Age composition of the population of Thailand. Such different Thais: a guide to the nationalities of Thailand

Thais are concentrated mainly in the central region of Thailand, where most of them are employed in rice plantations. In Isan in the northeast, the majority of the population is Lao. The northern part of the country, covered with mountains, has a mixed population consisting of small Thai ethnic groups.

Thais are the indigenous people of Thailand

The self-name of the Thais comes from the word from the Thai language “thai” - “free”. The word “franc” had the same meaning in Europe.

The Thais lived in China until the 13th century, from where they were driven out by the Mongols. Gradually settling the territory of the Mekong Valley, they, in turn, ousted the Khmers who lived there and created their own state of Ayutthaya, also known as Siam. The Siamese borrowed writing from the Khmers, and Buddhism from the surrounding peoples.

Absolute monarchy and the veneration of the king as a god always existed in Siam, until the coup of 1932. Then Siam was renamed Thailand and a constitution was adopted, after which the power of the monarch decreased, but not much.

Thus, the division of the Thai language into common and palace, which is spoken only at the royal court, has been preserved.

Buddhism has a very large influence on the lives of modern Thais. There are about 400 Buddhist temples in Bangkok alone. The largest one is Bencham-Obopit, translated as Marble Temple, which is really built of white marble. As in neighboring countries, Buddhist monks do not have the right to work and live on alms.

Traditionally, Thais are engaged in agriculture. They mainly grow rice, vegetables, various cereals, and tea. Fruits include bananas, citrus fruits and mangoes, and in smaller quantities apples and peaches (they have taken root only in the valleys of the northern part of the country).

They raise buffalos, horses for heavy work, all kinds of domestic animals and poultry: goats, pigs, cows, chickens. They catch fish in the sea and rivers with bamboo traps from heavy boats. Some villages specialize exclusively in fishing.

Wood carving is considered the main and most honorable craft. This is a profession that is usually passed down from generation to generation along with all the secrets of the skill. Traditionally, pottery and weaving are considered women's crafts; there is a loom in almost every home. The Thais know how to process precious stones, but they do not work with gold and silver.

The main food is rice, as well as fish, vegetables and fruits. Meat is eaten on holidays. While eating, they sit on mats around a tray of food or a low table. Traditional clothing for men is rolled, unstitched pants - panung, for women - sweaters, a wide scarf - crotch and skirts, also unstitched. The headdress common to men and women is a hat made of palm leaves and sandals as shoes. However, they also go barefoot, this is a common thing.

Lao - inhabitants of the Northeast region of Thailand Isan

The Lao are a distinct ethnic group, most of whom occupy the northeastern region of Thailand called Isan. The Lao have their own language, Lao (close to Thai), which has several dialects, and two types of writing: everyday and sacred, for religious texts.

The main occupation of the Lao people is traditional agriculture. Rice, tea, coffee and pepper are grown. Animals are also raised, although not very actively: buffaloes for work, small livestock and poultry.

Roots and herbs are collected as an additional food source. The soil in this region is not very fertile, and some of the land is completely solid rock. So they rarely harvest more than one harvest a year. However, part of Laos is covered with mountain forests, so the region's economy is significantly supported by logging.

Lao crafts are well developed. They can provide themselves with almost everything they need. Men's occupations include making tools and bamboo utensils, jewelry and blacksmithing, stone and bone carving. Men also make vehicles: two-wheeled carts and dugout boats. Women engage in cotton spinning, embroidery, weaving, shoe making and rice straw weaving. They are also responsible for pottery.

The main type of food, along with rice, is fish. The Mekong River, Asia's largest river, flows through Isan and is rich in fish. They catch it with a special top trap, or hit it in shallow water with a spear. The Lao Fishing Festival is celebrated in the 10th month of the lunar calendar.

Settlements are usually small. Each one must have a temple complex, inside of which there is a statue of Buddha. Houses on stilts, with gable roofs and two or three entrances, are randomly scattered in groups of eight to ten. The house has two or three entrances and two fireplaces - one for family members, the other for guests.

The hearth is made like this: a bamboo frame is filled with earth and clay, and a tripod with a hook for the boiler is placed above it.

The main piece of furniture is a mat; wooden benches and bamboo stools are also used. The menu is based on rice, fresh or dried fish, and vegetables.

For clothing, men wear shirts and jackets made of canvas, regular pants or a piece of cloth wrapped like pants.

