HISTORY
Khmers have had a presence in this area since at least the time of the Khmer Empire
. With the fall of the Angkor, the Khmers of the Isan
region were subject to increasing Thai influence. In the 18th century, Thailand
officially annexed the former Cambodian province of Surin . The Khmer residents became de facto subjects of the Thai monarchy and a long process of cultural assimilation began.