| Thai Chinese |
|---|
| Total population |
|
6,000,000 |
| Regions with significant populations |
| Thailand |
| Languages |
| Thai, Southern Chinese dialects (Teochew, Hakka, Hainanese, Hokkien, Cantonese), Mandarin, Malay |
| Religions |
| Theravada Buddhism, Chinese folk religion, Christianity (Roman Catholicism, Protestant) |
The Thai Chinese are an overseas Chinese community who live in Thailand. The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj Thai (th ภาษาไทย, transcription: phasa thai, transliteration:; pʰāːsǎːtʰāj is the national and The Southern Min language or Min Nan ( POJ: Bân-lâm-gú or "Southern Fujian" language refers to a family of Chinese languages Dialects Yawi or Pattani Malay is a Dialect of the Malay language spoken in the southernmost provinces of Thailand along the border with Malaysia History Origin of the school The Theravāda school is ultimately derived from the Vibhajjavāda (or 'doctrine of analysis' grouping which was a continuation Chinese folk religion is a collective label given to various folkloric beliefs that draws heavily from Chinese mythology. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj Official statistics show that six million people in 1987,[1] or about 14% of Thailand's population claim to be of Chinese ethnicity. [2] Extensive intermarriages with the Thais, especially in the past has resulted in many people who claim Chinese ethnicity with Thai ancestry, and many people of Thai ethnicity with some Chinese ancestry as well. The Thai (or Tai) are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries [3] People of Chinese descent are concentrated in the coastal areas of Thailand, principally Bangkok. Bangkok, known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (krūŋtʰêːp máhǎːnákʰɔn) or Krung Thep ( for short is the Capital, largest [4] They are well-represented in all levels of Thai society and play a leading role in business and politics. The present king, Bhumipol Adulyadej, has some Chinese ancestry from his mother. Bhumibol Adulyadej (ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช pʰuːmipʰon adunjadeːt Royal Institute: Phumiphon Adunyadet;) (born Monday 5 December 1927
Slightly more than half of the ethnic Chinese population in Thailand trace their ancestry to the Chaozhou prefecture in northern Guangdong. Guangdong ( EFEO: Kouangtong; Pinyin Guǎngdōng; Postal map spelling: Kwangtung) is a province on the This is evidenced by the prevalence of the Minnan Chaozhou dialect among the Chinese in Thailand. The Southern Min language or Min Nan ( POJ: Bân-lâm-gú or "Southern Fujian" language refers to a family of Chinese languages Dialects A minority trace their ancestry to Hakka and Hainanese immigrants. The Hakkas ( Hakka language: Hak-kâ; Mandarin Chinese: Kèjiā) are a subgroup of the Han Chinese people who live predominantly [5]
Contents |
| Thai Chinese | |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | |
| Traditional Chinese: | 泰國華人 |
| Thai name | |
| Thai: | คนไทยเชื้อสายจีน,เจ๊ก |
Most ethnic Chinese in Thailand are proficient in the Thai language, and a large number are also conversant in Chinese with varying degrees of fluency. Thai (th ภาษาไทย, transcription: phasa thai, transliteration:; pʰāːsǎːtʰāj is the national and Thai (th ภาษาไทย, transcription: phasa thai, transliteration:; pʰāːsǎːtʰāj is the national and In general, ethnic Chinese use Thai as a working language, while Chinese is spoken at home and relatives. Assimilated Thais of Chinese ancestry, on the other hand, have since use Thai in everyday life and are much less adept in Chinese. [6] The Teochew dialect of Chinese is used as a commercial lingua franca among the Chinese business circles, principally in Bangkok. Bangkok, known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (krūŋtʰêːp máhǎːnákʰɔn) or Krung Thep ( for short is the Capital, largest [7]
The proficiency of the Thai language among the ethnic Chinese is attributed to the fact that Thai is a compulsory subject in all schools, while students from Chinese-medium schools are more proficient in Chinese than those from other schools in general. In recent years, many Chinese have also used Mandarin as a source of communication among the Chinese in Thailand. [8]