Women wear bright dresses decorated with embroidery, sweaters with a stand-up collar and skirts also decorated with an embroidered pattern. A wide scarf acts as a belt. Men and women wear straw hats and headbands as headdresses.

Small Thai peoples of Northern Thailand

Centuries ago, in the Northern region of Thailand, there was the state of Lanna, inhabited by mountain peoples. Their life has remained virtually unchanged since then. They have preserved their traditional culture and way of life, which can be seen thanks to specially organized excursions. Let's name the most numerous of them.

Karens

The Karen are a tribal union. It consists of numerous subgroups, each with its own customs and dialect. Of those seen by tourists, the tribe of "long-necked women" (Paduong, meaning "copper ring") is the most famous.

For women, starting from the age of five, a spiral of hollow brass wire is wrapped around the neck. The wire is thick, and its turns look like rings. With age, the spiral is replaced with a new one, with a higher number of revolutions. Reaches up to twenty-five to twenty-eight rings, weighing from three to eight kilograms. The first wedding night is the only time when a woman can take off the rings, and then they are put back on, but the number of turns is not increased from that moment on.

It must be said that the neck does not physically lengthen at all - it is the collarbones that lower under the weight of the metal. This is a reversible process, and if a woman stops wearing rings, her skeleton will be completely restored within a couple of years.

Akha

Outwardly, they are noticeably different from other peoples of the North of Thailand with their elegant and richly decorated clothes. Their headdress is especially famous. This hat (there are three types) is inherited and represents an entire structure. It is covered with dozens of cowrie shells, silver flakes and coins of various origins and considerable denominations sewn in dense rows.

Due to the large amount of metal, the caps of the Akha people are called “iron”, although it is silver that is used in them. The hats offered to tourists are similar in appearance, only they have tin instead of silver and aluminum Burmese pyyas instead of full-sized Indian rupees. A variety of things are also used to decorate hats: plant seeds, dyed chicken feathers, scraps of fabric, mirror fragments and much more.

Mien

The Mien people (other tribes call them Yao) are the only people among the peoples of mountainous Thailand who have a written language. Many of them make good money by selling handwritten religious scrolls with Chinese-style designs added to them. All men of the tribe know hieroglyphic writing; the boys are taught by their fathers. Sometimes the entire village hires a Chinese teacher to teach all the children together.

Mien women wear easily recognizable clothes: long black jackets with lapels made of bright red wool, similar to boas, a black turban and pants decorated with rich embroidery. Children's clothing is finished with special care and love.

Some of the Myen have recently adopted Christianity, but they all retain faith in spirits and stars and carefully observe the commandments of their ancestors and the instructions of shamans.

Conclusion

The population of Thailand consists of many nationalities whose ancestors came from the Middle East. For the most part, these people retained traditional m

Features of the population of Thailand: size, geographical location

Of all its neighboring states, the Kingdom of Thailand has the most “Europeanized” name. And at the same time, only this country escaped colonization from England or France, to which, to one degree or another, all other territories in this corner of Southeast Asia were subject. Isn’t that why the name of this country contains the word “thai”, which means “freedom”. The local equivalent of the name is “Muang Thai” (also with the word “freedom”) or “Phrathet Thai”. However, until 1939, this piece of land in the southwest of the Indochina Peninsula (partly also in the north of the Malacca Peninsula) was generally called Siam (hence the expression “Siamese twins”).

A little geography

The majority of the population of Thailand is employed either in agricultural production or in the tourism business. Both of these activities are facilitated by the state's geographic location. Thailand is stretched vertically, its length is 1860 kilometers. Hence the climatic diversity, in which fruits on agricultural plantations have time to ripen many times during the year. The tourism season stretches, flowing from north to south and vice versa. It is no coincidence that the “Land of the Free” is a year-round paradise for tourists from all over the world.

Density and numbers

According to official data, the population density of Thailand is 130.5 people per square kilometer. About three dozen different nationalities live here. About three quarters of them are Thai (75%, according to other sources - up to 80%). There are ethnic Chinese (14%, according to other sources - 10%), Malays (3%) and Vietnamese. Overall, Thailand's population is 61.8 million.

