Cultural Identification
• Thai identity is to be “of society” or civilized
while to be non-Thai is to be a “natural human.”
• Culturally, Thai has been associated with wet
rice-farming peoples in the valley areas and
practicing Theravada Buddhism.
• Non-Thai has been associated with living in the
hills, slash and burn agriculture and practicing
spirit-based, animistic religions.
• Some hill people have been interacting with Thai
people for centuries, while others migrated
relatively recently.