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Thai Malays ( Standard Malay: ''Orang Melayu Thailand/Siam'', : Jawi: ;
Pattani Malay Pattani (or Patani in Malay spelling) may refer to: Places Continental Asia * Patani (historical region) Patani Darussalam (Malay language, Malay: ''Kesultanan Patani Darussalam'', Jawi script, Jawi: كسلطانن ڤطاني دارالسل ...
: ''Oré Nayu Siae'', ''Bangso Yawi'';
Bangkok Malay Bangkok Malay, also referred to as Bangkok Melayu or Nayu, is a local variant of Malay spoken by the Bangkok Malays, an ethnic Malay community in Bangkok and its surrounding areas. It emerged from the interaction of the Malay community from Sou ...
: ''Oghae Nayu Thai''), with officially recognised terms including 'Malayu-descended Thais' and 'Malay', is a term used to refer to ethnic Malay citizens of
Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
, the sixth largest ethnic group in Thailand. Thailand is home to the third largest ethnic Malay population after
Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
and
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
. Most Malays live primarily in the four southernmost provinces of Yala,
Narathiwat Narathiwat (, ) is a town ( thesaban mueang) in southern Thailand and capital of Narathiwat Province. The town is in the Mueang Narathiwat District and was established in 1936. As of 2008, the population was 40,521. It lies 1,141 km south ...
, Satun and
Pattani Pattani (or Patani in Malay spelling) may refer to: Places Continental Asia * Patani (historical region), a historical region in the Malay peninsula, in Thailand and Malaysia. * Pattani Province, modern province in southern Thailand ** Pattani, ...
. They live in one of the country’s poorest regions. They also live in
Songkhla Songkhla (, ), also known as Singgora or Singora (Kelantan-Pattani Malay, Pattani Malay: ซิงกอรอ, Singoro), is a city (''thesaban nakhon'') in Songkhla Province of southern Thailand, near the border with Malaysia. Songkhla lies ...
,
Phuket Phuket (; , , or ''Tongkah'') is one of the Southern Thailand, southern Provinces of Thailand, provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand. It consists of the island of Phuket, List of islands of Thailand, the country's largest island, and another 3 ...
, Ranong.
Trang province Trang (, ; ), also called ''Mueang Thap Thiang'', is one of the southern Provinces of Thailand, provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand, on the west side of the Malay Peninsula facing the Strait of Malacca. Neighboring provinces are (from north clo ...
, home to a sizeable Muslim population, also have many people who are of Malay descent. Some live in Thailand's capital
Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...
. They are descended from migrants or deportees who were relocated from the South from the 13th century onwards.


History and politics

Separatist inclinations among ethnic Malays in Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala and Songkhla provinces, the cause of the Southern Thai insurgency, are due in part to cultural differences from the
Thai people Thai people, historically known as Siamese people, are an ethnic group native to Thailand. In a narrower and ethnic sense, the Thais are also a Tai peoples, Tai ethnic group dominant in Central Thailand, Central and Southern Thailand (Siam prope ...
as well as past experiences of forced attempts to assimilate them into Thai mainstream culture after the annexation of the Sultanate of Patani by Siamese Rattanakosin Kingdom. In 1816,
Siam Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
divided the sultanate into seven provinces as part of a policy of '
divide and rule The term divide and conquer in politics refers to an entity gaining and maintaining political power by using divisive measures. This includes the exploitation of existing divisions within a political group by its political opponents, and also ...
'. Despite occasional subsequent rebellions, the policy was generally successful in ensuring peace until the beginning of the twentieth century. In 1901, Siam restructured the seven provinces into a single administrative unit, 'Monthon Pathani', under the new Ministry of the Interior, which consolidated the seven provinces into four:
Patani Pattani (or Patani in Malay spelling) may refer to: Places Continental Asia * Patani (historical region), a historical region in the Malay peninsula, in Thailand and Malaysia. * Pattani Province, modern province in southern Thailand ** Pattani, ...
, Bangnara, Saiburi and Yala.
Kedah Kedah (), also known by its honorific Darul Aman (Islam), Aman (دار الأمان; Arabic for 'The Safe Abode') and historically as Queda, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of ...
was then ceded to the British under the
Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 The Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 or Bangkok Treaty of 1909 was a treaty between the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Siam signed on 10 March 1909, in Bangkok. Ratifications were exchanged in London on 9 July 1909, and the treaty established t ...
, in which a more integrated district formerly belonging to Kedah became Satun Province. The Malay Muslims of Satun are less inclined towards separatism; this is largely a result of the historical affinity of the Malay King of Setul towards Siam, compared to the violent breakup of the Sultanate of Patani. Pro-Thai inclinations can also be observed in Malay communities in Phuket, Ranong and Bangkok.


