival

4644-556: Is assumed to be the city of Tak or Nakhon Chai Si . Another historical figure, Phaya Kakabatr, is believed to have also come from Takkasila and established the Chula Sakarat era in 638 CE, which was used by the Siamese and Burmese until the 19th century. Phaya Kalavarnadishraj, the son of Phaya Kakabatr, founded Lavo a decade later. By the late 7th century, Lavo had expanded to the north. The legendary Queen Camadevi , who

4816-611: Is considered as prestige dialect of Central Thai language, while the Central Thai language of Central Thai people is considered an inappropriate language, known as ner ( Thai : เหน่อ ). For assimilated second and third generation descendants of Chinese immigrants, it is principally a personal choice whether or not to identify themselves as ethnic Chinese. Nonetheless, nearly all Thai Chinese solely self-identify as Thai, due to their close integration and successful assimilation into Thai society. G. William Skinner observed that

4988-675: Is considered important cultural heritage in Myanmar and Thailand. These works are highly valued for their cultural and historical significance. The Mon people have a mix of spiritual beliefs and Theravada Buddhism as their religion, with a majority of them practicing the mixture. Before Buddhism, three traditional beliefs were followed in the Mon Kingdom, including belief in Kalok (spirits), Isi (holy hermits), and Hinduism . The Mon people traditionally believed in various types of Kaloks (spirits), including family/clan kalok, guardian kalok of

5160-559: Is known in China under well-known household names such as the "Chia Tai Group" and "Zheng Da Ji Tuan". The CP Group also owns and operates Tesco Lotus , one of the largest foreign hypermarket operators with 74 stores and seven distribution centers throughout 30 cities across the mainland. One of CP Group's flagship businesses in China is a US$ 400 million Super Brand Mall , the largest mall in Shanghai's exclusive Pudong business district. Reignwood Pine Valley, CP also controls Telecom Asia ,

5332-485: Is made), whereas the various recognized and unrecognized (by Taiwan) Taiwanese indigenous peoples are collectively recognized (by China) to be " Gaoshanren " (i.e. "High Mountain People"). The Gaoshanren are one of the 56 officially-recognized ethnic groups of China . The Nationality law of the People's Republic of China regulates nationality within the PRC. A person obtains nationality either by birth when at least one parent

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5504-588: Is more common in recent decades. Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), recognizes 17 native Taiwanese ethnic groups as well as numerous other "New Immigrant" ethnic groups (mostly originating from mainland China and Southeast Asia). Of the 17 native Taiwanese ethnic groups, 16 are considered to be indigenous ( Taiwanese indigenous peoples ), whereas one is considered to be non-native ( Han Taiwanese ). There are also several unrecognized indigenous ethnic groups in Taiwan. The Han Taiwanese, who are Han Chinese people living in Taiwan, are usually categorized by

5676-571: Is much more pervasive and subtle throughout the city. With Bangkok's Thai Chinese clan associations are prominent throughout the city as the family clans are major property holders and retain ownership of all the non-profit Chinese-operated schools. With Bangkok being the testament that reflected the extent of Chinese influence on Thailand's economic life, virtually all of Bangkok's business elites are of pure Han Chinese or at least of partial Han Chinese ancestry. Thai entrepreneurs and investors of Chinese ancestry who control much of Thai industry, are seen as

5848-506: Is of Chinese nationality or by naturalization . All people holding nationality of the People's Republic of China are citizens of the Republic. The Resident Identity Card is the official form of identification for residents of the People's Republic of China. Within the People's Republic of China, a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport or Macao Special Administrative Region passport may be issued to permanent residents of Hong Kong or Macao, respectively. The Nationality law of

6020-598: Is remembered for his generosity, having donated a significant amount of gold to the Shwedagon Pagoda, as well as for building important temples in the vicinity of Pegu, including the Shwegugyi Pagoda. In the early sixteenth century, the Bamar regained their momentum at Taungoo , leading to the fall of Hanthawaddy to King Tabinshwehti in 1539. This was after a devastating attack on Lower Burma, in which

6192-541: Is synonymous with the Burmese word for 'noble,' was likely derived from Old Mon "rmeñ" by way of Middle Mon "rman" (ရာမန်). The ethnonym "rmeñ" was first recorded in the Kyanzittha’s New Palace Inscription of AD 1102 in Myanmar. Derivatives of this ethnonym have been found in 6th to 10th-century Old Khmer and 11th-century Javanese inscriptions. The geographic term Rāmaññadesa , which now refers to

6364-481: Is the Luknoo Festival, which marks the end of the monsoon season and the beginning of the new year. It involves the launch of homemade rockets, food offerings to spirits, and cultural activities such as music, dance, and games. The festival is an important part of Mon culture and helps to connect with the community, preserve traditions, and bring good luck for the coming year. The Mon Floating Boat Festival

6536-592: The Chearavanonts , a prominent Thai business family of Chinese ancestry which is one of the most powerful conglomerate companies investing in mainland China today. The conglomerate company is currently the single largest foreign investor in China with over US$ 1 billion invested with hundreds of businesses across a multivarieted range of industries traversing from agricultural food products, aquaculture, retail, hospitality, and industrial manufacturing while employing more than 150,000 people in mainland China. The company

6708-470: The Hariphunchai stupa In 1289, Mangrai also known as Mengrai was visited by merchants from the Mon kingdom of Haripunchai . Hearing of the wealth of that kingdom, he determined to conquer it, against the advice of his counselors. As it was thought impossible to take the city by force, Mangrai sent a merchant named Ai Fa as a mole to gain the confidence of its Phaya Yi Ba. In time, Ai Fa became

6880-638: The Netherlands . The Mon language is part of the Monic group of the Austroasiatic languages (also known as Mon–Khmer language family), closely related to the Nyah Kur language and more distantly related to Khmer and Vietnamese . The writing system is based on Indic scripts . The Mon language is one of the earliest documented vernacular languages of Mainland Southeast Asia. Many languages in

7052-674: The Pallava script , and the oldest form of the Mon script was discovered in a cave in modern-day Saraburi , dating back to around 550 CE. Although no remains have been found from the Thaton Kingdom, it is widely mentioned in Bamar and Lanna chronicles. According to the Northern Thai Chronicles, the city of Lavo (modern Lopburi) was founded by Phaya Kalavarnadishraj in 648 CE. He reportedly came from Takkasila, which

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7224-966: The Taiwanese government into three main ethnic groups; the Taiwanese Hoklos , Taiwanese Hakkas , and waishengren (i.e. " Mainland Chinese people in Taiwan"). The Kinmenese and Matsunese peoples are two other significant Han Taiwanese ethnic groups. The Taiwanese Hoklos and Hakkas are both considered to be "native" populations of Taiwan since they first began migrating to Taiwan in significant numbers from Fujian and Guangdong over 400 years ago (they first began migrating to Taiwan in minor numbers several centuries earlier). They are often collectively referred to in Taiwanese Mandarin as "Benshengren" (meaning "people from this province "). Those self-identifying as Hoklo culturally comprise approximately 70% of Taiwan's total population and

7396-777: The Thaton Kingdom of the Mon people in Lower Burma. The Mon culture and script had a significant influence on the Bamar , bringing the Mons under Bamar control for the first time. Despite this, the Mon remained a majority in Lower Burma. On one hand, the Hariphunchai Kingdom of the Mon prospered during the reign of King Aditayaraj in the early twelfth century. He is said to have fought wars with Suryavarman II of Angkor between 1113 and 1150 CE and constructed