In the “Land of the Free,” the king is the leader and symbol of the nation, he is the patron and protector of all faiths. The popular adoration of the royal family here is almost religious in nature. Almost the entire population professes Buddhism (94.6%), and only a small part of Thais living in the south are followers of Islam (4.6%). Christianity has been mentioned here since 1505, when a certain Louis from Warsema, traveling in these places, noted the Armenians permanently living in Siam. Judging by his notes, the occupation of these representatives of the teachings of Christ at that time was trade with India.

Economic potential

Despite the fact that Thailand, in the minds of Russians, is associated with tourism, it is a country with very high economic potential, occupying a fairly high position in the world. Judging by official statistics, Thailand's GDP per capita is 150 billion USD, this is the 33rd world indicator and is approximately a third of Russia's GDP.

Thailand is the largest Asian supplier of light goods. Interestingly, the local population is very successful in making handicrafts. All the surrounding shops are full of boxes, fans, umbrellas, and inexpensive jewelry. The Thais are the largest producers and exporters of rice (up to 9 million tons/year, including the so-called “jasmine” rice). Other agricultural crops include corn, pineapples, coconuts, and sweet potatoes, but most of the income here is obtained by exporting durian, known throughout the world as the “king of fruits.”

Peasant

Culture

And Thailand, of course, is a country of Buddhist temples, including the world's largest Buddha statue (Phra Pathom Chedi, height - 127 meters). There are 32,700 temples here, with 1 monk per 170 people. Thailand has its own Buddhist calendar, and the highest temperatures are recorded in April-May - from 35 to 40 degrees Celsius.

What kind of national minorities live in Thailand? Do local residents speak English? Is Buddhism the main religion practiced in this country? To find out the answers to these questions, we must take a close look at the composition of the population and then the answers will come by themselves.

Age composition

• 0-14 years: 21.2% (males 7104776 / females 6781453)
• 15-64 years: 70.3% (men 22763274 / women 23304793)
• over 65 years old: 8.5% (men 2516 72 1 / women 3022281)

• 0-14 years: 20.8% (males 7,009,845 / females 6,691,470)
• 15-64 years: 70.5% (men 22977945 / women 23512538)
• over 65 years of age: 8.7% (men 2594387 / women 3119225)

• 0-14 years: 19.9% ​​(males 6,779,723 / females 6,466,625)
• 15-64 years: 70.9% (men 23410091 / women 23913499)
• over 65 years of age: 9.2% (men 2778 01 2 / women 3372203)

Fertility

Over the last century, Thailand has become one of the countries in Asia with the largest population growth. In the 1970s, the Government tried to reduce the high birth rate through the National Family Planning Program. Thanks to the measures taken, it was possible to reduce population growth. The fertility rate has fallen from 6.4 children per woman in 1960 to 3.8 in 1980 to 1.8 today. For this reason, Thailand currently faces the same demographic challenges as most other countries in the region.

• 2008 - 1,64
• 2009 - 1,65
• 2011 - 1,66

Ethnic composition

Ethnic Thais in the country are naturally the largest (75%). A significant proportion of ethnic Chinese (14-15%) and Malays (3.5%). Also living in Thailand are Mons, Lisu, Karens, ethnic Laotians (northeastern regions), Khmers and other peoples of Southeast Asia.

Representative of the Akha people

Languages

Representatives of different language groups live in Thailand. The most numerous of them are: Thais, Laotians, Malays, Karens and Khmers. In the big cities there are also significant communities of Chinese and of course Farangs! (Farang is a general term for people of European descent).

The official language is Thai, and Chinese and English are widely used by educated Thais. There is a version that the popularity of foreign languages ​​is reflected in the following order: English, Chinese, Japanese and German.

Religion

In Thailand, according to current legislation, freedom of religion, but Buddhism was, is and will remain the leading religion in this country. Currently Thailand's population is 68.5-70 ml. Human. The vast majority (95%) profess Buddhism, to be precise - Theravada Buddhism (a branch of Buddhism common in Southeast Asian countries). Muslims (5%) and Christianity (1%) Christianity predominates among representatives of national minorities living mainly in Bangkok and southern Thailand, as well as among foreigners, who, however, cannot be taken into account, because they are not residents of Thailand.

Hill tribes in Thailand

The term "hill tribe" refers to the ethnic minorities living in the mountains of northern Thailand. Each hill tribe has its own language, customs, dress code and spiritual beliefs. Most of them came to Thailand from Tibet, Burma, China and Chile over the past 200 years.

