Thai (ethnic group)
Thai people at a cremation ceremony
|
|
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| c. 52–59 million | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Thailand c. 51–57.8 million |
|
 United States
|
247,205 (2015) |
 South Korea
|
92,417 (2016) |
 Australia
|
72,250 (2016) |
 Taiwan
|
64,360 (2016) |
 Germany
|
58,784 (2015) |
 Malaysia
|
51,000 (2012) |
 Singapore
|
47,700 (2012) |
 Japan
|
45,379 (2015) |
 Sweden
|
39,877 (2016) |
 UK
|
39,000 (estimate, 2015) |
 France
|
30,000 (2012) |
 Hong Kong
|
28,336 (2012) |
 Israel
|
28,000 (2011) |
 Libya
|
24,600 (2011) |
 Netherlands
|
19,513 (2016) |
 Norway
|
18,324 (2016) |
 Laos
|
15,497 (2015) |
 UAE
|
14,232 (2012) |
 Denmark
|
12,137 (Jan. 2017) |
 Saudi Arabia
|
11,240 (2012) |
 Canada
|
10,015 (2006) |
 Switzerland
|
9,058 (2015) |
 Finland
|
9,047 (2016) |
 China
|
8,618 (2012) |
 New Zealand
|
8,500 (2012) |
 Italy
|
5,642 (2015) |
 Brunei
|
5,466 (2012) |
 Belgium
|
3,811 (2012) |
 Austria
|
3,773 (2012) |
 India
|
3,715 (2012) |
 South Africa
|
3,500 (2012) |
 Qatar
|
2,500 (2012) |
 Egypt
|
2,331 (2012) |
 Bahrain
|
2,424 (2012) |
 Kuwait
|
2,378 (2012) |
| Rest of the world | c. 47,000 |
| Languages | |
| Thai languages (Siamese, Dambro, Lanna, Isan) | |
| Religion | |
Predominantly  Theravada Buddhism with Hindu influence |
|
| Related ethnic groups | |
| other Tai peoples (e.g. Lao people, Shan people, Dai people, Ahom people); Thai Chinese, Malaysian Siamese | |
The Thai people or Thais (Thai: ไทยสยาม), formerly known also as Siamese, are a nation and Tai ethnic group native to Southeast Asia, primarily Thailand. As a part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic group native to Southeast Asia as well as southern China and Northeast India, Thais speak the Thai language, which exists in different regional variants, and is classified as part of the Tai–Kadai family of languages. Majority of Thais are followers of Theravada Buddhism.
"Thai people" usually includes central and southern Thai (Siamese proper, or Tai Siam),northern Thai (Lanna) and Isan people.
The term Thai people has a loose meaning and sometimes also refers to the population of Thailand in general, and not only to ethnic Thais.
There have been many theories proposing the origin of the Tai peoples, of which the Thai are a subgroup. Especially the association of the Tai people with the Kingdom of Nanzhao that has been proved to be invalid. Linguistic studies suggested that the origin of the Tai people lies around the Chinese Province of Guangxi, where the Zhuang people are still a majority. The ancient Tai people should be the part of Chinese Nanyue, referred to by Han leaders as "foreign servant" (Chinese: ), synecdoche for a vassal state. The Qin dynasty founded Guangdong in 214 BC, initiating the successive waves of Chinese migrations from the north for hundreds of years to come.
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Wikipedia