Northern Khmer people ( km, ជនជាតិខ្មែរខាងជើង; th, เขมรเหนือ) or colloquially as Thais of Khmer origin ( th, ชาวไทยเชื้อสายเขมร) is the designation used to refer to ethnic

Khmers The Khmer people ( km, ជនជាតិខ្មែរ, ) are a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Cambodia. They comprise over 90% of Cambodia's population of 17 million.

native to the

Isan Northeast Thailand or Isan ( Isan/ th, อีสาน, ; lo, ອີສານ; also written as Isaan, Isarn, Issarn, Issan, Esan, or Esarn; from Pali ''īsānna'' or Sanskrit ईशान्य ''īśānya'' "northeast") consists of 20 prov ...

region of Northeast Thailand.

History

Khmers have had a presence in this area since at least the time of the Khmer Empire. With the fall of the Angkor, the Khmers of the

region were subject to increasing Thai influence. In the 18th century, the Thai kingdom officially annexed the former

Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand ...

n province of Surin. The Khmer residents became ''de facto'' subjects of the Thai monarchy and a long process of gradual

cultural assimilation Cultural assimilation is the process in which a minority group or culture comes to resemble a society's majority group or assume the values, behaviors, and beliefs of another group whether fully or partially. The different types of cultural ass ...

began.

Demographics

Culture

Although now a minority, the Northern Khmer have maintained some of their Khmer identity, practicing the Khmer form of

Theravada Buddhism ''Theravāda'' () ( si, ථේරවාදය, my, ထေရဝါဒ, th, เถรวาท, km, ថេរវាទ, lo, ເຖຣະວາດ, pi, , ) is the most commonly accepted name of Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school' ...

and speaking a dialect known as ''Khmê'' in Khmer and Northern Khmer in English. Few Northern Khmers are able to read or write their native language, since teaching in public schools is exclusively in Thai. The Thai language instruction has resulted in many of the younger generation being more comfortable using Thai as a medium of communication. In 1998, Smalley reported renewed interest in Khmer language and culture had resulted in a two-fold increase in the use of Northern Khmer since 1958. However, usage of Khmer has subsequently declined. In the past two decades, there has been state-directed revitalization of 'local' cultures in Thailand, including of Khmer culture, which has been challenged for adopting a state narrative and insufficiently empowering the Northern Khmer themselves.

Conflict

Although it is not anywhere near the scale of the protests of the

Khmer Krom The ''Khmer Krom'' ( km, ជនជាតិខ្មែរក្រោម, , , lit. 'Lower Khmers' or 'Southern Khmers'; vi, người Khơ-me Crộm, người Khmer Nam Bộ, người Khmer Việt Nam, người Việt gốc Miên (used before 19 ...

in the

Mekong Delta The Mekong Delta ( vi, Đồng bằng Sông Cửu Long, lit=Nine Dragon River Delta or simply vi, Đồng Bằng Sông Mê Kông, lit=Mekong River Delta, label=none), also known as the Western Region ( vi, Miền Tây, links=no) or South-weste ...

Vietnam, some Northern Khmers living in the Isan region have demanded more rights and oppose Thaification of the Surin Khmer. Also, the occasional hostilities between Thailand and Cambodia have made their relations sometimes difficult.

Notable Northern Khmers

* Suvadhana — Princess Consort to the King Vajiravudh of Siam. (Khmer descent from

Battambang Battambang ( km, បាត់ដំបង, UNGEGN: ) is the capital of Battambang Province and the third largest city in Cambodia. Founded in the 11th century by the Khmer Empire, Battambang is the leading rice-producing province of the cou ...

) *

Bejaratana Princess Bejaratana Rajasuda ( th, เพชรรัตนราชสุดา; ; , 24 November 1925 – 27 July 2011) was the only child of the King Vajiravudh of Thailand. She was a first cousin of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and third cousin of ...

— Princess of Thailand. (Khmer descent from Battambang) * Khuang Abhaiwongse — 4th Prime Minister of Thailand. (Khmer descent from

) * (Surachai Chanthimathorn) — The lead vocalist and songwriter of the band

Caravan Caravan or caravans may refer to: Transport and travel *Caravan (travellers), a group of travellers journeying together **Caravanserai, a place where a caravan could stop *Camel train, a convoy using camels as pack animals *Convoy, a group of veh ...

. (Northern Khmer descent from Surin) *

Chai Chidchob Chai Chidchob ( th, ชัย ชิดชอบ, , ; 5 April 1929 – 24 January 2020) was President of the National Assembly of Thailand and the Speaker of the House of Representatives from 15 May 2008 to 10 May 2011. Political career He beg ...

- Former President of the National Assembly of Thailand and Speaker of the House of Representatives * Newin Chidchop - an influential modern Thai political figure of Northern Khmer ancestry * Siroch Chatthong – Thai footballer of Khmer origin from Battambang

References

External links

Thailand’s Khmer as ‘Invisible Minority’: Language, Ethnicity and Cultural Politics in North-Eastern ThailandEthnic Khmer Festival in ThailandThai-Cambodia fighting disrupts border ties
insights on Thailand's foreign policy towards its neighboring countries
World Directory of Minorities - Mon and Khmer
{{Ethnic groups in Cambodia Ethnic groups in Thailand *