According to estimates, Thailand is home to up to 20 different hill tribes. The total population is about 550,000 people. Of these, six occupy dominant positions - these are the tribes: Yao, Karen, Akha, Lahu, Hmong and Lisu. Hill tribes tend to cultivate rice, corn and other agricultural products on the mountain slopes. However, in the past, the Yao, Lahu, Hmong and Lisu tribes grew opium, but now, thanks to the support of the Royal Initiative Project, they began to earn their livelihood through the cultivation of temperate fruit crops such as apples, strawberries and other "cash" crops. crops like beans, coffee, vegetables and flowers. At the same time, they are urged to stop slash-and-burn forest destruction.

It is easy to see that each tribe and village has its own preferences in the style and design of houses, but in general they are all built on a two-structure basis, either on the ground with a packed dirt floor or raised on stilts several feet above the ground. The materials used in construction are usually bamboo sticks, split bamboo, wooden poles, decking and thatched roofs made from large leaves of plants such as palm.

Nowadays, contacts and trade between the hill tribes and the inhabitants of the “lowlands” are quite frequent. Meanwhile, new generations of tribal residents are exposed to life in the outside world as they move down to further their education or find work in the city. Some of them speak English well and sell souvenirs to tourists. It seems that the new generation of mountain tribes will no longer pass on their traditions to their children, as their ancestors, whose lives were isolated from the rest of the world, passed on. Soon in this part of Thailand there will be McDonald's and other attributes of the Western world, which is destroying one culture after another with its values.

The Kingdom of Thailand is a state in Southeast Asia. Thailand is the only country in its region that has never been colonized by Great Britain or. The capital of country - . The form of government is a constitutional monarchy. The national currency is Thai baht. The country's climate ranges from tropical in the north, subtropical in the central part to equatorial in the south.
The majority of the population is Thai (about 80 percent) and Lao. The ethnic composition is also represented by the Chinese, Khmers, Malays, and Vietnamese.

The vast majority of believers in Thailand profess Buddhism (94 percent), followed by Islam (about 4 percent), which is the main religion of ethnic Malays. The share of other religions - Christianity (Catholicism and Protestantism), Hinduism, Taoism, Confucianism - is quite small.

The official language of Thailand is Thai. Laotians speak, logically, in Lao, Malays speak in Malay. In addition, the Chinese population speaks southern Chinese dialects of their language. English is widely spoken and is an invariable attribute of business and tourist communication.

Indigenous people of Thailand

Thais are the indigenous people of Thailand, but others also live in the country. The Thais descended from the Mon-Khmers, an ancient people who lived on the Indochina mainland from time immemorial.

Thais have short stature, a thin build, narrow eyes, pitch-black hair and dark skin. It is curious that Thais consider pale skin a symbol of nobility and aristocracy. This means that a person with light skin spends a lot of time indoors, doing intellectual work, while people with dark skin either spend their time sunbathing on the beach or earn a living through hard physical labor. Thai clothes are quite simple: T-shirts, jeans, sandals. But Thai girls do not wear provocative bright outfits, stiletto heels, or rough makeup - this is the lot of the notorious Thai transvestites.

Buddhism left its mark on the national character of the Thais. Let us remember that this world religion teaches love for one’s neighbor, respect, compassion, and peace of mind. Therefore, Thais are friendly, polite, non-offensive, and are always ready to help foreign travelers. Thais are also very smiling (especially girls), they always give a smile to the person they meet. Those Thais who work in the field of tourist services know English perfectly, however, even ordinary residents, without knowing this language, will always be able to explain the way or show a person who can help you. Thais practically do not drink alcohol and smoke quite a bit. Thais are very hardworking and do not tolerate lazy people. In addition, many Thais do not take tips. I am pleased with the Thai unobtrusiveness in trade - traders will not forcefully push unnecessary goods.

Thais do not like manifestations of intemperance and rudeness, loud shouting (the Thais themselves speak quite quietly), ignorance of Thai traditions and laws. Insulting the King of Thailand is the height of discourtesy - the King is a symbol of independence and national pride of the Thai people, the custodian of religious traditions. If at the entrance to a temple or store there is a sign saying that you must take off your shoes here, then you should follow this instruction, otherwise you will simply not be allowed to proceed further. A sign of disrespect is touching a Thai’s head (the head, according to Buddhism, is the most spiritual part of the body); you should not stroke children on the top of their heads.
There is a widespread belief that in Thailand, tourists will find complete debauchery, sex, and so on. In fact, there is no such thing, and all sorts of erotic adventures, if desired, can be found in every country. And you don’t see the notorious same-sex couples in the country very often; ordinary Thais treat them very reservedly, there is no condemnation in their eyes.

