Can You Differentiate Between Native Thais And Chinese Thais?

[yabaaaa]

I dont think anything, why would I, beauty is in he eye of the beholder I prefer the Issanites myself at least they "look " Thai not some bastardized westernized pasty faced clone.

Can I differentiate?? nah I gave that up years ago stop looking at the cover and read the book inside.

[INTJ]

Without the Thai-Chinese work ethic and business acumen Thailand would be like Laos.

Cheers

[Thakkar]

Without the Thai-Chinese work ethic and business acumen Thailand would be like Laos.

Cheers

Do you mean Thailand would have better bakeries?

[LaoPo]

You certainly did a good job perpetuating the stereotypes.

I reckon its easy to tell the Thai Chinese - they have Chinese script above their store and they speak Thai. Having said that, I've never actually asked the owner of such a store whether he was Thai Chinese, Chinese, or aboriginal Thai. The chap I accidentally started speaking Chinese to in the market, I'm guessing was Chinese immigrant - I don't know how many of the Thai Chinese speak Chinese...

SC

Not so many, but learning Mandarin is increasing, especially amongst younger students/children from Thai/Chinese families.

My wife speaks Mandarin and Cantonese, next to Shanghainese and Hangzhounese (yes, there are many languages in China) and it's very difficult for her to communicate with Chinese/Thai in Bangkok in China town; they all speak a dialect she can't understand and they can't understand her; it's a dialogue with hands and feet so to speak.

She also tried to talk to the elderly Chinese/Thai immigrant families in Bophut/Samui but they come from immigrant fishermen from the island province of Hainan in Southern China where they also speak their own language.

They can't understand each other either

LaoPo

Edited August 26, 2010 by LaoPo

[dumball]

When it all comes down to what the content is in the smelting pot , does it realy matter ? Should you be unable to build status on your own merits , what does using a wifes ethniticity have to do with anything that matters ?

"Oh , my wife is Chinese , but only up to her knee caps , she is Thai covering the area of most interest and a motley mix from there on up " What a bunch TV has become in the past couple of years , where have all the interesting intelligent posters gone ?

[Johpa]

So like I said, go back far enough in time and ALL thais are of Chinese ancestry.

Whistle all you want, but Tai folks did not originate, not culturally, not linguistically, from the same place as the Han Chinese. Perhaps there are ancient genetic relationships that far predate the historical era. But the homeland of the Han was north of the Yangtze and, although still in academic debate and leaning towards Hainan Island, the Tai's ancestral homeland was clearly south of the Yangtze.

And I am sorry, and although there are now plenty of people of mix ancestry, there are still large numbers of people in Thailand I can look at and state with a very high degree of certainty that the person is either of Southeast Asian or East ancestry.

And to the poster who did not want a reply from me to their question, perhaps you should refrain from posting to a public board and instead keep your thoughts confined to personal messages.

[yellow1red1]

Thai-Chinese are about as "Chinese" as African-Americans are Ethiopian. Which is to say that there has been so much mixing over several generations that it's pretty pointless to even call them as such. The culture is thoroughly Thai.

Rama I's father was Mon and his mother was part Chinese, so Thais and anyone else should have respect for all ethnic gruops!

[mark45y]

Interesting thread really..just like one time I wondered how to know his/her nationality when a Caucasian come pass by.

For me, I cannot 100% seeing differ for pure Thai and Thai-Chinese. Usually I see from their looks. Small eyes, straight hair, pale skin.. How they speak/talk..etc. But many times I missed too.. Some Chinese can have dark skin and look similar to pure Thai.

I am pure chinese, which means my papa and mama are both Chinese, I never called myself as a Chinese but Thai. I think we Overseas chinese also have some different characteristics from Chinese in chinaland, so they don't count us as same nationality.

The last time I checked there were 293 different Chinese languages spoken in China. Which pure Chinese are you? What a joke!

[mark45y]

Without the Thai-Chinese work ethic and business acumen Thailand would be like Laos.

Cheers

There are 56 distinct ethnic minorities in China. Which one did the work ethic come from?

Do you realize how odd you sound? There is no Chinese work ethic. About the only thing you can say with any certainty about all Chinese is they have slanted eyes and I am really not even sure about that. Back to school for some China courses.

