Thai Malays is a term used to refer to ethnic Malays in
ThailandThe Kingdom of Thailand is an independent country that lies in the heart of Southeast Asia.It is bordered to the north by Laos and Burma, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and Burma...
. Thailand hosts the third largest ethnic Malay population after
MalaysiaMalaysia is a country in Southeast Asia that consists of thirteen states and three Federal Territories, with a total landmass of . The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government. The population stands at over 28 million inhabitants...
and
IndonesiaThe Republic of Indonesia is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands. With an estimated population of around 237 million people, it is the world's fourth most populous country, with the world's largest population of Muslims.Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, and most Malays are concentrated in the Southern provinces of
NarathiwatNarathiwat is a town in southern Thailand, capital of the Narathiwat Province....
,
PattaniPattani may refer to* Pattani Province, in southern Thailand* Pattani , in southern Thailand* Pattani , which includes the above province** Pattani Kingdom, a former semi-independent kingdom...
,
Yala-Asia:* Yala National Park, Sri Lanka* Yala is the dry season in Sri Lanka. Its counterpart is Maha, the wet season.* Yala Province, Thailand*Yala, Thailand, its administrative capital...
,
SongkhlaSongkhla is a city in the Songkhla Province of southern Thailand, near the border with Malaysia. As of 2006 it had a population of 75,048...
and
SatunSatun is a town in southern Thailand, capital of the Satun Province. It covers the whole tambon Phiman of Mueang Satun district. As of 2005 it has a population of 21,498....
.
Ethnic Malays in Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala and Songkhla due in part to cultural differences from the Thai people as well as past experiences of forced attempts to assimilate them into Thai mainstream culture after the eventual annexation of
Pattani KingdomPatani or Sultanate of Pattani is known to have been part of the ancient Srivijayan kingdom. It then covered approximately the area of the modern Thai provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and much of the northern part of modern Malaysia...
by the
Sukhothai KingdomThe Sukhothai kingdom was an early kingdom in the area around the city Sukhothai, in north central Thailand. It was First Thai Empire. It existed from 1238 till 1438...
.
Thai Malays is a term used to refer to ethnic Malays in
ThailandThe Kingdom of Thailand is an independent country that lies in the heart of Southeast Asia.It is bordered to the north by Laos and Burma, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and Burma...
. Thailand hosts the third largest ethnic Malay population after
MalaysiaMalaysia is a country in Southeast Asia that consists of thirteen states and three Federal Territories, with a total landmass of . The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government. The population stands at over 28 million inhabitants...
and
IndonesiaThe Republic of Indonesia is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands. With an estimated population of around 237 million people, it is the world's fourth most populous country, with the world's largest population of Muslims.Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, and most Malays are concentrated in the Southern provinces of
NarathiwatNarathiwat is a town in southern Thailand, capital of the Narathiwat Province....
,
PattaniPattani may refer to* Pattani Province, in southern Thailand* Pattani , in southern Thailand* Pattani , which includes the above province** Pattani Kingdom, a former semi-independent kingdom...
,
Yala-Asia:* Yala National Park, Sri Lanka* Yala is the dry season in Sri Lanka. Its counterpart is Maha, the wet season.* Yala Province, Thailand*Yala, Thailand, its administrative capital...
,
SongkhlaSongkhla is a city in the Songkhla Province of southern Thailand, near the border with Malaysia. As of 2006 it had a population of 75,048...
and
SatunSatun is a town in southern Thailand, capital of the Satun Province. It covers the whole tambon Phiman of Mueang Satun district. As of 2005 it has a population of 21,498....
.
Ethnic Malays in Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala and Songkhla due in part to cultural differences from the Thai people as well as past experiences of forced attempts to assimilate them into Thai mainstream culture after the eventual annexation of
Pattani KingdomPatani or Sultanate of Pattani is known to have been part of the ancient Srivijayan kingdom. It then covered approximately the area of the modern Thai provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and much of the northern part of modern Malaysia...
by the
Sukhothai KingdomThe Sukhothai kingdom was an early kingdom in the area around the city Sukhothai, in north central Thailand. It was First Thai Empire. It existed from 1238 till 1438...
. On the other hand, ethnic Malays in Satun are less inclined towards separatism. Ethnic Malays in Satun are more proficient in Thai as compared to the Malays from the other states, and their dialect have strong affinities to those of
PerlisPerlis , is the smallest state in Malaysia. It lies at the northern part of the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and has Satun and Songkhla Provinces of Thailand on its northern border. Perlis was called Palit by the Siamese when it was under their influence.Perlis Indera Kayangan has a...
.
People of mixed Thai and Malay ancestry are known as Samsam, which forms the bulk of Satun's population but also a significant minority in
PhatthalungPhatthalung is a town in southern Thailand, capital of the Phatthalung Province.The town covers the whole tambon Khuhu Sawan, and small parts of the tambon Khao Chiak, Tha Mi Ram, Prang Mu, Lampam, Tamnan and Khuan Maphrao, all in Mueang Phatthalung district. As of 2005 it has a population of...
,
TrangTrang is the capital of Trang Province, Thailand. The city has a population of 59,637 and covers the whole tambon Thap Thiang of Mueang Trang district....
,
KrabiKrabi is a town on the west coast of southern Thailand at the mouth of the Krabi River into the Andaman Sea. As of 2005 the town has a population of 24,986. The town is the capital of Krabi Province and Krabi district. Tourism has become the most important feature of Krabi today...
,
Phang NgaPhang Nga is a town in southern Thailand, capital of the Phang Nga Province. The town covers the whole tambon Thai Chang of Mueang Phang Nga district. As of 2005 it has a population of 9,559 and covers an area of 6.75 km²....
and Songkhla as well as in the Malaysian states of
KedahKedah is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km², and it consists of the mainland and Langkawi. The mainland has relatively flat terrain, which is used to grow rice...
,
PerakPerak is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is the second largest state in Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor southward and to the west by the Strait of Malacca.Perak means silver in...
and Perlis. Samsams are generally adherents of Islam but culturally Thai, although Malay influences are co-dominant. Phuket and
RanongRanong is a town in southern Thailand, capital of the Ranong Province and the Mueang Ranong district. The town covers completely the area of the tambon Khao Niwet . As of 2005 it has a population of 16,163, and has town status .The town is located at the estuary of the Pak Chan River, opposite...
, home to a sizeable Muslim population, also has many people who are of Malay descent. A sizeable community also exists in Bangkok itself, having descended from migrants or prisoners who were relocated from the South from the 13th century onwards.
See also
- Mahsuri
- Islam in Thailand
Islam, while a minority faith in Thailand, is quickly growing, with the 2005 statistics from National Statistic Office of Thailand estimating approximately 2.2 million, or equivalent to 4.5% of the population of 49.5 million , are Muslims Most Thai Muslims belong to the Sunni sect.-Demographics:A...
- South Thailand insurgency
The South Thailand insurgency is a separatist campaign, which is taking place in the predominantly Malay Pattani region, made up of the three southernmost provinces of Thailand, with violence increasingly spilling over into other provinces. Although separatist violence has occurred for decades in...
- Malaysian Siamese