Siamese (Central Thai)

The Siamese/Central Thai live in the central alluvial plain of Thailand, and are primarily of the Buddhist faith. This entry focuses specifically on the community of Bang Chan (ca. 1950), which lies about 31 kilometers northeast of Bangkok. Bang Chan was established in the 19th century, and is currently under the jurisdiction of Thailand's constitutional monarchy (an absolute monarchy until 1932). The central institution of Bang Chan is the Buddhist temple. Like many other Central Thai communities, the majority religion is Buddhism, with a minority group of Muslims.