[mark45y]

So like I said, go back far enough in time and ALL thais are of Chinese ancestry.

Whistle all you want, but Tai folks did not originate, not culturally, not linguistically, from the same place as the Han Chinese. Perhaps there are ancient genetic relationships that far predate the historical era. But the homeland of the Han was north of the Yangtze and, although still in academic debate and leaning towards Hainan Island, the Tai's ancestral homeland was clearly south of the Yangtze.

And I am sorry, and although there are now plenty of people of mix ancestry, there are still large numbers of people in Thailand I can look at and state with a very high degree of certainty that the person is either of Southeast Asian or East ancestry.

And to the poster who did not want a reply from me to their question, perhaps you should refrain from posting to a public board and instead keep your thoughts confined to personal messages.

There is no human being on earth let alone Thailand that can state with any degree of certainty what part of Asia anyone comes from. There are too many exceptions to even begin to form a rule. That would be like me saying I could pick out a black person of Bantu origin from the population of the South Side of Chicago. It is just too silly to contemplate. Do the math.

[MB1]

I think you have missed the point altogether.

Ask the people with Chinese blood what nationality there are?

In my experience they will proudly telll you they are Thai.

My experience too, a friend I've known for many years came to live in Thailand from a young age, her mothers Chinese her father is Malaysian, you try telling her she's Chinese/Malay and not Thai, she'll tell you "I have Thai Passport, I Thai", she sees herself as nothing else but Thai and is happy to be Thai...

[MidoriApple]

Interesting thread really..just like one time I wondered how to know his/her nationality when a Caucasian come pass by.

For me, I cannot 100% seeing differ for pure Thai and Thai-Chinese. Usually I see from their looks. Small eyes, straight hair, pale skin.. How they speak/talk..etc. But many times I missed too.. Some Chinese can have dark skin and look similar to pure Thai.

I am pure chinese, which means my papa and mama are both Chinese, I never called myself as a Chinese but Thai. I think we Overseas chinese also have some different characteristics from Chinese in chinaland, so they don't count us as same nationality.

The last time I checked there were 293 different Chinese languages spoken in China. Which pure Chinese are you? What a joke!

Yes, what a joke!

As per your checking about 293 different Chinese languages spoken, no surprise for me..

China as one country is larger than Europe Continent which devided into more than 10 countries..

I am sure in each European country must have different culture, lifestyle..also languages...

Shamed that I cannot know which part of China my ancestor come from, my papa has already passed away..

my mother born here in Thailand too... she has no idea either.

A lot like me here in Thaland... i am sure you can easily find "pure"chinese as me.

[mark45y]

Interesting thread really..just like one time I wondered how to know his/her nationality when a Caucasian come pass by.

For me, I cannot 100% seeing differ for pure Thai and Thai-Chinese. Usually I see from their looks. Small eyes, straight hair, pale skin.. How they speak/talk..etc. But many times I missed too.. Some Chinese can have dark skin and look similar to pure Thai.

I am pure chinese, which means my papa and mama are both Chinese, I never called myself as a Chinese but Thai. I think we Overseas chinese also have some different characteristics from Chinese in chinaland, so they don't count us as same nationality.

The last time I checked there were 293 different Chinese languages spoken in China. Which pure Chinese are you? What a joke!

Yes, what a joke!

As per your checking about 293 different Chinese languages spoken, no surprise for me..

China as one country is larger than Europe Continent which devided into more than 10 countries..

I am sure in each European country must have different culture, lifestyle..also languages...

Shamed that I cannot know which part of China my ancestor come from, my papa has already passed away..

my mother born here in Thailand too... she has no idea either.

A lot like me here in Thaland... i am sure you can easily find "pure"chinese as me.

Define pure Chinese.

[MidoriApple]

Mr.Mark..are you commanding me, or you asking me?

Define pure-chinese "please"....

Well, pure-chinese as I am not mixed with any other ethnic but chinese. I can confirm this although I cannot know (now) which region of China Republic my ancestor had come from. Just because I don't know how to say the region's name in English, so I cannot say to you.

I am sure both of my papa and mother's family come from China-mainland, as remember when I was so young, my papa and grandpapa (father to my mother) they went together to visit our cousins in a region in China Republic.