7568-693: The Zhuang , Hui , Manchus , Uyghurs , and Miao , who make up the five largest ethnic minorities in mainland China, with populations of approximately 10 million or more. In addition, the Yi , Tujia , Tibetans and Mongols each have populations between five and ten million. China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), recognizes 56 native Chinese ethnic groups. There are also several unrecognized ethnic groups in China . The term "Chinese people" (Chinese: 中國之人 ; lit. 'People of China' Zhōngguó zhī rén ; Manchu: Dulimbai gurun i niyalma )

7740-473: The ancestral lands as khon krung thep ( Thai : คนกรุงเทพ , lit: Krungthepian, Bangkoker ) or khon chon bu ri ( Thai : คนชลบุรี , lit: Chonburian ), which well known that the Central Thais (Siamese) and Mons were not indigenous to these two provinces, Bangkok and Chonburi . The term Krungthepians still pinned a resentful connotation towards Central Thais, when Krungthep accent

7912-424: The auto manufacturing behemoth Siam Motors are Chinese controlled. In the years between World War I and World War II , Thailand's major exports, rice, tin, rubber, and timber were under Chinese hands. Despite their small numbers as compared to the indigenous Thai population, the Chinese controlled virtually every line of business, ranging from small retail trade to large industries. Comprising merely ten percent of

8084-612: The kyam or "crocodile xylophone", the la gyan hsaing gong chime, the saung harp and a flat stringed instrument. Mon dances are usually played in a formal theater or sometimes in an informal district of any village. The dances are followed by background music using a circular set of tuned drums and claps, crocodile xylophone, gongs, flute, flat guitar, harp, violin, etc. The Mon people in Thailand have been producing pottery for over 200 years. Their ancestors settled in Koh Kret and Nakhon Sawan , using their pottery making skills to earn

8256-920: The principle of considering all Tai groups living in Thailand as part of the Central Thai people . By endonym , with partial success, now Thai Chinese refer themselves as chao thai ( Thai : ชาวไทย , IPA: [tɕʰaːw tʰaj] ), however, the term often creates ambiguity among the various Tai groups in the country, especially the Central/Southern Thai who also call themselves the same, these groups Thai Chinese refer as khon pak klang ( Thai : คนภาคกลาง , lit: Central Thai people ) or khon tai ( Thai : คนใต้ , lit: Southern Thai people ). In cases where details are required, Thai Chinese people refer to themselves as khon thai chuea sai chin ( Thai : คนไทยเชื้อสายจีน , lit: Thai of Chinese origin ), or sometimes may refer to

8428-529: The 1420s, Chinese merchants were involved in the construction of the major Ayutthaya temple Wat Ratchaburana and left several Chinese inscriptions and cultural objects within the temple's crypt, including the inscribing of several Chinese family names. According to the Chronicles of Ayutthaya , Ekathotsarot (r. 1605–1610) had been "concerned solely with ways of enriching his treasury," and was "greatly inclined toward strangers and foreign nations". Following

8600-524: The 17th century, the Bamar king Anaukpetlun launched a counter-attack against the Mon rebels and captured their stronghold at Syriam. Eventually, the Mon lands were retaken, and the capital was moved to Pegu. An unsuccessful Mon uprising occurred in Martaban in 1661, which led to the pursuit of fleeing Mon refugees into Ayutthaya via the Three Pagodas Pass . In the early eighteenth century,

8772-1171: The 1950s, in which later it was overwhelmed by Central Thai internal immigrants . Many of Thai military commanders as well as politicians come from Teochew backgrounds, while others were involved in trade. During the reign of King Taksin, some influential Teochew traders were granted certain privileges. These prominent traders were called "royal Chinese" ( Jin-luang or จีนหลวง in Thai). Prominent Teochew politicians include former prime ministers Phot Phahonyothin , Pridi Banomyong , Chatichai Choonhavan and Banharn Silpa-archa . Hakkas are mainly concentrated around Chiang Mai , Nan, Phuket and central western provinces. The Hakka own many private banks in Thailand, notably Kasikorn Bank and Kiatnakin Bank . Prominent Hakka politicians include former prime ministers Thaksin Shinawatra , Abhisit Vejjajiva and Yingluck Shinawatra , present prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra , former deputy prime minister Supachai Panitchpakdi and Sudarat Keyuraphan . Hainanese people

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8944-543: The 1950s, it was common to simply prefix Sae- (from Chinese : 姓 , 'family name') to a transliteration of their name to form the new family name; Wanlop Saechio 's last name thus derived from the Hainanese 周 and Chanin Sae-ear 's last name is from Hokkien 楊 . Sae is also used by Hmong people in Thailand. In 1950s-1970s Chinese immigrants had that surname in Thailand, although Chinese immigrants to Thailand after

9116-555: The 1970s use their Chinese family names without Sae- therefore these people didn't recognize as Sino-Thais like Thai celebrity, Thassapak Hsu 's last name is Mandarin 's surname 徐 . Sino-Thai surnames are often distinct from those of the other-Thai population, with generally longer names mimicking those of high officials and upper-class Thais and with elements of these longer names retaining their original Chinese family name in translation or transliteration. For example, former Prime Minister Banharn Silpa-Archa 's unusual Archa element

9288-487: The 19th and early-20th centuries, peaking in the 1920s. Whereas Thai Chinese bankers were accused of plunging the Thai peasant into poverty by charging high-interest rates, the reality was that the Thai banking business was highly competitive. Chinese millers and rice traders were blamed for the economic recession that gripped Siam for nearly a decade after 1905. The Chinese then moved into extractive industries such as tin mining, logging and sawmilling, rice milling, as well as

9460-517: The 66 by 1919. Thai Chinese moneylenders also wielded considerable economic power over the poorer indigenous Thai peasants, prompting accusations of Chinese bribery of government officials, wars between the Chinese secret societies , and the use of violent tactics to collect taxes. Chinese success served to foster Thai resentment against the Chinese at a time when their community was expanding rapidly. Waves of Han Chinese immigration swept into Siam in

9632-460: The Burmese from Pegu, but a series of intra-Mon disputes allowed Tabinshwehti's general, Bayinnaung , to recapture the city. Despite Bayinnaung allowing the Mon people to rule over townships and villages and accept them into the military, he did not grant them the right of national self-determination , and therefore the Mon became subservient to the Bamar. Significant Mon uprisings took place during Bayinnaung's reign, including in 1551 and 1564 when

9804-561: The Chief Minister and managed to undermine the King's authority. In 1292, taking advantage of discontent among the people, Mangrai defeated the Mon kingdom of Haripunchai and added it to his kingdom . Phaya Yi Ba, the last king of Hariphunchai, was forced to flee south to Lampang . A few years later, Phaya Yi Ba's son, King Boek of Lampang , attacked Chiang Mai with a large army. King Mangrai and his second son, Prince Khram, led

9976-453: The Chinese — about five-sixths of whom were unmarried men in the prime of life — "as equivalent to an ordinary population of above 37,000, and...to a numerical Malay population of more than 80,000!". He surmised this and other differences noted as providing, "a very just estimate of the comparative state of civilization among nations, or, which is the same thing, of the respective merits of their different social institutions." In 1879,

10148-419: The Chinese community, where a distinct Thai Chinese business community has emerged as the country's most dominant economic force, controlling the entirety of the country's major industry sectors across the Thai economy. The Chinese community has remained active in every sector of Thailand's economy such as agriculture (sugar, maize, vegetables, rubber), industrial manufacturing, financial services, real estate, and

10320-417: The Chinese continue to remain a major impetus underpinning the Thailand's commercial undertakings and economic activities and virtually make up the country's entire wealthy elite. Thailand's lack of an indigenous Thai commercial culture led to the private sector being dominated entirely by Thais of Chinese ancestry themselves. Development policies imposed by the Thai government provided business opportunities for

