The Thai Chinese is a group of overseas Chinese born in Thailand. They constitute about 14% of the population, although due to intermarriage there can be no definite figure. Traditional Chinese characters are one of two standard sets of printed Chinese characters. ... Standard Mandarin is the official Chinese spoken language used by the Peoples Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan) and Singapore. ... Pinyin is a system of romanization (phonemic notation and transcription to Roman script) for Standard Mandarin, where pin means spell and yin means sound. The most common variant of pinyin in use is called Hanyu Pinyin (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: HànyÇ” PÄ«nyÄ«n), also known as scheme... Standard Cantonese is a variant, and is generally considered the prestige dialect of Cantonese Chinese. ... Jyutping (sometimes spelled Jyutpin) is a romanization system for Standard Cantonese developed by the Linguistic Society of Hong Kong (LSHK) in 1993. ... Mǐn N n (Chinese: 閩南語), also spelt as Minnan or Min-nan; native name B ; literally means Southern Min or Southern Fujian and refers to the local language/dialect of southern Fujian province, China. ... Technical note: Due to technical limitations, some web browsers may not display some special characters in this article. ... Overseas Chinese are Chinese people who live outside China. ...

The majority of the Thai Chinese traces their ancestry back to the Chaozhou prefecture in northern Guangdong, thus they speak the Minnan Chaozhou dialect. A minority traces their ancestry to Hakka and Hainanese immigrants. As of 1987, there are approximately six million Thais of Chinese descent. Chaozhou (Chinese: 潮州 lit. ... China, and should not be confused with the former Kwantung Leased Territory in north-eastern China. ... Mǐn Nán (Chinese: 閩南語), also spelt as Minnan or Min-nan; native name Bân-lâm-gú; literally means Southern Min or Southern Fujian and refers to the local language/dialect of southern Fujian province, China. ... The Teochew dialect (Diō-jiu-oē, Chinese:潮州话, Hanyu Pinyin: Cháozhōuhuà, Teochiu or Tiuchiu), is a Chinese language and dialect of Minnan spoken in a region of eastern Guangdong refered to as Chaoshan. ... Henan, Shanxi, Guangdong, Jiangxi and Fujian provinces The Hakka are Han Chinese people whose ancestors are said to have originated in the Henan and Shanxi provinces of northern China over 1,700 years ago. ... Hainanese is a dialect of the Min Nan group spoken in the southern Chinese province of Hainan. ...

Language

The Thai language has now largely supplanted Chinese language, although Teochew is sometimes used as a commercial lingua franca among the Chinese in Thailand, principally in Bangkok. However, the wide usage and revival of Mandarin Chinese is gradually becoming the second language of the majority of the newer generation Thai-Chinese for business purposes. The Thai language (Thai: , transcription: phasa thai; IPA: ), is the national and official language of Thailand and the mother tongue of the Thai people, Thailands dominant ethnic group. ... The Chaozhou language , also called Teochew, Teochiu, Tiuchiu, or Diojiu, is a dialect of the Chinese spoken variant of Minnan 閩南, spoken in the Chaoshan region of eastern Guangdong. ... The Bangkok Skytrain at sunset on Thanon Narathiwat Ratcha Nakharin with Empire Tower at the back. ... Mandarin, or Beifanghua (Chinese: 北方話; Pinyin: Běifānghuà; literally Northern Dialect(s)), or Guanhua (Traditional Chinese: 官話; Simplified Chinese: 官话; Pinyin: Guānhuà; literally official speech) is a category of related Chinese dialects spoken across most of northern and southwestern China. ...

Religion

Theravada Buddhism has overshadowed the traditional Mahayana Buddhist and Taoist beliefs of the Thai Chinese, although some of the less assimilated Chinese do retain some or most of their beliefs. For example, the Teochew and Hainanese bring ashes from incense burned at the shrines in their villages. The Hakka have religious images in their houses called Faa Jukong, representing a male deity with black skin and upward pointing hair. Theravada (Pali; Sanskrit: Sthaviravada) is one of the eighteen (or twenty) Nikāya schools that formed early in the history of Buddhism. ... Relief image of the bodhisattva Guan Yin from Mt. ... For other uses of the words tao and dao, see Dao (disambiguation). ... Hainanese is a dialect of the Min Nan group spoken in the southern Chinese province of Hainan. ... Henan, Shanxi, Guangdong, Jiangxi and Fujian provinces The Hakka are Han Chinese people whose ancestors are said to have originated in the Henan and Shanxi provinces of northern China over 1,700 years ago. ...

Unlike Singapore, and to a lesser extent Malaysia, the Chinese have largely eschewed Christianity and the speaking of Mandarin as their first language. The majority of the Thai Chinese do not identify at all with being Chinese, as they have assimilated into mainstream Thai society. This article is becoming very long. ... Mandarin, or Beifanghua (Chinese: 北方話; Pinyin: Běifānghuà; literally Northern Dialect(s)), or Guanhua (Traditional Chinese: 官話; Simplified Chinese: 官话; Pinyin: Guānhuà; literally official speech) is a category of related Chinese dialects spoken across most of northern and southwestern China. ...