My grand come from China to bkk, as I know they actually run away from home because my greatgranny was too discipline for them. And when they had first son born (my papa), my greatgranny come kidnapping my papa when he was 3, took him to China. Papa had been there until 17 when greatgranny died, he returned back Thailand since then.

I don't know if this is my bedtime story from my papa, since it seems so much adventurous really.. And couldn't believe that how come it was so easy for Chinese people to go out of country when China were restricted country that time.

[mark45y]

Mr.Mark..are you commanding me, or you asking me?

Define pure-chinese "please"....

Well, pure-chinese as I am not mixed with any other ethnic but chinese. I can confirm this although I cannot know (now) which region of China Republic my ancestor had come from. Just because I don't know how to say the region's name in English, so I cannot say to you.

I am sure both of my papa and mother's family come from China-mainland, as remember when I was so young, my papa and grandpapa (father to my mother) they went together to visit our cousins in a region in China Republic.

My grand come from China to bkk, as I know they actually run away from home because my greatgranny was too discipline for them. And when they had first son born (my papa), my greatgranny come kidnapping my papa when he was 3, took him to China. Papa had been there until 17 when greatgranny died, he returned back Thailand since then.

I don't know if this is my bedtime story from my papa, since it seems so much adventurous really.. And couldn't believe that how come it was so easy for Chinese people to go out of country when China were restricted country that time.

Since there are 56 ethnic minorities in China how do you know what you came from?

It is like an English person saying he is pure English? There is not a such thing. Or Poland? Do you know how many countries have occupied Poland.

Or how many foreign national have lived in and traveled through China. It is too big a place to know anything about your personal ancestry beyond a few generations. You being pure Chinese is in your mind as there is no such thing as pure Chinese.

Edited August 26, 2010 by mark45y

[MidoriApple]

You cannot compare Caucasian to Asian as we Asian didn't do colonialism by traveling to faraway land to invade and occupy new land founded. You might have American-Irish, American-Swiss or American-Portuguese... These could be.

But in China, we would mix just within these different groups as you claimed..Han, Mongols, Manchurians... I am sure these are all Oriental ethnics.. And China is too big to say Caucasian had entered to everywhere in its country. I don't think so.

I will remain my word as 56 ethnic minority groups of China are all Chinese ethnics anyway.

[gburns57au]

And to the poster who did not want a reply from me to their question, perhaps you should refrain from posting to a public board and instead keep your thoughts confined to personal messages.

Being a public board I can post what I want within the rules, if you dont like the answer......Stiff.

The question was aimed at the OP, I wanted his definition not yours, I certainly didnt want your family history and a BS Thai history lesson.

[mark45y]

You cannot compare Caucasian to Asian as we Asian didn't do colonialism by traveling to faraway land to invade and occupy new land founded. You might have American-Irish, American-Swiss or American-Portuguese... These could be.

But in China, we would mix just within these different groups as you claimed..Han, Mongols, Manchurians... I am sure these are all Oriental ethnics.. And China is too big to say Caucasian had entered to everywhere in its country. I don't think so.

I will remain my word as 56 ethnic minority groups of China are all Chinese ethnics anyway.

You Asians had the largest contiguous Empire in the history of the world. It was called the Mongol World Empire. At its greatest extent it stretched from the Danube to the Sea of Japan and from northern Siberia to Camboja, covering over 24,000,000 km2 (9,266,000 sq mi),[1] 22% of the Earth's total land area, and held sway over a population of over 100 million people.

I am sorry you are wrong Asians did travel to faraway lands to invade and occupy. Your pure Chinese idea is pure but it is a pure myth. Your Asian brothers were better at colonization than any of their later imitators like the Caucasians.

And the purity of Chinese ancestry was also influenced by trade. Chinese settled all over the world for trade purposes very early in recorded history.

One thing about conquest or trade mixing races it is that it goes both ways. You get some of theirs and they get some of yours.

[MidoriApple]

**My BB is really tingtong, so have unintentionally made double post..Oii

Edited August 27, 2010 by MidoriApple

[MidoriApple]

^^ You have made me wondering now when we start calling oriental people as "Chinese"

Well, I don't think we do have "Chinese" since the time of Mongol World Empire as you have stated here.

[mark45y]

In case anyone didn't know one of the Mongol ways of conquest was to impregnate the local women and then take the children and send them to Mongol schools for education and training. This created loyal Mongol followers and also blended genes from the Mongol and conquered people.