Interestingly, most Thais are sure that tourists coming to their home country are entirely rich people. This is due to the fact that foreigners very often waste money left and right and overpay for goods.

Laotians in Thailand

We should also talk about the Lao people living in Thailand. It is curious that there are more Laotians in this country than in their own country - . The Laotians are similar in basic character traits and religion to the Thais. But there are also differences. Laotians are very conservative in their clothing and do not tolerate revealing outfits. Not all Laos like it when tourists ask to take photos with them, especially for money.

Thailand is one of the most popular countries for tourism, especially among Russian travelers. In some ways, Thais are very similar to Russians, which makes it easier to communicate together. Knowing the simple rules, you can win the favor of the Thais, and this will make your holiday in this amazing country easier.

For a European person, all Asians initially look the same. Having traveled around the world, he begins to distinguish between Japanese, Koreans, Chinese and Thais. Here a new problem arises: how to distinguish the peoples of Thailand from each other, if there are as many as 74 of them?

The multinationality of Thailand has developed historically and economically. Many who live in Thailand have crossed the border at one time: these are refugees, migrants, emigrant workers, and simply businessmen. To a tourist, they usually look like representatives of the same ethnic group, and this is not surprising: 80% of the population of Thailand are native Thais. Other nationalities often live in border areas (Lao and Saek near Laos, Malays near the border with Malaysia, Karen along the entire border with Burma). Many peoples of Thailand live in their own ethnic villages (Akha in the villages of Chiang Rai province, Lisa in Mae Hong Son province, Lahu in Chiang Mai). Some live in the mountains (bru, kensiu). Since the ethnic composition of the Thais is very diverse, it is customary to divide them into several groups, where the nationalities are quite close.

The first group are the peoples who lived in states on the territory of modern Thailand. The most numerous of them are the Lao (about 18% of the population). As the name suggests, the Lao migrated to Thailand from Laos. Most of them settled on the border, but many Lao are now moving to work in more prosperous areas of Thailand. The people speak a mixture of Thai and Laotian languages. Lao are slightly darker than native Thais and have smaller facial features.

Photo: Shutterstock

From the group of Thai peoples, it is worth highlighting the yuan. Their territory only joined Thailand in 1930, and to this day not every Yuan considers himself Thai, even those who have lived in Thailand since birth. The roots of the Yuan are in the ancient kingdom of Lanna, whose lands, after the collapse of the country, belonged either to Burma or to the king of Siam. Thanks to this, representatives of the people differ from the native Thais in their lighter skin tone and wide faces. Despite the fact that even those peoples who do not ethnically belong to the Thais speak Thai, the Yuans keep their own Yuan language, which, although similar to Thai, is rather a dialect of Siamese. Previously, all of northern Laos spoke Yuan. Now these peoples of Thailand number about 3 million representatives and live in Chiang Mai.

Another ethnic group of this group, the Lys, also speaks the Yuan language. They are easily recognized by the red turbans worn by women, as well as by the numerous tattoos that are common among both sexes. Tattoos are also popular among the Dais. They can be easily identified by their professed religion - Theravada Buddhism. If you see palm leaves painted with sutras near a house, the Dais probably live here.

Grigory Skoblo, traveler, blogger

I lived a lot in Thai minority villages and always confused them. For example, Lahu and Lisu are very similar, they live nearby, but the nationalities are different. In national costumes, I learned to distinguish them, but only the older generation wears this, and young people wear modern clothes, and you can’t tell them apart. But the Thais never took offense, they were good-natured: what can they take from a European?

Photo: Shutterstock

Another large group that is part of the peoples of Thailand is the Malayo-Polynesian ethnic groups. First of all, these are, of course, the Malays, whose numbers are highest in the city of Pattani. They are distinguished by religion: in Thailand, 94% of the population professes Buddhism, while the Malays are Muslims. Pattani is considered an entirely Islamic city and is called "Petani" (peasant) in Malay. The small number in Thailand (4000 people) of the Cham, the Indonesian people who settled in Thailand, also belong to Muslims. In addition, there are Hindus among the Chams. A distinctive feature of the Chams is the matriarchal structure of the family: the bride chooses the groom, and the eldest woman dominates the family. But under the influence of modernity and neighboring Islamic peoples living in Thailand, the eastern Chams have adopted patriarchy and even polygamy.

