The overwheirring majority of Thais Tai, the distinction being between are Ostensibly. citizens of Thailand and people who belong to the Thai ethnic group and linguistic homogeneity. More than 80 per cent ot Thailand displays a marked ethnic the population speaks related dialects belonging to the Thai banguage group. The social structure is, however, more complex than it srst seems. The apparent and in poltical terms, real homogeneity is the result of cunura hegemony of the Central Thai over the other rai peoples who live within the national boundanes Basically. there are four Thai groups: the central Thai, northern Thai, southern Thai and the Thai-Lao ol the north- east. A number of small subgroupings such as the Lue peoples of the North, further contribute to what is complex human fabric, although centuries of harmonious co-