The first-generation Chinese immigrants were followers of Mahayana Buddhism and Taoism. Bangkok, known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (krūŋtʰêːp máhǎːnákʰɔn) or Krung Thep ( for short is the Capital, largest Mahayana ( Sanskrit: mahāyāna, Devanagari: महायान 'Great Vehicle' is one of the two main existing schools of Buddhism and a term for Taoism (pronounced /ˈdaʊɪzəm/ or /ˈtaʊɪzəm/ also spelled '''Daoism''') refers to a variety of related Philosophical and Religious traditions Theravada Buddhism has since become the religion of many ethnic Chinese in Thailand, especially among the assimilated Chinese. History Origin of the school The Theravāda school is ultimately derived from the Vibhajjavāda (or 'doctrine of analysis' grouping which was a continuation Very often, many Chinese in Thailand combine practices of Chinese folk religion with Theravada Buddhism. [9] 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. Chinese New Year is the most important of the Traditional Chinese holidays. The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, or in Chinese Zhongqiu Jie ( is a popular harvest festival celebrated by Chinese [10]
The Chinese in Phuket are noted for their nine-day vegetarian festival between September and October. Phuket (ภูเก็ต pʰuːkɛt formerly known as Tha-Laang or Talang, or Junk Ceylon in Western sources a distortion of the Malay Tanjung During the festive season, devotees will abstain from meat and Mortification of the flesh by Chinese mediums are also commonly seen, and the rites and rituals seen are devoted to the veneration of Tua Pek Kong. For the Christian metal band see Mortification (band. For the record label see Mortification Records. Tua Pek Kong ( Da Bo Gong) is one of the pantheon of Malaysian Chinese Gods. Such idiosyncratic traditions were developed during the 19th century in Phuket by the local Chinese with influences from Thai culture. [11]
The history of Chinese immigration to Thailand dates back many centuries. The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj Chinese traders in Thailand, mostly from Fujian and Guangdong, began arriving in Ayutthaya by at least the thirteenth century. This article is about the People's Republic of China province Guangdong ( EFEO: Kouangtong; Pinyin Guǎngdōng; Postal map spelling: Kwangtung) is a province on the The kingdom of Ayutthaya (อาณาจักรอยุธยา was a Thai kingdom that existed from 1351 to 1767 According to the Chronicles of Ayutthaya, it was mentioned that King Ekathotsarot (r. King Ekathotsarot (สมเด็จพระเอกาทศรถ also known as Sanpet III or the White Prince (in contrast to his darker skinned older brother and predecessor 1605-1610) had been "concerned solely with ways of enriching his treasury," and was "greatly inclined toward strangers and foreign nations," especially Portugal, Spain, the Philippines, China, and Japan. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics.
Ayutthaya was under almost constant Burmese threat from the 16th century onwards, and Qianlong, the Emperor of Qing was alarmed by the Burmese military might. Emperor Qianlong (Chinese 乾隆 Qiánlóng, Wade-Giles' Ch'ien-Lung', Mongolian Tengeriig Tetgesen Khaan, born Hongli (弘历 September Not to be confused with Qin Dynasty, the first dynasty of Imperial China From 1766-1769, Qianlong sent his armies four times to subdue the Burmese, but all four invasions failed. Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. Ayutthaya thus fell to the Burmese in 1767. The Chinese efforts diverted the attention of Burma's Siam army, General Taksin, who was the son of a Chinese immigrant, took advantage of the situation by organizing his force and attacking them. Taksin the Great (สมเด็จพระเจ้าตากสินมหาราช;; Teochew: Dênchao was born in April 17, 1734 Taksin actively encouraged Chinese immigration and trade. Settlers principally from Chaozhou prefecture came in large numbers. [12]
The Chinese population in Thailand jumped from 230,000 in 1825 to 792,000 by 1910. By 1932, approximately 12. 2% of the population of Thailand was Chinese. [13]
However, early Chinese immigration consisted almost entirely of Chinese men who married Thai women. Children of such intermarriages were aptly called Sino-Thai[14] or known as Luk-jin (ลูกจีน) in Thai. [15] This tradition of Chinese-Thai intermarriage declined when large numbers of Chinese women began to emigrate into Thailand in the early 20th century.
The corruption of the Qing Dynasty and the massive population increase in China, along with very high taxes, caused many men to leave China for Thailand in search of work. Not to be confused with Qin Dynasty, the first dynasty of Imperial China If successful, they sent money back to their families 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.
