Proper name: Tay or Thay
Other name: Tay Thanh, Man Thanh, Tay Muoi, Tay Muong, Hang Tong, Tay Do and Tho
Population: 1,040,549 people
Local groups: Black Thai (or Tay Dan) and White Thai (Tay Don or Khao)

Production activities: Early in their history, the Thai adopted wet rice cultivation, using appropriate irrational networks. The work are able to be summarized in the Thai saying “muong-phat-lai-lin” (which suggests that digging of canals, consolidating of banks, guiding water through obstacles, and fixing water gutters) in the fields. Whereas the Thai once grew only 1 sticky rice crop a year, these days they need converted to 2 crops of standard rice. They additionally cultivate swidden fields, where they grow rice, corn, and subsidiary crops, particularly cotton, indigo and mulberry for cloth weaving.

Diet: At present, standard rice has become the crucial food of the Thai, whereas sticky rice continues to be being eaten historically. Sticky rice is steeped in water, placed in a steaming pot and placed on a fire and cooked. A meal cannot go without ground chili mixed with salt and among mini, coriander, leaves and onion. Boiled chicken liver, fish gut, and smoked fish known as cheo might be well be added to the meal. Ruminate meat ought to be among sauce taken from the inner organs (nam pia). Raw fish ought to be either cooked into salad (nom) or meat-in-sauce (nhung), or sauced. Cooked food processing ranges from roasting, steaming and drying to condensing, frying, and boiling. The Thai get pleasure from foods with additional hot, salty, acrid and buttery tastes, in distinction to those who have sweet, rich and powerful tastes. They smoke with bamboo pipes, lighted by dried bamboo items. Before smoking, the Thai maintain their custom of hospitality by inviting others to affix in, a lot of as they might do before a meal.

Clothing: Thai women are superbly adorned briefly and colourful blouses, accented down the front with lines of silver buttons within the shapes of butterflies, spiders and cicadas. Their blouses work superbly with their tube-shaped black skirts. The bell could be a inexperienced coloured silk band. They wear a key chain spherical their waists. On festival occasions, Thai ladies will wear further black dress, with an underarm seam or sort of a pullover that has an open collar, therefore revealing the silver buttons within. The black dresses are nipped at the waist; embrace massive shoulders and ornamental items of fabric that are hooked up to the underarms or to the front of the shoulders in an exceedingly manner the same as the White Thai. Black Thai ladies wear the famous pieu scarf with colourful embroidery. Thai men wear shorts with a belt; a shirt with an open collar and 2 pockets on either facet. White Thai men have a further higher pocket on the left and their collar is mounted with a cloth band. The popular color of all garments is black, pale red, stripped or white coloured.

On festivals individuals wears long black dresses, with split underarm seams and an indoor white shirt. A head turban is worn as a headdress, round the carrier’s forehead; occasionally, pack horses are used. Along massive rivers, the Thai are famous for transporting products and other people using swallow-tailed boats.

Social organization: The initial social structure is named ban muong, additionally referred to as the phia tao regime. The Thai lineage is named Dam. everyone has 3 key lineal relationships: Ai Noong (every born from a standard fourth-generation ancestor); Lung Tay (every male member of the wife’s family throughout generations); and Nhinh Xao (every male member of the son-in-laws).

Marriage: In the past, the Thai revered the selling and shopping for of wedding and the son-in-law’s staying with the girl’s family. To marry a husband, the girl’s family has to take 2 basic steps:

Up wedding (dong khun) – means that the introduction and bringing of the son-in-law to measure with the girl’s family, which is a step to check his temperament and labor. The Black Thai ladies typically adopt the custom of sporting their hair in as bun or chignon immediately when this initial marriage ceremony. The son-in-law can keep at his wife’s home for eight to twelve years.

Down wedding (dong long) – the bringing of the couple and their family.

Birth: Ladies provide birth within the seated position. The placenta is placed into a bamboo cylinder and stayed a branch in the forest. The mother is warmed by hearth, fed rice employing a bamboo tube, and should abstain from bound foods for a month. The bamboo tubes are stayed a tree branch. There are rituals to teach the kid in gender-specific work and a Lung Tay is invited to the house to call the baby.

Funerals: Primarily, there are 2 steps in a funeral:

- Pong: The bringing of offerings o the deceased and bringing the deceased to the forest for burial (White Thai)

- Xong: Calling the spirit to return back and live within the section of the house reserved for the worshipping of ancestors.

New House: Showing the host his new house, the Lung Ta kindles a new fire. In celebrating a new house, individuals perform spiritual rites on the spot, reading spiritual texts to drive away bad lucks and to bring good lucks, and to worship ancestors.
Festivals:  The Black Thai worship their ancestors on the 7th and 8th month of the Lunar Year. The White Thai also celebrate the New Year according to the lunar calendar. Villagers also worship the gods of land, mountain, water and the soul of the central post of the village.

Festivals:  The Black Thai worship their ancestors on the seventh and eighth month of the Lunar Year. The White Thai additionally celebrate the New Year to the lunar calendar. Villagers additionally worship the gods of land, mountain, water and therefore the soul of the central post of the village.

Calendar: The Thai calendar follows the traditional horoscope or cosmology (which contains twelve key animals) just like the lunar calendar. However the Black Thai’s calendar encompasses a time distinction of six months.

Education: The Thai have their own Sanskirt-style writing system. Their language is taught orally. The Thai have several ancient written works on their history, traditions, customary laws, and literature.

Artistic activities: The Thai perform their xoe dance and play several types of flutes. They sing out verses and vivid alternate songs.

Entertainment: Thai popular games contain con throwing, tug-of-war, horse racing, boat cruising, archery, xoe dance, spinning prime, and mak le balls. There are several different games for youths.

Source: wil-travel

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