Historians believe the earliest visitors to the region were the Mons, who entered present-day Thailand sometime around the beginning of the Christian area and later established Dvaravati. Even today, warfare, political turbulence, and migrations continue to define the ethnic and social landscape of Sangkhlaburi region. Many of the Karens, Mons, and Burmese who have settled in the region over the centuries have become political refugees, unable to obtain Thai passport or permits for residence and work. Most remain stateless individual wanderers - shunned by both Thais and Burmese.