In the late 1800s, when Thailand was busy defending its independence from the colonial powers, Chinese bandits from Yunnan Province began raids into the country in the Haw wars (Thai: ปราบกบฏฮ่อ). The Haw Wars ( ปราบกบฏฮ่อ ปราบกะบตฮ่า) so called in Thai were fought against Chinese quasi-military forces invading parts Thai (th ภาษาไทย, transcription: phasa thai, transliteration:; pʰāːsǎːtʰāj is the national and Thai nationalist attitudes at all levels were accordingly colored by anti-Chinese sentiment. Members of the Chinese community had long dominated domestic commerce and had served as agents for the royal trade monopolies. With the rise of European economic influence, however, many Chinese shifted to the opium traffic and tax collecting, both of which were despised occupations. In addition, Chinese millers and rice traders were blamed for an economic recession that gripped Siam for nearly a decade after 1905. Accusations of bribery of officials, wars between the Chinese secret societies, and use of violent tactics to collect taxes served to turn foster Thai resentment against the Chinese at a time when the community was expanding rapidly due to immigration.
By 1910, nearly 10 percent of Thailand's population was Chinese. Moreover, the new arrivals frequently came in families and resisted assimilation. Chinese nationalism, encouraged by Sun Yat-sen, the leader of the Chinese revolution, had also begun to develop, parallel with Thai nationalism. Sun Yat-sen ( November 12, 1866 &ndash March 12, 1925) was a Chinese Revolutionary and political leader often The Chinese community even supported a separate school system for its children.
Legislation by King Rama VI (1910-1925) that required the adoption of Thai surnames was largely directed at easing tensions with Chinese community by encouraging assimilation. Vajiravudh ( January 1, 1881 &ndash November 25, 1925) ( Rama VI, reigning title Phra Mongkut Klao Chaoyuhua; พระบาทสมเด็จพระมงกุฎเกล้าเจ้าอยู่หั Thai Chinese had to choose between forsaking their Chinese identity or being regarded as foreigners. Most opted to become Thai.
The Chinese in Thailand also suffered discrimination between the 1930s to 1950s under the military dictatorship of Prime Minister Plaek Pibulsonggram, (in spite of being part-Chinese himself). Field Marshal Luang Plaek Pibulsonggram ( Thai: แปลก พิบูลสงคราม or ป [16] 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.
Nevertheless, the Chinese were still encouraged to become Thai citizens, and by 1970 it was estimated that more than 90 percent of the Chinese born in Thailand had done so. The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj When diplomatic relations were established with China in the 1970s, resident Chinese not born in Thailand were offered the chance of becoming Thai citizens. The remaining permanent resident Chinese alien population was then estimated at less than 200,000.
The vast majority of the Thai Chinese belong to various southern Chinese dialect groups. Of these, 56% are Teochew (also commonly spelled as Teochiu), 16% Hakka and 11% Hainanese. For the Teochew dialect of Min Nan Chinese see Teochew dialect. The Hakkas ( Hakka language: Hak-kâ; Mandarin Chinese: Kèjiā) are a subgroup of the Han Chinese people who live predominantly The Hainanese (meaning the Han Chinese settlers of the island's east coast is a Chinese ethnic group, originating from Hainan Island (the southernmost The Cantonese and Hokkien each constitute 7% of the Chinese population, and 3% belong to other Chinese dialect groups. Cantonese people ( Jyutping: gwong2 dung1 jan4 broadly speaking are persons originating from the present-day Guangdong province in southern China Hoklo ( Endonym Hok-ló, Hō-ló, or Ho̍h-ló) commonly refers to those Taiwanese people who claim Han Chinese ( Hokkien [17]
The Teochews mainly settled around Chao Phraya River in Bangkok. The Chao Phraya (แม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา is a major River in Thailand, with its low alluvial river plain marking the mainland of the country Bangkok, known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (krūŋtʰêːp máhǎːnákʰɔn) or Krung Thep ( for short is the Capital, largest Many of them worked in government sectors, while others were involved in trade. During the reign of King Taksin, some influential Teochew traders were granted enjoyed certain privileges. These traders were called "Royal Chinese" (Jin-luang in Thai).
