Every country around the world has a particular name that its natives or permanent residents are called. Of course, Thailand is not an exception as the people of Thailand are called by a particular name. Here, we will explain what people from the Land of Smiles are called.
According to Mariam-Webster and other reliable sources, people from Thailand are called Thais (singular form: Thai). Therefore, if you have come across a person from Thailand, you can simply call the person a Thai as you will call some from America an American or Japan a Japanese. The name “Thai” can be somewhat translated as “a free person”. Hence, Thailand itself means “land of free people”.
Nevertheless, there is more to the name given to the people of Thailand. So, in this post, we will shed more light on the various things you need to know about the origin of the word “Thai” and why people from Thailand are called this particular name.
What does Thai mean?
The word “Thai” is written as “ไทย” in the Thai language and can be loosely translated as free or independent. Therefore, when a person is called Thai, you are saying that such a person is:
- A free person OR an independent person
Many Thailand natives pride themselves as the “Free/independent people”. As stated by The Culture Trip, the freedom of the people of Thailand is even referenced in the national anthem of the nation. The pride can be related to the fact that Thailand is one of the few countries around the world that were not colonized by the Western countries some centuries ago. During the era of colonization, the Thai leaders used an array of techniques to maneuver their way to maintain the kingdom’s independence. Therefore, Thais are truly free/independent people.
However, it is also important to know that Tai is a particular ethnic group in Thailand. Therefore, some people believe that the term “Thai” is a modified version of Tai. Nonetheless, you should remember that Tai is not the only ethnic group in Thailand. As a result of this, it is difficult to say that Thai and Tai are referring to the same thing.
What is Thai used for?
Of course, you can come across the word “Thai” in different written contexts. However, you should understand this particular word can be used for a wide range of things. The particular meaning will be determined by the context in which the word has been used.
A few of the uses of Thai include:
- A native of Thailand
As explained earlier, anyone from Thailand is called a Thai. Besides, a Thai can be a person who is a native of the largest ethnic group in Thailand. However, an individual of Thai descent who doesn’t live in Thailand can also be referred to as a Thai.
- The language of Thailand
As stated by Lexico.com, the language of the people of Thailand is also called Thai. It should be noted that Thai is the official language of the whole country and is spoken by millions of individuals, especially those in central Thailand.
- Anything relating to Thailand
The word “Thai” is also usually used for indicating anything related to Thailand. For example, if you are talking about a city in Thailand, you can say “a Thai city”. This also applies to many other things such as Thai boxing, Thai flag, Thai Royal Family, Thai school, and lots more.
Thais were previously called Siamese
In the past, Thailand was known as Siam. The kingdom bore the name “Siam” for several centuries before changing it to Thailand in 1939. According to The Culture Trip, the leaders of the country were indecisive about the name change, so they went back to calling the country “Siam” in 1946. But in 1948, they finally returned to calling the country “Thailand”. Of course, the name has remained the same since then.
During the time that the country was called Siam, the inhabitants of the country were referred to as Siamese. As stated by Collins Dictionary, some people still colloquially refer to the people of Thailand as Siamese today. Therefore, you can still consider Siamese as a lesser-used alternative name for Thais. However, you should be careful when calling anyone a Siamese as some individuals find it offensive.
It is noteworthy that the word “Siamese” is associated with a wide range of other popular terms in the English language. Some of these terms include:
- Siamese cats
Siamese cats are some breeds of cats that come from Thailand. Since Thailand was previously called Siam, the cats from the region have been named Siamese cats.
- Siamese twins
Another term for conjoined twins is “Siamese twins”. This name came from the well-known case of two Thai twin brothers, Chang and Eng. They were born conjoined and were never separated throughout their lifestyles. These people later moved to the USA where they became so popular. These twin brothers appeared numerous times in circuses and other events while they were alive.
However, in recent times, the term “Siamese twins” is considered a derogatory word; hence, it is used less often now.
What does Thailand itself mean?
Since Thailand and Thai are closely related terms, it is reasonable to explain where the word “Thailand” itself came from. Simply put, it is the combination of two words – Thai and Land.
As mentioned earlier, Thai means free/independent. Therefore, Thailand means the “Land of the Free”. However, some schools of thought feel that Thailand has a second meaning which is “Land of the Tai People” since an ethnic group in Thailand is called Tai.
Conclusion
The people from Thailand are called Thais. When the name is translated loosely, Thais can be regarded as the “free people ”. The word “Thai” can be used for any native of Thailand. In addition, descendants of people of Thailand can also be called Thais, even if they don’t live in the country. In previous years, the people from Thailand (formerly known as Siam) were referred to as Siamese.