10492-539: The Chinese controlled all of the steam-powered rice mills, most of which were sold by the British. Most of the leading businessmen in Thailand at this point in time were of Chinese ancestry and accounted for a significant portion of the Thai upper class. In 1890, despite British shipping domination in Bangkok, Thais of Chinese ancestry conducted 62 percent of the Thai shipping sector, operating as agents for Western shipping lines as well as their own. The Chinese also dominated

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10664-553: The Chinese minority. The glaring wealth disparity and the abject poverty of the indigenous Thais resulted in them blaming their socioeconomic ills on the Chinese, especially Chinese moneylenders. Beginning in the late-1930s and recommencing in the 1950s, the Thai government dealt with wealth disparities by pursuing a campaign of forced assimilation achieved through property confiscation, forced expropriation, coercive social policies, and anti-Chinese cultural suppression, seeking to eradicate Han consciousness and identity . Thai Chinese became

10836-464: The Chinese population and three percent belong to other Chinese dialect groups, as reported in 1994. A large number of Thai Chinese are the descendants of intermarriages between Chinese immigrants and Thais, while there are others who are of predominantly or solely of Chinese descent. People who are of mainly Chinese descent are descendants of immigrants who relocated to Thailand as well as other parts of Nanyang (the Chinese term for Southeast Asia used at

11008-550: The Chinese were considered seditious by the Thai government. For example, a translation of Chinese revolutionary Sun Yat-sen 's Three Principles of the People was banned under the Communism Act of 1933. The government had regulated Chinese schools even before compulsory education was established in the country, starting with the Private Schools Act of 1918. This act required all foreign teachers to pass

11180-559: The Chinese. Virtually all of the newly minted manufacturing establishments were Chinese controlled. Despite failed Thai affirmative action -based policies in the 1930s to economically redestribute the nation's wealth to empower the impoverished indigenous Thai majority, 70 percent of retailing outlets and 80 to 90 percent of rice mills remained Chinese-controlled. A survey of Thailand's roughly seventy most powerful business groups found that all but three were owned by Thai Chinese. Although Bangkok has its own Chinatown , Chinese economic influence

11352-564: The Chinese.< According to a Financial Statistics of the 500 Largest Public Companies in Asia Controlled by Overseas Chinese in 1994 chart released by Singaporean geographer Dr. Henry Yeung of the National University of Singapore , 39 companies were concentrated in Thailand with a market capitalization of US$ 35 billion and total assets of US$ 95 billion. Four prominent Thai business families of Chinese ancestry which are

11524-472: The European colonial powers and began to act as compradors for Western trading cooperatives. Thais of Chinese ancestry also entered extraction intensive industries such as tin mining, teak-cutting, saw milling, rice-milling, as well as fostered the modernization of the Thai transportation sector through the construction of ports and railways. By the early 20th century, the resident Chinese community in Bangkok

11696-561: The Hakkas comprise approximately 14% of Taiwan's total population. Meanwhile, the so-called Mainlanders (Taiwanese) are mostly descended from people who migrated from mainland China to Taiwan during the 1940s and 1950s. They are often referred to in Taiwanese Mandarin as "Waishengren" (meaning "people from outside of this province"). The Mainlanders (Taiwanese) comprise approximately 14% of Taiwan's total population. Collectively,

11868-612: The Han Chinese ethnic group) are all unrecognized by the Chinese government . Furthermore, the sixteen Taiwanese indigenous peoples that are officially recognized by the Taiwanese government are also all unrecognized by the Chinese government. The Chinese government also doesn't recognize the ethnic designation "New Immigrant". The Chinese government instead has its own ethnic designations for Taiwanese people. Han Taiwanese people are considered to be Han Chinese people (no distinction

12040-423: The Malay-dominated provinces in the far south use Malay , rather than Thai as a lingua franca, and many have intermarried with local Malays, and are known as Peranakan . They are mostly concentrated in Phuket , Trang and Phang Nga Provinces . In modern sense, Peranakan are not Thai Chinese, because Peranakan speak Southern Thai, while Thai Chinese in Southern Thailand (especially in Hatyai and Bandon ) speak

12212-483: The Mon alphabet, which the Tai developed into their own writing systems as the Tai Tham alphabet , for the Thai Yuan people in the northern Thailand. Although Thai adopted more features from the Old Khmer alphabet than from the Mon, plenty of vocabulary in Thai language today were derived from the Mon language. Burmese has derived and borrowed vocabulary from the Mon language, especially related to administration, architecture, cloth, cuisine and flowers. Nowadays,

12384-583: The Mon heartland on the Burmese coast, was coined by King Dhammazedi in 1479. The Mon of Myanmar are divided into three sub-groups based on their ancestral region in Lower Myanmar, including Mon Nya ( မန်ည ; /mòn ɲaˀ) from Pathein (the Irrawaddy Delta) in the west, Mon Tang ( မန်ဒိုင် ; /mòn tàŋ/ ) in Bago in the central region, and Mon Teh ( မန်ဒ ; /mòn tɛ̀ˀ/ ) at Mottama in

12556-605: The Mon language is recognised as an indigenous language in both Myanmar and Thailand . Due to the fall in number of Mon language speakers in the recent decades, Mon was classified as a "vulnerable" language in UNESCO 's 2010 Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger . The language has an estimated 800,000 Thousand - 1,000,000 Million speakers The symbol of the Mon people is the hongsa ( Mon : ဟံသာ , [hɔŋsa] ),

12728-633: The Mon people to survive in Southern Burma. In 1947, Mon National Day was established to commemorate the founding of Hanthawady , the last Mon Kingdom which was centered in Pegu. The holiday is observed on the full moon of the 11th month of the Mon lunar calendar, except in Phrapadaeng , Thailand where it coincides with the Songkran festival. The Mon soon became anti-colonialists. Following

12900-536: The Mon people. Following Tabinshwehti's coronation in 1546, Ayutthaya launched several raids on Lower Burma, including the successful capture of Tavoy in 1548. With the Toungoo dynasty in disarray after Tabinshwehti's death in 1550, the Mon launched another bid for independence under the leadership of the legendary Mon rebel, the Smim Htaw . The Smim Htaw managed to capture the ancient settlement of Dagon and drive

13072-517: The Mon rebelled multiple times, including at Dagon during the reign of Hsinbyushin , resulting in the destruction of the city. In 1814, the Mon rebelled again, but were harshly put down yet again. These uprisings played a major role in the large wave of Mon migration from Burma to Siam. On the one hand in Siam side, after the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767, two descendants of Mon aristocrats who moved to Siam in 1584; Phraya Pichai and Phraya Chakri became

13244-413: The People's Republic of China. It includes established ethnic groups who have lived within the borders of premodern China. The term zhonghua minzu was used during the Republic of China from 1911 to 1949 to refer to five primary ethnic groups in China. The term zhongguo renmin ( Chinese : 中国人民 ), "Chinese people", was the government's preferred term during the early communist era; zhonghua minzu

13416-744: The Prince Mongkut (later Rama IV) proceeded to welcome the Mon himself at the Siam-Burma border . The Mon in Thailand settled mainly in certain areas of Central Thailand , such as Pak Kret in Nonthaburi , Phra Pradaeng in Samut Prakan and Ban Pong , among other minor Mon settlements. Mon communities built their own Buddhist temples . Over time, the Mons were effectively integrated into Siamese society and culture, although maintaining some of their traditions and identity. Burma