The Hokkiens constitute the largest dialect group among the Chinese in Songkhla and Phuket, while the Hakkas are mainly concentrated in Chiang Mai, Phuket and Central Western provinces. Songkhla (สงขลา is a city ( Thesaban nakhon) in the Songkhla Province of southern Thailand, near the border with Malaysia Phuket (ภูเก็ต pʰuːkɛt formerly known as Tha-Laang or Talang, or Junk Ceylon in Western sources a distortion of the Malay Tanjung The Hakkas ( Hakka language: Hak-kâ; Mandarin Chinese: Kèjiā) are a subgroup of the Han Chinese people who live predominantly Chiang Mai (in Thai; locally (Kham Muang Jiang Mai also sometimes written as "Chiengmai" is the largest and most culturally significant The Hakka own many private banks in Thailand, notably Kasikorn Bank. Kasikorn Bank Public Company Limited or otherwise known as the Thai Farmers Bank ( Simplified Chinese: 泰华农民银行, Swift code KASITHBK
A large number of Thai Chinese are the descendants intermarriages of Chinese immigrants and Thais, while there are others who are of predomiantly 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 used at the time for calling Southeast Asia) in the early to mid 20th century due to famine and civil war in the southern Chinese provinces of Guangdong (Teochew, Cantonese, Hainan, Hakka groups) and Fujian (Hokkien, Hakka). Guangdong ( EFEO: Kouangtong; Pinyin Guǎngdōng; Postal map spelling: Kwangtung) is a province on the This article is about the People's Republic of China province Among the ethnic Chinese, assimilation and adoption of Thai culture tend to take place among the Chinese who have a significant amount of Thai ancestry.
In the southern Thai provinces, notably the Chinese community in Phuket Province, the assimilated group is known as Peranakans. Phuket (ภูเก็ต pʰuːkɛt formerly known as Tha-Laang or Talang, or Junk Ceylon in Western sources a distortion of the Malay Tanjung Peranakan, Baba-Nyonya ( Hokkien: Bā-bā Niû-liá) and Straits Chinese (zh-Hant 土生華人 named after the Straits Settlements These people share a similar culture and identity with the Peranakan Chinese in neighboring Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia. The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. Singapore [18][19][20] Ethnic Chinese in the Malay-dominated provinces in the south used Malay, rather than Thai as their lingua franca, and occasionally intermarry with the local Malays. The Malay language ( ISO 639-1 code MS is an Austronesian language spoken by the Malay people and people of other ethnic groups who reside in the [21]
Substantial numbers of Chinese people of (mainly) Yunnanese descent can be found in villages around Chiang Rai Province. Chiang Rai (เชียงราย is the most northern province ( changwat) of Thailand. These are descendants of Kuomintang soldiers who fought against the Chinese Communist soldiers in the 1940s, before fleeing to the northern regions and settling among the local people. The Communist Party of China ( CPC) ( also known as the Chinese Communist Party ( CCP) is the founding and ruling political party of the The 1940s decade ran from 1940 to 1949 Events and trends The 1940s was a period between the radical 1930s and the conservative 1950s which also leads the period to be [22][23][24] The Chinese Muslim community, also known as Haw or Hui settled in parts of northern Thailand during the years of the Panthay Rebellion, who eventually formed a distinct community in Chiangmai by the late 1890s. The Hui people ( Xiao'erjing: حُوِ ذَو) are a Chinese ethnic group, typically distinguished by their practice of Islam. The Panthay Rebellion (known in PRC as the Du Wenxiu Qiyi 杜文秀起义 1856&ndash1873 was a separatist movement of the Hui people and Chinese Muslims [25]
A Thai Chinese can often be recognized by having a surname containing the original Chinese name or its translation. In former prime minister Banharn Silpa-Archa's name, Archa (horse) is the translation of the Chinese surname Ma (馬). Banharn Silpa-Archa (บรรหาร ศิลปอาชา 馬德祥 born 19 August 1932) was the 21st Prime Minister of Thailand Another example is Sondhi Limthongkul, where Lim is the Hainanese dialect of the Chinese surname Lin (林). Sondhi Limthongkul (สนธิ ลิ้มทองกุล, born 7 November 1947) is Thai Media-mogul and leader of the right-wing People's Lin is a Pinyin transcription of one of several Chinese surnames with 林 (pinyin Lín being overwhelmingly the most common Lin is a Pinyin transcription of one of several Chinese surnames with 林 (pinyin Lín being overwhelmingly the most common Many Thai Chinese adopted long surnames[26] to mimic the royal names formerly given to high officials by the kings. Ethnic Thais tend to have shorter surnames, though many have now changed them to longer ones. Thai Chinese generally adopted Thai surnames to avoid persecution by assimilating into society. Thai names follow the Indian/Western pattern in which the Family name follows a first or Given name. When choosing a surname, they would often combine auspicious Thai words with their original Chinese surname.