Kingdom of Thailand / ราชอาณาจักรไทย

Nickname	Land of Smiles
Population (2024)	~65 million (government registered only, including migrants is ~70-71 million)
Official Language	Thai
Capital	Bangkok
Currency	Baht (฿)
System of Government	Parliamentary democracy under constitutional monarchy
National Symbols	Elephant, Pad Thai, Golden Shower Tree, Garuda (second image under flag)

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Thailand is a regional power located in the Indocchina region. It is surrounded by the countries of Myanmar to the west, Laos to the northeast, Cambodia to the east and Malaysia to the south. It also borders the Gulf of Thailand east under Cambodia and the Andaman Sea to the west under Myanmar.

Siam

Before 1939 Thailand was known as Siam by foreigners while the inhabitants of Siam called it Mueang Thai (Land of the Free). Prime Minister Phibunsongkhram, shortened as Phibun, renamed the whole country to Thailand, adopted the modern flag and a new national anthem in 1939 as part of a larger effort to modernize the country.

Back then there were 3 seperate ethnicites (Siamese/Central Thai, Lanna Thai/Nortern Thai, Isan/Tai Lao) which together formed a Thai ethnic group.

Phibun thought that keeping these ethnicities seperate could be used against Thailand by colonial powers (e.g. by promising a certain group privileges if they broke away from Thailand or funding seperatist movements) and so by giving the country a name which represented not just the Siamese but all Tai-speaking peoples would promote the idea of a single Thai ethnicity.

Tai

Tai are a group of people who share languages with similar roots and culture who live in southern China and Southeast Asia. Their language family is called Tai-Kadai/Kra-Dai and includes languages like Thai (Thailand), Lao (Laos), Shan (China) and Zhuang (China). Basically, even though Thais are the largest group a part of the Tai, not all Tais are Thai.

Thais

The idea of three ethnicities which together make a single Thai identity or 'Three pillars of Thai people' (สามส่วนนิยมไทย ) was promoted during the 20th century along with, as mentioned above, a rebranding of Siam. Today, they make up the large majority of the Thai population. Important to note that there are also minorities (Pak Tai, hill tribes, Chinese Thais and Malay Muslims) who live in Thailand.

Name	Color	Population	Percentage of Total Population	Main Ethnic Group	Founded	Residents per km²
Bangkok		11,391,700	~16.5%	Central Thai	1782	7,260
Nakhon Ratchasima		821,187	~1.2%	Isan (Lao), Central Thai	1675	42
Chiang Mai		1,244,190	~1.8%	Northern Thai (Lanna)	1296	1,800
Surat Thani		528,783	~0.8%	Southern Thai (Pak Tai)	1250s	7,600
Kanchanaburi		896,351	~1.3%	Central Thai	1832	46
Ayutthaya		470,442	~0.7%	Central Thai	1350	1,800
Chiang Rai		586,352	~0.9%	Northern Thai (Lanna)	1262	1,800
Pattaya		97,296	~0.1%	Central Thai	1966	1,800
Krabi Town		476,000	~0.7%	Southern Thai (Pak Tai)	1900s	1,800
Sukhothai		597,000	~0.9%	Central Thai	1238	1,800

Siamese

Central Thai or Siamese (ไทยสยาม) have a population of around 25 million and are the largest group of Thais. They primarily live in the center (Ayuttaha, Bangkok and surround area) and speak Standard Thai (ภาษาไทย) which is also the official language of Thailand. Historically dominated Thai politics and serve as 'blueprint' for Thai identity.

Isan

Lao Isan or Northeastern Thai have a population of around 22 million and live in the northeast of Thailand. They speak Isan which is a dialect of the Lao language using the Thai script yet Isan among younger generations is less used than Central Thai. Isan are ethnically (and linguistically) Lao but have been annexed by Siam in the late 19th century and have been a part of Thailand ever since.

Lanna

Northern Thai or Lanna (ไทยล้านนา) have a population of around 6 million and live in the northern part of Thailand. They speak the Tai language of Kam Mueang (คำเมือง) and are the descendants of the Lanna or Lan Na Kingdom which existed from 1292-1775. Historically they identified more with other Tai groups who lived in Yunnan (southeastern China) and Burma than the Central Thai though also speak Central Thai and are more assimilated into Thai society today.