Sea gypsies also belong to the Malay-Polynesian peoples (where would we be without them?). Urak Lawoi, as they are called in Thailand, often moor their boats (“kabangs”) off the coast of Phuket, Phi Phi and Krabi province. Due to their permanent residence on the water, the people were almost completely destroyed by the 2004 tsunami. Now it has only 2,000 representatives.

Photo: Shutterstock

The main people of the Mon-Khmer group, which is also part of the peoples of Thailand, are the Vietnamese. These are immigrants from Vietnam who have preserved their language and traditions. Actually, they can be distinguished from Thais by their national clothes and language. In addition, the Vietnamese, especially the men, are smaller than the Thais. The Khmers are descendants of Cambodians who emigrated to Thailand. Their skin is darker, and they most often settle in the mountains (then they are called “mountain Khmers”). Among the mountain Khmers, the Negritos are the easiest to identify. As the name suggests, these are black representatives of the ethnic group. Among the Negritos there is a special group: the Semangs. These are local shamans who exorcise evil spirits and perform magical rituals. In addition to their skin color, they can be recognized by their filed teeth.

Photo: Shutterstock

Among the Palung-wa group, it is very easy to recognize immigrants from China - the Bulans. Among this people, staining teeth black is considered a sign of beauty. The Bulans still live in tribes of three or four families. Their funeral traditions are interesting. If Bulan died a natural death, he is buried. If it is violent, they burn it. It is believed that the killing curse burns with the body. The Bulans also add their own beliefs to the traditional Buddhism in Thailand.

Ethnic Wa also follow the traditional faith - perhaps the most mystical representatives of the peoples of Thailand. Among the Wa, the worship of skulls is very widespread: until the mid-twentieth century, they hunted human heads for rituals.

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A significant part of the population of Thailand is a group of Tibeto-Burmese peoples. The most famous of them, the Padaungs, became famous for their tradition of stretching the necks of their women by gradually adding metal rings. A woman’s neck is stretched from infancy until marriage (in fact, it is the shoulder girdle that is lowered under a weight of 3–5 kg). The Padaung people of Thailand often explain this tradition as a desire to protect women from tiger bites. Some call rings a symbol of wealth and prosperity. In fact, it was customary for this people to trade women, and the rings helped keep the fair sex in the village, preventing women from adapting among other nationalities. Nowadays, wearing rings brings good money to the Padaungs: the most famous village of this people, Nai Soi, receives 1,500 tourists annually, and entry costs 250 baht.

Photo: Shutterstock

The Lahu people do not abuse women like the Padaung, but femininity is considered ugly and shameful among their members. The Lahu have a cult of androgyny and masculinity.

The most numerous representatives of the Tibeto-Burman group are the Burmese, immigrants from Myanmar. Despite similar religious and cultural customs, the Burmese are lighter in color than the native Thais. Their families are patriarchal, but the main breadwinner is usually the wife.

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The Lisu tribe are not only the most ardent representatives of the belief in spirits (animism) in the country, but also the main suppliers of drugs among those living in Thailand. It is the cultivation of opium poppy that brings the foxes their main, albeit illegal, income.

The Chinese group represents 14% of the population in Thailand. Most Chinese live in Bangkok, although there are plenty of them in any other region. The ancestors of the people moved to Thailand in search of a better life, and then began to organize themselves into groups that differed from the kind and warm-hearted Thais in their considerable cruelty. Therefore, until the mid-twentieth century, strong anti-Chinese sentiments persisted in Thailand - all the peoples of Thailand did not like the Chinese. Even now, representatives of Chinese ethnicity live in separate areas, usually called “Chinatowns”. It is not difficult to distinguish a Chinese from a Thai: their faces are wider, their hair is darker, and their eyes are narrower. Many Chinese women are concerned about maintaining the whiteness of their skin, so they wear gloves and an umbrella under the hot Thai sun.

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Thailand's other non-indigenous population includes many Portuguese, Indians, Japanese and Koreans. But it is much easier to distinguish them from the Thais, so you can easily cope with this task yourself.