13588-618: The Qing revocation of the private trade ban in 1684, Chinese immigration to Siam steadily increased, particularly following the massive Southern Chinese famines of the early 18th century. Approximately 20,000 Chinese lived in Siam in the 1730s and were prominent in the city of Ayutthaya and were a prominent faction within the Siamese court by 1767. When King Taksin , himself the son of a Chinese immigrant, ruled Thailand, King Taksin actively encouraged Chinese immigration and trade. Chinese settlers came to Siam in large numbers. Immigration continued over

13760-503: The Republic of China regulates nationality within the Republic of China (Taiwan). A person obtains nationality either by birth or by naturalization. A person with at least one parent who is a national of the Republic of China, or born in the ROC to stateless parents qualifies for nationality by birth. The National Identification Card is an identity document issued to people who have household registration in Taiwan. The Resident Certificate

13932-399: The Republic of China (ROC), may also be referred to as "Chinese" in various contexts, though they are usually referred to as " Taiwanese ". The territory of Taiwan is disputed and the ROC has limited recognition of its sovereignty . The term " Overseas Chinese " is used to refer to people of Chinese origin living overseas as well as Chinese citizens residing outside China, but more commonly

14104-789: The Sanskrit-derived name refers to 'medical profession'. Thai Chinese Prime Ministers: Chinese people The Chinese people , or simply Chinese , are people or ethnic groups identified with China , usually through ethnicity, nationality, citizenship, or other affiliation. Chinese people are known as Zhongguoren ( simplified Chinese : 中国人 ; traditional Chinese : 中國人 ) or as Huaren ( simplified Chinese : 华人 ; traditional Chinese : 華人 ) by speakers of standard Chinese , including those living in Greater China as well as overseas Chinese. Although both terms both refer to Chinese people, their usage depends on

14276-609: The Singapore-based Temasek Holdings Group . The Thai Chinese in and around Bangkok were also the main participants of the months-long political campaign against the government of Ms. Yingluck (Mr. Thaksin's sister), between November 2013 and May 2014, the event which culminated in the military takeover in May 2014 . Traders from China began arriving in Ayutthaya by at least the 12th century. In

14448-639: The Sophonpanich, Lamsam , Ratanarak , and Tejapaibul families respectively control Thailand's largest private banks: Bangkok Bank (the largest and most profitable in Southeast Asia), Thai Farmers Bank , and the Bank of Ayudhya . Thais of Chinese ancestry not dominate Thailand's big banking sector, but also the small banking sector presided by a number of Thai business families as well. As there weren't that many alternative sources of capital prior to

14620-510: The Thai Chinese constitute a significant part of the royalist/nationalist movements. When the then prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra , who is Thai Chinese, was ousted from power in 2006 , it was Sondhi Limthongkul , another prominent Thai Chinese businessman, who formed and led People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) movement to protest the successive governments run by Thaksin's allies. Mr. Sondhi accused Mr. Thaksin of corruption based on improper business ties between Thaksin's corporate empire and

14792-568: The Thai Crown Property Bureau. Thai businessmen and investors of Chinese ancestry are influential in the country's real estate, agriculture , banking , and finance , and the wholesale trading industries. In Central Siam, Thai businessmen and investors of Chinese ancestry control the entirety of the area's residential and commercial real estate and raw land. The Thai Chinese (mainly of Yunnanese origin) also taken over Chiangmai's lucrative gem industry and ended up owning much of

14964-414: The Thai corporate landscape, controlling over approximately 81–90% of the total market capitalization in the country's economy. British East India Company agent John Crawfurd used detailed company records kept on Prince of Wales's Island (present-day Penang ) from 1815 to 1824 to report specifically on the economic aptitude of the 8,595 Chinese there as compared to others. He used the data to estimate

15136-513: The Thai economy into an export-oriented, trade-based economy with a global reach. Over the next several decades, internationalization and capitalist market-oriented policies led to the dramatic emergence of a massive export-oriented, large-scale manufacturing sector, which in turn catapulted Thailand into joining the Tiger Cub Economies . Virtually all the industrial manufacturing and import-export shipping firms establishments including

15308-579: The area served as a diverse economic hub for commercial trade among a multitude of merchants hailing from different ethnic backgrounds, engaging in frontier trading activities. During the era of French colonization, Chiang Saen evolved into a crucial focal point through which the French exerted control over commercial transactions along the Mekong River and assumed authoritative control over the land trade pathways connecting Xishuangbanna, Luang Prabang, and

15480-453: The assimilation success of the Thai Chinese was a result of the wise policy of the Thai rulers who, since the 17th century, allowed able Chinese tradesmen to advance their ranks into the kingdom's nobility. The rapid and successful assimilation of the Thai Chinese has been celebrated by the Chinese descendants themselves, as evident in contemporary literature such as the novel Letters from Thailand ( Thai : จดหมายจากเมืองไทย ) by Botan. Today,

15652-518: The capital to Pegu . His Hanthawaddy Kingdom , which existed from 1287 to 1539, was a period of prosperity and power for the Mon. In the mid-14th century, King Binnya U ruled over the Mon kingdom and successfully defended against an invasion by Lan Na. Despite losing control over the Tenasserim region , he was able to re-establish his capital at Pegu. After his death in 1384, King Razadarit , Binnya U's son, took over and formed an alliance with

15824-569: The city of Guangzhou in Guangdong province of China. This group are not very prominent and are mainly concentrated in Bangkok and the central provinces. Although Cantonese from Yulin primarily live in Betong of Yala Province they are more popularly known as Kwongsai in which they are distinguished from the fellow kinsmen from Guangdong province despite sharing the same native dialect ( Thai : กวางไส , 廣西; literally: Western Canton ). Among

15996-479: The city's fruit orchards, restaurants, and retail shops while profiting handsomely off of the city's land boom that occurred throughout the late 1980s. During the 1980s, Thai Chinese business groups dominated 37 of the top 100 corporations in the country, with much of the wealth being centralized within the hands of five Teochew business families. In the 1990s, among the top ten Thai businesses in terms of sales, nine of them were Chinese-owned with only Siam Cement being

16168-466: The coast of the Gulf of Siam . They predominated in occupations requiring arduous labor, skills, or entrepreneurship. They worked as blacksmiths, railroad labourers and rickshaw pullers. While most Thais were engaged in rice production, the Chinese brought new farming ideas and new methods to supply labor on its rubber plantations, both domestically and internationally. However, republican ideas brought by

16340-643: The coastal areas of the country, principally Bangkok . Considerable segments of Thailand's academic, business, and political elites are of Chinese descent. The influence of Chinese cuisine on Thai cuisine as a whole has been profound, to the point where there is no longer a clear differentiation between Thai Chinese cuisine and native Thai cuisine. Traditional Thai cuisine loosely falls into four categories: tom (boiled dishes), yam (spicy salads), tam (pounded foods), and kaeng (curries). Deep-frying, stir-frying and steaming are methods introduced from Chinese cuisine. The street food culture of much of Southeast Asia

16512-511: The commercial centers of northern Siam. The French utilized Chiang Saen to advance their economic, cultural, and political interests across borders, often in competition with the British, who operated from the Burmese side of the border. British goods dominated markets in Chiang Mai, Kengtung, and Xishuangbanna, while the French played a significant role in the teak, rice, and opium trade, at times collaborating with ethnic-based trading groups in

16684-411: The community's strong economic clout. More than 80 percent of the top 40 richest people in Thailand are of pure or partial Chinese ancestry. Of the five billionaires in Thailand in the late-20th century, all of them were of full or at least had partial Han Chinese ancestry. On March 17, 2012, Chaleo Yoovidhya , of humble Chinese origin, passed away while listed on Forbes list of billionaires as 205th in