History

The history of Chinese immigration to Thailand dates back several centuries. Chinese traders in Thailand date back at least to the thirteenth century with Ayutthaya. Most of Siam was under Burmese control since the sacking of Ayutthaya in the 16th century, and Qianlong Emperor of Qing ruled China, was alarmed by Burmese military might. From 1766- 1769, the Qianlong Emperor sent his armies four times to subdue the Burmese, but all four invasions failed, but diverting the attention of Burma's Siam army. Half Thai Chinese General Taksin, taking advantage of the situation, organized his force and revolted. It was said that Taksin actively encouraged their Chinese immigration and trade, principally from Chaozhou prefecture, came in large numbers. Also, according to Chronicle of Ayudhyan Kings, King Ekathotsarot (r. 1605-1610) was concerned solely with ways of enriching his treasury,' and he was as well 'greatly inclined toward strangers and foreign nations', especially Portugal, Spain, the Philippines, China and Japan. The Chinese population in Thailand thus jumped from 230,000 in 1825 to 792,000 by 1910. By 1932, approximately 12.2% of the population of Thailand was Chinese. Ayutthaya (also spelled Ayudhya or Ayuthia) refers to The old capital of Thailand, see Ayutthaya (city) The province around the city, Ayutthaya province The ruins of the old palace, see Ayutthaya historical park Ayutthaya kingdom as the period of Thai history (1365-1768) in which Ayutthaya was capital This is... The Qianlong Emperor (born Hongli, September 25, 1711 – February 7, 1799) was the fifth emperor of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China. ... The Qing Dynasty (Chinese: ; pinyin: Qīng cháo; Wade-Giles: Ching chao; Manchu: daicing gurun), occasionally known as the Manchu Dynasty, was a dynasty founded by the Manchu clan Aisin Gioro, in what is today northeast China, expanded into China and the surrounding territories, establishing the Empire... 1766 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1769 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Statue in Wat Welurachin, Thonburi Taksin the Great (Thai: ตากสินมหาราช; 鄭昭; pinyin: Zhèng Chāo; April 17, 1734 - April 7, 1782) was king of Thailand from 1767-1782. ...

However, such early Chinese immigration consisted almost universally of Chinese men who later settled down to marry Thai women. Children of such intermarriages were known as Luk-jin in Thai. This tradition of Chinese-Thai intermarriage declined to a considerable extent when large numbers of Chinese women began to immigrate into Thailand from the early 20th century onwards.

The corruption of the Chinese Qing government and the massive increase of the population in China, along with high taxes, encouraged many Chinese men to leave China for Thailand in search for jobs, thereby support their families back in China. Many Chinese prospered under the tax farming system, whereby private individuals were sold the right to collect taxes at a price below the value of the tax revenues. The Qing Dynasty (Manchu: daicing gurun; Chinese: 清朝; pinyin: qīng cháo; Wade-Giles: ching chao), sometimes known as the Manchu Dynasty, was founded by the Manchu clan Aisin Gioro, in what is today northeast China expanded into China proper and the surrounding territories of...

In the late 1800's, as Thailand was busy warding off attacks from French Indochina and British Malaya, Chinese from Yunnan Province began raids into Thailand. Thai nationalist attitudes at all levels of society were colored by anti-Chinese sentiment. For centuries members of the Chinese community had dominated domestic commerce and had been employed as agents for the royal trade monopoly. With the rise of European economic influence many Chinese entrepreneurs had shifted to opium traffic and tax collecting, both despised occupations. In addition, Chinese millers and middlemen in the rice trade were blamed for the economic recession that gripped Siam for nearly a decade after 1905. Accusations of bribery of high officials, wars between the Chinese secret societies, and use of oppressive practices to extract taxes also served to inflame Thai opinion against the Chinese community at a time when it was expanding rapidly as a result of increased immigration from China. By 1910 nearly 10 percent of Thailand's population was Chinese. Whereas earlier immigrants had intermarried with the Thai, the new arrivals frequently came with families and resisted assimilation into Thai society. Chinese nationalism, encouraged by Sun Yat-sen, the leader of the Chinese revolution, had also begun to develop, parallel with Thai nationalism. The Chinese community even supported a separate school system for its children.

(Legislation in 1909 by Rama V, King Chulalongkorn requiring adoption of Thai surnames was in large part directed at easing tensions with Chinese community by assimilation, whose members would be faced with the choice of forsaking their Chinese identity or accepting the status of foreigners. Many of them made the accommodation and opted to become Thai.) ? Probably Rama VI? His Majesty King Rama V of Siam, with his son, HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajirunnahis (portrait in National History Museum, Bangkok) King Chulalongkorn the Great or Rama V (royal name: Phra Chula Chomklao Chaoyuhua; Thai script: พระบาทสมเด็จพระจุลจอมเกล้าเจ้าอยู่หัว) (September 20, 1853 - October 23, 1910) was the fifth king of the Chakri dynasty...