[Thakkar]

This link is to National Geographic's genographic project. The spaghetti of human migration routes and the complexity of gene mixing that have taken place over the eons makes a mockery of any talk of "pure" anything. (Another interesting site on the subject is The Journey of Mankind).

When the HK Special Administrative Region (SAR) passport was first introduced, there was some confusion as to who was eligible. There appeared to be some sort of requirement to prove Chinese ancestry. At the time, I wrote a letter to the press from which I quote a few snippets:

...the granting of SAR passports is racially based.

I would be interested to know at what point one starts, or ceases, to be Chinese, thus affecting eligibility for SAR passports. My children were born in HK and can speak and write Chinese as well as anyone their age. They are 25% Chinese by blood, but there is no way to proove this by way of documentary evidence. If it could be prooved, would they be eligible for an SAR passport? What if, instead of their grandfather, it was their great great grandfather who was Chinese? Would DNA testing be admisable? What is the cut-off point for 'Chinessness'?

Racial pigeon-holing may be a mildly interesting parlor game (well, not really), but what is the point of it all other than to promote some kind of bigoted thinking? Surely, more than anything else, it is our culture and upbringing that make us who we are. Our race may indeed affect our experiences, but it is what we make of those experiences that defines our character. And in the end, when we judge others—if we must judge them at all—character is the only thing that should matter.

[Johpa]

There is no human being on earth let alone Thailand that can state with any degree of certainty what part of Asia anyone comes from.

Crikey, are you also going to claim that you can't beat a random outcome determining, given only the information that a person is from a NATO country, that the person is from a Northern European NATO country located north of the Alps as opposed to coming from a Mediterranean NATO country located south of the Alps? You don't see a difference between an average looking Norske with light skin, blond hair (square head?) and an average dark haired, darker toned Italian? So given a random sampling of say 100 Norwegians and 100 Italians you can only get a 50% correct identity rate? Are you suggesting that large scale geographic genetic features, thought to exist partly as a result of human Darwinian adaptation to climate, that exist in the Occident do not exist in the Orient? I am not claiming to be able to be 100% accurate, but I am certain that most Asians, and a few Farangs, can beat the null hypothesis that you are suggesting, that there are no average differences in appearance.

[dmax]

its all in the eyes. i can usually tell the difference , also with the kmhers or vietnamese and also the laos people . same as living here in belfast , i am a uk citizen a protestant , i can tell an irish catholic a mile off ,truth!!

[Travel2003]

When talking about empires.

Back then when the world experienced huge empires (Mongol, Roman, Greek/Macedonian, etc), normally the conquored areas laid down weapons after losing battles/wars, and agreed upon being a part of the empire. In exchange they were not wiped out as nations.

This did not always result in mass-breeding by the conquorer.

Very often the conquorer did not want to mix blood with the submissed races.

Both the Romans and the Mongols had to use local forces to control these vast areas.

They were not themself many enough to control the areas, thus the few that were mixing with the locals did not always have a big racial impact.

[Travel2003]

its all in the eyes. i can usually tell the difference , also with the kmhers or vietnamese and also the laos people . same as living here in belfast , i am a uk citizen a protestant , i can tell an irish catholic a mile off ,truth!!

Really?

You can tell the difference between a protestant and a catholic in UK/Ireland?

You are taking the piss, right?

You are waiting for the right ones to respond, right?

[moe666]

This has become to serious. I will say you all have it wrong it is bases upon Sum Tum consumption. A true Thai will have sum tum several time a day while a Thai with a bit of chinese might have it once a day or not at all.

Met a Thai- chinese at the monastary I spent a month at, while talking to her she had been there before but couldn't handle the food to spicey. I asked her what do you eat? she says we only eat chinese at home no spicey. Having observed her a few days didn't know if she was talking about food or her girlfriend.

She was actually very interesting her pop owned a enertament compex in Chonburi kareoke bar, massage parlor, coffee shop and restrurant. The monk who ran the monastary says her family mafia which upset her a bit. When travelling around Bangkok she was only allowed out of family compound with driver and body guard her pop didn't want her to hook up with a poor Thai.

Asked Thai friend once do you have some chinese she says no I am Thai 100%. Boys lets donot take this thread to serious no reward in that.