16856-711: The compulsory medium of education, but as a result of protests from Thai Chinese, by 1939, students were allowed two hours per week of Mandarin instruction. State corporations took over commodities such as rice, tobacco, and petroleum and Chinese businesses found themselves subject to a range of new taxes and controls. By 1970, more than 90 percent of the Chinese ancestry born in Thailand never have Chinese or Taiwanese nationality with Thai only nationality instead. In 1975, diplomatic relations were established with China. Han Chinese intermarriage with ethnic Thais has resulted in many modern Thais who have claimed distant Chinese ancestry. Thais of Chinese descent are concentrated in

17028-460: The construction of ports and railways that would usher in Thailand's modern transportation industry. Though the Chinese were acknowledged for their industriousness, they were nonetheless scorned by many. In the late 19th century, a British official in Siam said that "the Chinese are the Jews of Siam ... by judicious use of their business faculties and their powers of combination, they hold the Siamese in

17200-444: The country, minor, and major. Among the minor industries that they presided were food vending, salt, tobacco, port, and bird's nest concessions. Among the major lucrative industries, the Chinese involved in shipping, rice milling, rubber and tin manufacturing, teak logging, and petroleum drilling. By the late-1950s, Thais of Chinese ancestry comprised 70 percent of Bangkok's business owners and senior business managers, and 90 percent of

17372-508: The court and exercised considerable influence. Meanwhile, back in Burma, the fall of Martaban in 1541 was accompanied by massacre and pillage on a large scale, as was the capture of the old Pyu capital of Prome the following year. This marked the first time, since before the Mongol invasions, that most of Lower and Central Burma was under the control of a Bamar monarch. King Tabinshwehti, founder of

17544-522: The defence against the Lampang army. Prince Khram defeated King Boek in personal combat on elephant-back at Khua Mung, a village near Lamphun. King Boek fled by way of the Doi Khun Tan mountain range between Lamphun and Lampang, but he was caught and executed. King Mangrai's troops occupied the city of Lampang, and Phaya Yi Ba was made to flee further south, this time to Phitsanulok . The Mon culture

17716-426: The dominant global geopolitical power of the day. As of 2020, increasingly, that power is China. As the Chinese economic might grew, the indigenous Thai hill tribes and aborigines were gradually driven out into poorer land on the hills, on the rural outskirts of major Thai cities or into the mountains. The increased economic clout wielded by Thai Chinese has triggered distrust, resentment, and Anti-Chinese sentiment among

17888-673: The earliest civilizations in the region, including Dvaravati in Central Thailand, which spread its culture into Northeastern Thailand, Sri Gotapura in Central Laos (modern Sikhottabong, Vientiane Prefecture), the Hariphunchai Kingdom in Northern Thailand, and the Thaton Kingdom in Lower Myanmar. The Mon were the first to receive Theravada Buddhist missionaries from Sri Lanka , in contrast to their Hindu contemporaries such as Cham peoples. They adopted

18060-771: The earliest in Thailand as well as Myanmar and Laos . The Mon are regarded as a large exporter of Southeast Asian culture. Historically, many cities in Myanmar , Thailand , and Laos today, including Yangon , Pathum Thani , Lamphun , Lampang and Vientiane were founded either by the Mon people or Mon rulers. Nowadays, the Mon are a major ethnic group in Myanmar and a minor ethnic group in Thailand . The Mons from Myanmar are called Burmese Mon or Myanmar Mon. The Mons from Thailand are referred as Thai Raman or Thai Mon. The Mon dialects of Thailand and Myanmar are mutually intelligible . The Mon have been referred to by different names by different groups throughout history. During

18232-417: The early 20th century, when significant numbers of Chinese women also began immigrating to Thailand. Economic recession and unemployment forced many men to leave China for Thailand in search of work to seek wealth. If successful, they sent money back to their families in China. Many Chinese immigrants prospered under the " tax farming " system, whereby private individuals were sold the right to collect taxes at

18404-618: The eponymous song genre in the Mahagita , the corpus of Burmese classical songs. The etymology of Talaing is debated; it may be derived from Mon, or is a reference to Telinga or Kalinga , a geographic region in southeast India. During the 12th century, the term acquired a derogatory connotation within the Mon community, when it became used by the Mon as a disparaging epithet for the mixed offspring of Mon women and foreign men. The term "Mon" (spelt မန် in Mon and မွန် in Burmese), which

18576-497: The establishment of the Thai Stock Exchange for up-and-coming Thai entrepreneurs of Chinese descent to draw upon, Chinese-owned Thai banks wielded enormous economic power in the Thai private business sector throughout the 1960s to the 1980s. Of the 20 Thai banks that were founded in the years between 1930 and 1950, the Thai Chinese were behind the establishment of 14 of them while the remaining 6 banks were established by

18748-511: The ethnic Chinese families in that area had already emigrated from Burma in the 19th century. The Chinese in Thailand also suffered discrimination between the 1930s and 1950s under the military dictatorship of Prime Minister Plaek Phibunsongkhram (in spite of having part-Chinese ancestry himself), which allied itself with the Empire of Japan . The Primary Education Act of 1932 made the Thai language

18920-646: The expense of indigenous Thais, prompting some Thai politicians to blame Thai Chinese businessmen for Thailand's economic woes. Rama VI also implicitly implied that the distinct ethnicity of the Overseas Chinese and their commanding role of Southeast Asia's economy through their commercial businesses have also made them targets of reverse discrimination and resentment by the indigenous Thais and Southeast Asian majorities. King Vajiravudh's views were influential among elite Thais and were quickly adopted by ordinary Thais, fueling their suspicion of and hostility against

19092-769: The festival is still observed in some Mon communities in Lamphun Province , it is now referred to as "Jong Gring", which is derived from other Mon cultural practices and means "Loi Krathong". However, the Jong Gring tradition of Mon people in Lamphun is different from the general Loi Krathong festival, as it resembles the ancient "Loi Hamod" tradition of Mon people in Hariphunchai, which involves offering food, both fresh and dried, and lighting some lanterns and small krathongs. Another traditional Mon festival

19264-506: The festival period, devotees will abstain from meat and the Chinese mediums will perform mortification of the flesh to exhibit the power of the Deities , and the rites and rituals seen are devoted to the veneration of various Deities . Such idiosyncratic traditions were developed during the 19th century in Phuket by the local Chinese with influences from Thai culture. In the north, there

19436-507: The first owner of a business jet in mainland China. Anand's Saha-Union , Thailand's leading industrial group, have so far invested over US$ 1.5 billion in China, and is operating more than 11 power plants in three of China's provinces. With over other 30 businesses in China, the company employs approximately 7000 Chinese workers. Central Group , Thailand's largest operator of shopping centers (and owner of Italy's leading high-end department store, La Rinascente ) with US$ 3.5 billion in annual sales

19608-504: The following years, and the Chinese population in Thailand jumped from 230,000 in 1825 to 792,000 by 1910. By 1932, approximately 12.2 percent of the population of Thailand was Chinese. The early Chinese immigration consisted almost entirely of men who did not bring women. Therefore, it became common for male Chinese immigrants to marry local Thai women. The children of such relationships were called Sino-Thai or luk-jin (ลูกจีน) in Thai. These Chinese-Thai intermarriages declined somewhat in

19780-562: The forefront of several well-known Thai telecom operators such as the Shinawatra telecommunications group , True Corporation , Jasmine, Ucom, and Samar. Kukrit Pramoj , the aristocratic former prime minister and distant relative of the Thai royal family, once said that most Thais had a Chinese relative "hanging somewhere on their family tree." By the 1930s, the Thai Chinese minority dominated construction, industrial manufacturing, publishing, shipping, finance, commerce, and every industry in