The Chinese in Thailand also suffered discrimination under the military dictatorship of Prime Minister Plaek Pibulsonggram in the 1930s. 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. Field Marshal Plaek Pibulsonggram (July 14, 1897–June 11, 1964) (Thai แปลก พิบูลสงคราม or ป. พิบูลสงคราม, lastname sometimes spelled Phibunsongkhram, Phibul Songkhram or Pibul Songgram) was Prime Minister and military dictator of Thailand from 1938 to 1944 and 1948 to 1957. ...

In spite of differences created by nationalism in Thailand and China likewise, the Chinese were still encouraged to become Thai citizens, and in 1970, it was estimated that more than 90 percent of the Chinese born in Thailand had done so. When diplomatic relations were established with China in the 1970s, resident Chinese not born in Thailand had the option of becoming Thai citizens; the remaining permanent resident Chinese alien population was estimated at fewer than 200,000.

Dialect groups

The vast majority of the Thai Chinese belong to various southern Chinese dialect groups. Of these, 56% are Teochew, 16% Hakka and 11% Hainanese. The Cantonese and Hokkien constitute 7% of the Chinese population each and 3% belong to other Chinese dialect groups.

The Teochew Chinese, which constitute 56% of Thailand Chinese population, mainly settled in the region around Chao Phraya River in Bangkok. Many of them worked in government sectors, while others are involved in trade. During the reign of King Taksin, many influential Teochew Chinese traders enjoyed certain privileges granted by the king. These Chinese were called "Royal Chinese" (Jin-luang in Thai). A view of the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok The Chao Phraya (Thai แม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา) is a major river in Thailand, with its low alluvial river plain marking the mainland of the country. ... The Bangkok Skytrain at sunset on Thanon Narathiwat Ratcha Nakharin with Empire Tower at the back. ...

The Hakka Chinese constitutes approximately 16% of the Thai Chinese population. Many of them are found in Songkhla and Phuket. The Hakka owned many private banks in Thailand. Songkhla is both a city and a province in Thailand. ... Phuket (Thai ภูเก็ต) is one of the southern provinces (changwat) of Thailand. ...

There are also many Thai Chinese that have been descended from intermarriages with Native Thais. These Thai Chinese are called Peranakan Thai Chinese, or Luk jin in Thai. Most of them can be found in the Southern and Central Thai provinces especially near the border with Malaysia. They share a common culture and identity with the Peranakan Chinese in neighboring Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia. More information on the Peranakan Thai Chinese can be found in the links below. Peranakan, Baba-Nyonya (峇峇娘惹) and Straits Chinese (土生華人; named after the Straits of Malacca) are terms used for the descendants of the very early Chinese immigrants to the Nusantara region, including both the British Straits Settlements of Malaya and the Dutch-controlled island of Java among other places, who have partially adopted...

Surnames

Thai Chinese can often be recognized by having their surname containing Chinese surname or its translation. An example is Banharn Silpa-Archa, a former prime minister, where Archa means horse which is the translation of Chinese surname Ma (馬). Another example is Sondhi Limthongkul, where Lim is the Teochew dialect of Chinese surname Lin. Many Thai Chinese adopted long surnames to mimic surnames given to high rank officials by the kings. Native Thai population tends to have short surnames (e.g. "Boonmee", "Srisai") but many gradually changed to longer ones. Many Thai Chinese adopted Thai surnames in order to avoid persecution and assimilate into Thai society. When choosing their new surnames, they would often combine various auspicious words with their Chinese surname. Banharn Silpa-Archa (Thai: , born 19 August 1932 in Suphanburi Province) was the 21st Prime Minister of Thailand, from 13 July 1995 till 1 December 1996. ... Sondhi Limthongkul (Thai: สนธิ ลิ้มทองกุล) (Chinese: 林明達 Lin Ming Da) is a controversial Thai journalist and the owner of the Phujatkarn Daily (ผู้จัดการรายวัน), a local Thai newspaper. ... The Lim bay and valley is a peculiar geographic feature found near Rovinj and Vrsar on the western coast of Istria, Croatia, south of Poreč. The name comes from the Latin limes for limit, referring to the landforms position at the border of two Roman provinces (Dalmatia and Italia). ... The Chaozhou language , also called Teochew, Teochiu, Tiuchiu, or Diojiu, is a dialect of the Chinese spoken variant of Minnan 閩南, spoken in the Chaoshan region of eastern Guangdong. ... Lin (or LIN) can refer to several different things: LIN also stands for Local Interconnect Network, which is a bus protocol for computer communications. ...

See also

• Overseas Chinese
• British Chinese

Overseas Chinese are Chinese people who live outside China. ... British Chinese, or, alternatively, Chinese British, Chinese Briton, British Born Chinese (abbreviated as BBCs) are overseas Chinese born or naturalized in the United Kingdom. ...

External links

• Thai-Chinese chamber of commerce
• Assessment for Chinese in Thailand
• The Peranakan Resource Library - A resource website for all things Peranakan Chinese
• Anti-Chinese Labor riot of 1924, & bottom of page, how Thai Army suppressed 1889 riot between Chinese triads Tang Kong Xi (Techiew) and Siew Li Kue (Fujian)
• Why do Thais have long surnames?

Notable Thai Chinese