[muawiyah]

You are really missing the point. The population you identify as "Thai" was, in the distant past, also Chinese, from the South.

There have been other Chinese arrive in the area in the last 600 years.

All Chinese are not alike!

The history of the Chinese people is exceedingly complex.

[killjoy]

You are really missing the point. The population you identify as "Thai" was, in the distant past, also Chinese, from the South.

It depends on your definition of Chinese. Do you mean Chinese as in a race, culture, or nationality? The three have very different connotations. From a race perspective, I would define Chinese as Han. The Thais are most definitely not of that race. Culturally? Thai culture is quite different than Chinese culture. I have lived in both and speak from experience on that one. As far as nationality goes, they are quite obviously different countries.

There are traces of civilization in the Thailand area going back 180,000 years with the major increases in population starting around 2500BC. The Tai language group did originate in the southern China area, south of the Yangzi, but this was long before the Han arrived in the area around 600BC.

Saying that since the language originated in an area now part of China that the people and culture is Chinese is a major stretch. Culturally, Chinese like to paint everything with a very broad brush which trys to include anything remotely related as 'Chinese'. The reality is much different.