19952-410: The forefront of the establishing the country's most prominent wholesale trading cooperatives owned by traders, merchants, and brokers flush with private equity and venture capital bearing connections to some of Thailand's wealthiest business families. 10 Thai business families of Chinese ancestry control half of the all corporate assets in the country. 50 Thai business families of Chinese ancestry dominate

20124-495: The former. A number of ethnic groups as well as other racial minorities of China are referred to as Chinese people. Han Chinese people, the largest ethnic group in China, are often wrongly referred to as "Chinese" or "ethnic Chinese" in English. The Han Chinese also form a majority or notable minority in other countries, and they comprise approximately 18% of the global human population. Other ethnic groups in China include

20296-756: The global economic stage has prompted many Thai Chinese business families to see Mandarin as a beneficial asset in partaking in economic links and conducting business between Thailand and mainland China, with some families encouraging their children to learn Mandarin in order to reap the benefits of their ethnic Chinese identity and the increasing role of Mandarin as a prominent language of Overseas Chinese business communities. However, equally there are many Thais, regardless of their ethnic background who study Chinese in order to boost their business and career opportunities, rather than due to reasons of ethnic identity, with some sending their children to newly established Mandarin language schools. The Thai Chinese community has played

20468-689: The grant of independence to Burma in 1948, they sought self-determination. U Nu , the first Prime Minister of Burma refused the Mon self-determination. Mon separatist groups have risen in revolt against the central Burmese government on a number of occasions, initially under the Mon People's Front and from 1962 through the New Mon State Party (NMSP). The BSSP -led government established a partially autonomous Mon State in 1974 out of portions of Tenasserim and Pegu regions. Resistance continued until 1995 when NMSP and ruling SLORC agreed

20640-558: The house, town, village, farms, forest, and mountain. Kalok is considered to be a spirit, demon, or immaterial being that can take on a visible form. Festivals celebrating Mon culture are an important part of the Mon community in Myanmar and Thailand. One such festival is the Loi Hamod Festival, which has its roots in the Hariphunchai era and is believed to be the precursor to the Loi Krathong Festival. While

20812-568: The kingdom of Arakan . King Razadarit was known for his administration skills and successfully repelling invasions from the Ava Kingdom during his reign. He made significant contributions to the Shwedagon Pagoda and is considered one of the most celebrated Mon kings in history, with his reign lasting from 1384 to 1421. After King Razadarit's death, there were brief disputes over the succession in Pegu. Eventually, King Razadarit

20984-489: The kingdom, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of Mon civilians, including learned Mon monks , pregnant women, and children. The victorious Bamar soldiers massacred over 3,000 Mon monks in the capital city alone. During the Konbaung dynasty of Burma, the Mon people experienced harsh rule and massacres that led to a significant migration to Siam and Lanna. In addition to facing widespread violence and persecution,

21156-519: The largest merchant food enterprises in the nation. Of the 25 leading entrepreneurs in the Thai business sector, 23 are of Han Chinese or at least of partial Han Chinese ancestry. Thais of Chinese ancestry also comprise 96 percent of Thailand's 70 most powerful business groups. Family firms are extremely common in the Thai business sector as they are passed down from one generation to the next. 90 percent of Thailand's industrial manufacturing sector and 50 percent of Thailand's service sector are controlled by

21328-400: The largest overseas Chinese community in the world outside Greater China. 11 to 14 percent of Thailand's population are considered ethnic Chinese. The Thai linguist Theraphan Luangthongkum claims the share of those having at least partial Chinese ancestry at about 40 percent of the Thai population. Thailand's longstanding policy was not to regard Thai Chinese as a separate ethnicity, based on

21500-412: The largest sources of investors in mainland China among all overseas Chinese communities worldwide. The influx of Thai Chinese investment capital into mainland China has led to a resurgence of Han Chinese cultural pride among the Thai Chinese community while concurrently pursuing new business and investment opportunities while bringing their influx of foreign capital to create new jobs and economic niches on

21672-461: The left and right-hand man of King Taksin of Thonburi, and they largely helped Taksin's campaigns in the liberation of Siam from Burmese occupation and reuniting Siam. King Taksin himself also was a Sino -Mon descent and his maternal grandmother was a sister to chief of Siam's Mon community. After the collapse of Taksin's Thonburi Kingdom , Phraya Chakri founded the Chakri dynasty and ascended

21844-420: The level of assimilation of the descendants of Chinese immigrants in Thailand disproved the "myth about the 'unchanging Chinese'", noting that " assimilation is considered complete when the immigrant's descendant identifies himself in almost all social situations as a Thai, speaks Thai language habitually and with native fluency, and interacts by choice with Thai more often than with Chinese. " Skinner believed that

22016-474: The mainland. Many Thais of Chinese ancestry have begun to rekindle with their long-lost Han ancestral roots, have sent their children to newly established Chinese language schools, visited China in record numbers, invested money in the mainland Chinese economy, and assumed Chinese surnames alongside their Thai names. The Charoen Pokphand (CP Group), a prominent Chinese-owned Thai conglomerate claiming $ 9 billion in assets with US$ 25 billion in annual sales founded by

22188-526: The middle class and upper classes of Thai society and are well represented at all levels of Thai society. They play a leading role in Thailand's business sector and dominate the Thai economy today. In addition, Thai Chinese elites of Thailand have a strong presence in Thailand's political scene with most of Thailand's former Prime Ministers and the majority of parliament having at least some Chinese ancestry. Thai Chinese elites of Thailand are well represented among Thailand's rulers and other sectors. Thailand has

22360-541: The names of dishes and foodstuffs, as well as basic numbers (such as those from "three" to "ten") and terms related to gambling. In Southern Thailand, the difference between Thai Chinese and Peranakans is that Thai Chinese speak Central Thai and they concentrate in Hatyai and Bandon , while Peranakans speak Southern Thai which concentrate in Phuket province , however, they both grown in diglossia environment. Yunnanese speak Mandarin . The rise of China's prominence on

22532-538: The nationalist period before and during the Second World War, the Thai government never tried to suppress Chinese cultural expression. Today, businesses in Yaowarat Road and Charoen Krung Road in Bangkok's Samphanthawong District which constitute the city's "Chinatown" still feature bilingual signs in Chinese and Thai. A number of Chinese words have found their way into the Thai language, especially

22704-459: The new Toungoo dynasty, celebrated by decorating the Shwedagon and other pagodas with huge amounts of plundered gold. Although Tabinshwehti's made efforts to win over the Mon people, the Bamar monarch consistently emphasized his claim to Bamar nationality and sovereignty. Nevertheless, Tabinshwehti was relatively more tolerant than later Toungoo kings who outlawed the Mon language and persecuted

22876-624: The north and Khmer invasions from the east. Many Dvaravati Mons fled to join other Mon civilizations in the present-day Lower Myanmar, while their descendants, the Nyah Kur people , still reside in Northeastern Thailand. Despite the pressure from the Northern Thai people , the Hariphunchai kingdom managed to survive as a Mon outpost in Northern Thailand. In 1057 CE, King Anawrahta of the Pagan Kingdom conquered

23048-465: The northern army overran the Irrawaddy Delta and captured Pegu. The siege of Pegu lasted four years and involved Portuguese mercenaries fighting on both sides. The History of Kings attributes Tabinshwehti's success, in part, to the decadence of the Mon king, Dhammazedi's heir. As a result of the fall of Pegu, large numbers of Mon refugees fled to Ayutthaya , where the Mon aristocracy joined