Culture


Sub-ethnicity

*
Bangkok Malay Bangkok Malay, also referred to as Bangkok Melayu or Nayu, is a local variant of Malay spoken by the Bangkok Malays, an ethnic Malay community in Bangkok and its surrounding areas. It emerged from the interaction of the Malay community from Sou ...
(''Melayu Bangkok'') * Pattani-Kelantan Malay ('' Melayu Kelantan-Patani'') ** Pattani Malay ** Narathiwat/Tak Bai Malay (Kelantanese) ** Yala/Reman Malay * Syiburi Malay ('' Melayu Kedah'') **Setun Malay **Krabi Malay **Trang Malay


Cuisine

In Province Pattani, Narathiwat & Yala also known as 3 Malay regions/Province (''kawasan 3 wilayah'') having and practicing the same culture as the state of
Kelantan Kelantan (; Kelantan-Pattani Malay, Kelantanese Malay: ''Klate''; ) is a state in Malaysia. The capital, Kota Bharu, includes the royal seat of Kubang Kerian. The honorific, honorific name of the state is ''Darul Naim'' ("The Blissful Abode"). ...
, Malaysia. They also speak the same language but some different because Standard Malay education is non-open and not supported by the Thai government which causes them to sometimes mix Malay and Thai.


Language

The majority of Malays in Thailand speak a distinct variety of Malay known as
Pattani Malay Pattani (or Patani in Malay spelling) may refer to: Places Continental Asia * Patani (historical region) Patani Darussalam (Malay language, Malay: ''Kesultanan Patani Darussalam'', Jawi script, Jawi: كسلطانن ڤطاني دارالسل ...
(Yawi: ''Baso Yawi/Pattani''). However, not all Thai Malays speak Pattani Malay, some people who live in Satun and its vicinage use another distinct variety of Malay known as Satun Malay, while the Malays up north in
Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...
have developed their distinct variant of Malay that incorporated elements of localism with visible Pattani-Kedahan Malay dialect influences known as
Bangkok Malay Bangkok Malay, also referred to as Bangkok Melayu or Nayu, is a local variant of Malay spoken by the Bangkok Malays, an ethnic Malay community in Bangkok and its surrounding areas. It emerged from the interaction of the Malay community from Sou ...
(Bangkok Malay: ''Bangkok Melayu/Nayu''). The Bangkok, Kedahan and Pattani are closely related and shared many similar vocabularies but still mutually partly unintelligible. With the introduction of Islam to Southeast Asia, the Malays use a modified version of the Arabic script known as Jawi. Unlike other parts of the Malay world, like Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, where the usage of Jawi is declining rapidly from the increasing usage of the Latin alphabet, Jawi is still widely used and understood among Malays in Thailand.


Religion

Thai Malays are mainly
Sunni Muslims Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Musli ...
. They're mostly of the
Shafi'i school The Shafi'i school or Shafi'i Madhhab () or Shafi'i is one of the four major schools of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), belonging to the Ahl al-Hadith tradition within Sunni Islam. It was founded by the Muslim scholar, jurist, and traditionis ...
of thought. There's also a small
Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
and other minorities.
Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
is the defining element of the Thai Malay identity.


Notable individuals

* Thao Thep Kasattri and Thao Sri Sunthon – Heroine and Ancestors of na Thalâng Clan. (Malay descent from
Phuket Phuket (; , , or ''Tongkah'') is one of the Southern Thailand, southern Provinces of Thailand, provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand. It consists of the island of Phuket, List of islands of Thailand, the country's largest island, and another 3 ...
) *
Wan Muhamad Noor Matha Wan Muhamad Noor Matha (; ; ), also called Wan Noor, (; ; ; born 11 May 1944) is a Thai politician who is serving as List of speakers of the House of Representatives of Thailand, speaker of the House of Representatives of Thailand since 2023. In ...
(Wanmuhamatno Matha) – Thai Politician (Malay descent from Yala) * Adul Lahsoh – Thai footballer (Malay descent from Phatthalung) * Jirayut * Nurul Sriyankem * Supachai Jaided * Abdulhafiz Bueraheng * Sompong Soleb * Airfan Doloh * Surin Pitsuwan * Elias Dolah * Rosenanee Kanoh – Thai women's cricketer * Soraya Lateh – Thai women's cricketer * Abdulhafis Nibu * Denkaosan Kaovichit * Muhammad Osamanmusa


See also

*
Ethnic groups in Thailand Thailand is a country of some 70 ethnic groups, including at least 24 groups of ethnolinguistically Tai peoples, mainly the Central, Southern, Northeastern, and Northern Thais; 22 groups of Austroasiatic peoples, with substantial populations ...
*
Islam in Thailand Islam is a minority faith in Thailand, with statistics in 2006, suggesting 4.9% of the population are Muslim.Mahsuri Mahsuri binti Pandak Mayah was a young woman who lived in Pulau Langkawi, an island in northwestern Kedah, Malaysia, during the late 18th century. According to folklore, she was accused of adultery and executed by stabbing. Her tomb, ''Makam Ma ...
*
Malaysian Siamese The Malaysian Siamese (Malay language, Malay: ''Orang Siam Malaysia'') are an ethnicity or community who principally resides in Peninsular Malaysia which is a relatively homogeneous cultural region to southern Burma and southern Thailand but wa ...
*
South Thailand insurgency The Southern Thailand Insurgency (; ) is an ongoing conflict centered in southern Thailand. It originated in 1948 as an ethnic and religious separatist insurgency in the historical Malays (ethnic group), Malay Patani (historical region), Patani ...


Further reading

* * * * * * * *


References

{{Ethnic groups in Thailand Malays * Malay diaspora Malay people Indonesia–Thailand relations Malaysia–Thailand relations