ABSTRACT
The position of the Chinese in Thailand has long been integral to Thai social studies, given the history and extent of their immigration and the role they have played in Thai society. Nevertheless, many aspects of the Chinese and their place within the wider Thai society have not been adequately investigated. Added to these gaps is the sheer speed and extent of social and cultural change that has affected Thailand, especially after the Second World War. Many of the older studies (Landon 1941; Skinner 1957a 1957b, 1958, 1963, 1973; Coughlin 1952, 1955, 1960) present an image of the Chinese that is simplistic and dated.