23220-550: The openness and tolerance of Buddhism. Major Chinese festivals such as Chinese New Year , Mid-Autumn Festival and Qingming are widely celebrated, especially in Bangkok, Phuket, and other parts of Thailand where there are large Chinese populations. There are several prominent Buddhist monks with Chinese ancestry like the well-known Buddhist reformer, Buddhadasa Bhikkhu and the former abbot of Wat Saket , Somdet Kiaw . The Peranakans in Phuket are noted for their nine-day vegetarian festival between September and October. During

23392-454: The palm of their hand." In addition, Chinese millers and rice traders were blamed for an economic recession that gripped Siam for nearly a decade after 1905. Large waves of Han Chinese immigration occurred in the nineteenth and early in the twentieth century, peaking in the 1920s from southern China who was eager to make money and return to their families. By the end of the nineteenth century, the Chinese would lose their control of foreign trade to

23564-645: The past 200 years. The present Thai royal family, the Chakri dynasty , was founded by King Rama I who himself was partly Chinese. His predecessor, King Taksin of the Thonburi Kingdom , was the son of a Chinese father from Chaoshan. With the successful integration of historic Chinese immigrant communities in Thailand, a significant number of Thai Chinese are the descendants of intermarriages between ethnic Chinese and native Thais. Many of these descendants have assimilated into Thai society and self-identify solely as Thai. The Thai Chinese are well-established in

23736-466: The person and context. The former term is commonly (but not exclusively) used to refer to the citizens of the People's Republic of China — especially mainland China. The term Huaren is used to refer to ethnic Chinese, and is more often used for those who reside overseas or are non-citizens of China. The Han Chinese are the largest ethnic group in China, comprising approximately 92% of its Mainland population . They comprise approximately 95% of

23908-581: The poorer working and underclass indigenous Thai majority, many of whom engage in rural agrarian rice peasantry in stark socioeconomic contrast to their modern, wealthier, and cosmopolitan middle and upper class Chinese counterparts. First-generation Chinese immigrants were followers of Mahayana Buddhism , Confucianism and Taoism . Theravada Buddhism has since become the religion of many ethnic Chinese in Thailand, especially among assimilated Chinese. Many Chinese in Thailand commonly combine certain practices of Chinese folk religion with Theravada Buddhism due to

24080-604: The population of Taiwan, 92% in Hong Kong, and 89% in Macau . They are also the world's largest ethnic group , comprising approximately 18% of the global human population . Outside China, the terms "Han Chinese" and "Chinese" are often wrongly conflated since those identifying or registered as Han Chinese are the dominant ethnic group in China. There are 55 officially-recognized ethnic minorities in China who are also Chinese by nationality. People from Taiwan, officially

24252-411: The population, the Chinese dominated over four-fifths of the country's vital rice, tin, rubber, and timber exports, and virtually controlled the country's entire wholesale and retail trade. By 1924, Thais of Chinese ancestry controlled one-third of all the sawmills in Bangkok. Market gardening, sugar production (The Chinese introduced the sugar industry to Thailand), and fish exporting was also dominated by

24424-740: The post-independence internal conflict in Myanmar , many ethnic Mon from conflict zones have migrated to the First World countries via the refugee camps along the Thai-Myanmar borders and in Malaysia. The Myanmar Mon refugee communities can be found in the United States (the largest community being in Fort Wayne, Indiana and the second largest being Akron, Ohio ), Australia , Canada , Norway , Denmark , Finland , Sweden , and

24596-581: The power of the Bamar declined rapidly. The Mon rebels joined forces with the Gwe Shan to restore their former Hanthawaddy Kingdom, and in 1740, a monk with Taungoo royal lineage was made king of Pegu. Binnya Dala succeeded him in 1747, and with French support, the Mon established an independent kingdom called the Restored Hanthawaddy Kingdom . However, the kingdom fell to Bamar King Alaungpaya in 1757, who invaded and devastated

24768-465: The practice of riverine agriculture, including the cultivation of wet rice . Modern linguistic research by Sidwell (2021) suggests that the locus of Proto-Austroasiatic people was in the Red River Delta area of Northern Vietnam , around 4,000-4,500 years before present. The Mon are believed to have been one of the earliest peoples of Mainland Southeast Asia . They established some of

24940-496: The pre-colonial era, the Burmese called them Talaing (တလိုင်း), which was adopted by the British during the colonial era. The term "Peguan" was also used by Europeans when Pegu was the capital of Lower Myanmar . The use of "Talaing" has been found on inscriptions dating back to the 11th century, but it is now considered a pejorative term and is no longer widely used, except in the context of specific historical terms, such as

25112-541: The prominent Thai Chinese politicians with Cantonese ancestry are Chavarat Charnvirakul , Plaek Phibunsongkram and Anutin Charnvirakul . This dialect group is the smallest among the ethnic Chinese populace and are found in places such as Chandi located in Nakhon Si Thammarat province as well as in other provinces such as Chumphon ( Lamae and Map Ammarit villages) and also Rayong province (in

25284-454: The region have been influenced by the Mon language. Tai Tham alphabet and Burmese alphabet are adaptations of the Mon script . Tai Tham alphabet is primarily used for Northern Thai language , Tai Lue language , Khün language and Lao Tham language. The Burmese alphabet is used for Burmese language , Shan language , S'gaw Karen language and other languages. Historically, the Tai adopted

25456-467: The region. With the decline of European colonial influence, regional trade, particularly in the nearby highlands, fell largely under the control of the Yunnanese. Due to the relaxation of emigration restrictions influenced by economic reform and the implementation of open-border policies by China and Southeast Asian countries, there has been a significant transformation in Chinese out-migration patterns as

25628-421: The retail and whole trading sector. The contemporary Thai business sector is highly dependent on Han Chinese entrepreneurs and investors who control virtually all the country's banks and large corporate conglomerates all the way to the smaller retail hawking outlets at the humbler end of the business spectrum with their support and patronage being augmented by the presence of lawmakers and political operatives, where

25800-418: The royal palace at Pegu was destroyed. Following the death of King Bayinnaung, his successor King Nanda instituted oppressive policies against the Mon people, leading to the Mon chiefs Phaya Kiat and Phaya Ram attempting to assassinate Naresuan of Phitsanulok in 1584. However, they learned that Naresuan was not responsible for the policies and instead joined his campaigns against the Toungoo court. In

25972-413: The rubber industry, market gardening, sugar production, and fish export sectors. In Bangkok, Thais of Chinese ancestry dominate the entertainment and media industries, being the pioneers of Thailand's early publishing houses, newspapers, and film studios. By 1899 in Bangkok, the Chinese owned 18 of the 23 rice mills in the city that produced a capacity of over 100 tons of rice paddies and controlled 56 out of

26144-538: The settlement of Ban Chandi, which was renamed after their main population centre of Chandi in Southern Thailand as a result of internal immigration and resettlement) as well as a lesser extent a pocket of them being internal migrants residing in Bangkok as well as Central Thailand (surrounding provinces of the capital, Bangkok), they trace their ancestries back to Fuzhou and Ningde towns of northern Fujian province, China. Some ethnic Chinese living in

26316-498: The shares in Thai corporations were said to be held by Thai investors of Chinese ancestry. Ninety percent of Thailand's industrial and commercial capital are also held by the Chinese. 90 percent of all investments in the industrial and commercial sector and at least 50 percent of all investments in the banking and financial sectors are controlled by the Chinese. Economic advantages would also persist as Thai rice merchants of Chinese ancestry controlled 80–90 percent of Thailand's rice mills,

26488-493: The sole firm that was under the ownership of a non-Chinese. Following the 1997 Asian financial crisis , structural reforms imposed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Indonesia and Thailand led to the loss of many monopolistic positions long held by the Thai Chinese business elite. In spite of the financial and economic downturn, Thais of Chinese ancestry were still estimated to own 65 percent of

26660-594: The southeast. The Mon people, who descended from Proto-Austroasiatic people, are believed to have migrated from the Yangtze Kiang valley in Southern China to Southeast Asia between 3,000 and 2,000 BCE, along the Mekong , Salween , Sittaung , Irrawaddy , Ping and Chao Phaya rivers. They eventually settled in locations including as far south as Malaya . Along the way, they brought with them

26832-510: The targets of state discrimination while indigenous Thais were granted economic privileges. The Siamese revolution of 1932 only coagulated the grip of Thai nationalism , culminating in World War II when Thailand's Japanese ally was at war with China . After 1947 coup d'état , Thailand was an agrarian economy hobbled by state-owned enterprises . Thais of Chinese ancestry provided the impetus for Thailand's industrialization, transforming

27004-488: The throne in 1782 as Rama I. Rama I was born to Thongdi, a leading Mon nobleman serving the royal court in Ayutthaya in 1737. Rama I's queen consort Amarindra was born to a wealthy Mon family who migrated to Siam in the earlier times. Rama I founded Bangkok City and moved the capital from Thonburi to Bangkok. When a huge wave of Mon migrations from Burma (now Myanmar) to Siam (now Thailand) happened in 1814, his grandson,

27176-460: The time) in the early to mid-20th century due to famine, poverty and civil war in the southern Chinese provinces of Guangdong (Teochew, Cantonese and Hakka groups), Hainan (Hainanese), Guangxi (Cantonese group) and Fujian (Hokkien, Hockchew and Henghua groups). Traditionally, the Teochews comprise a majority population of coastal provinces like Bangkok , Chonburi and Chachoengsao until

27348-403: The total banking assets, 60 percent of the national trade, 90 percent of all local investments in the commercial sector, 90 percent of all local investments in the manufacturing sector, and 50 percent of all local investments in the banking and financial services sector. In the urban center of Chiang Saen, a prominent Thai city situated across from Ton Pheung District in the northern part of Laos,

27520-595: The town of Chiang Saen, small-scale entrepreneurs often specialize in the trade of agricultural products through import and export, as a significant number of these entrepreneurs were previously successful traders back in China, but relocated to the border region due to increased competition within their native market. Petty Chinese merchants operating within the town's premises also engage in the sale of imported Chinese fruits and everyday items to both local residents and tourists exploring Chiang Saen. The high saturation of Chinese merchants operating within this sector has fostered

27692-483: The various Taiwanese indigenous peoples comprise approximately 2% of Taiwan's total population. The various Taiwanese indigenous peoples are believed to have been living in Taiwan for up to 6000 years prior to the colonization of Taiwan by China which began during the 17th century ( CE ). The Han Taiwanese, Native Taiwanese (Benshengren), Hoklo Taiwanese, Hakka Taiwanese, Mainlander Taiwanese (Waishengren), Kinmenese, and Matsunese ethnic groups (all subtypes or branches of

27864-545: The vast majority of whom are of pure or partial Chinese ancestry themselves. Thais of Chinese ancestry, a disproportionate wealthy, market-dominant minority not only form a distinct ethnic community, they also form, by and large, an economically advantaged social class: the commercial middle and upper class in contrast to their poorer indigenous Thai majority working and underclass counterparts around them. Highly publicized profiles of wealthy Chinese entrepreneurs and investors attracted great public interest and were used to illustrate

28036-409: The world ethnic enclaves known as Chinatowns are home to populations of overseas Chinese. In Southeast Asia, people of Chinese descent call themselves 華人 ( Huárén ) instead of ( 中國人 Zhōngguórén ) which commonly refers to the citizens of the People's Republic of China or the Republic of China. This is especially so in the Chinese communities of Southeast Asia. The term Zhongguoren has

28208-462: The world and 3rd in the nation, with an estimated net worth of US$ 5 billion. Amounting to 10 percent of Thailand's population, the Thai Chinese control approximately 85 percent of the nation's entire economy. Thai investors of Chinese ancestry control more than 80 percent of public companies listed on the Thai stock exchange . With 80% of Thailand's market capital under Chinese hands, many Thai entrepreneurs and investors of Chinese ancestry have been at

28380-560: Was conquered by the British in a series of wars. After the Second Anglo-Burmese War in 1852, the Mon territories in Burma were completely under the control of the British. The British aided the Mons to free themselves from the rule of the Bamar monarchy. Under Bamar rule, the Mon people had been massacred after they lost their kingdom and many sought asylum in the Thai Kingdom. The British conquest of Burma allowed

28552-421: Was established by the Chirathivats, a Thai business family of Chinese ancestry, have created three new large scale department store branches in China. According to Thai historian, Dr. Wasana Wongsurawat, the Thai political elite has remained in power by employing a simple two-part strategy: first, secure the economic base by cultivating the support of the Thai business elites of Chinese ancestry; second, align with

28724-442: Was integrated into Lan Na culture . The Lan Na adopted the Mon script and religion. In 1287, the collapse of the Pagan Kingdom created a power vacuum. Wareru , who was born to a Mon mother and a Tai father in Donwun Village in the Thaton District, went to Sukhothai for trade and later eloped with the daughter of the king. He established himself as king of the Mon in Martaban (present-day Mottama ), and later moved

28896-837: Was introduced by Chinese immigrants during the late 19th century. As a result, many Thai street foods are derived from or heavily influenced by Chinese cuisine . Street food was commonly sold by the ethnic Chinese population of Thailand and did not become popular among native Thai people until the early 1960s, when the rapid urban population growth stimulated the street food culture, and by the 1970s, it had "displaced home-cooking." Today, nearly all ethnic Chinese in Thailand speak Central Thai exclusively (even in Isan , Northern Thailand and Southern Thailand as well). Only elderly Chinese immigrants still speak their native varieties of Chinese . The rapid and successful assimilation of Thai Chinese has been celebrated in contemporary literature such as "Letters from Thailand" ( Thai : จดหมายจากเมืองไทย ) by

29068-451: Was said to be a daughter of a Lavo king, according to the Northern Thai Chronicle Cāmadevivaṃsa , came to rule as the first queen of Hariphunchai (modern Lamphun) around 750-800 CE. A few years later, her son Prince Anantayot founded Khelang Nakhon (modern Lampang ), playing a significant role in the history of the Hariphunchai Kingdom. After the year 1000 CE, the Dvaravati Mon people faced constant pressure from Tai migrations from

29240-439: Was sizable, amounting to a third of the capital's population. Anti-Chinese sentiment was rife. In 1914, the Thai nationalist King Rama VI , published a pamphlet in Thai and English— The Jews of the East — employing a pseudonym . In it, he lambasted the Chinese. He described them as "avaricious barbarians who were 'entirely devoid of morals and mercy'." He depicted successful Chinese businessmen as reaping their commercial success at

29412-401: Was succeeded by his daughter, Queen Shin Sawbu , in 1453. Queen Shin Sawbu, was a skilled politician and maintained harmony between rival kingdoms. She is remembered for her good nature, renovation of the Shwedagon Pagoda, and construction of important monasteries, such as the Kyaikmaraw near Moulmein . King Dhammazedi , who succeeded Queen Shin Sawbu in 1470, was a just and wise ruler. He

29584-409: Was used by the Qing government to refer to all traditionally native subjects of the empire, including Han, Manchu, and Mongols. Zhonghua minzu ( simplified Chinese : 中华民族 ; traditional Chinese : 中華民族 ; pinyin : Zhōnghuá Mínzú ), the "Chinese nation", is a supra-ethnic concept which includes all 56 ethnic groups living in China that are officially recognized by the government of

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