Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
centuries. The northern Thais ultimately regrouped after the Burmese took Ayuthaya in
1767, and under King Kawila, Chiang Mai was recaptured in 1774 and the Burmese were
pushed north.
In the late 19th century, Rama V of Bangkok made efforts to integrate the northern re-
gion with the centre to ward off the colonial threat. The completion of the northern rail-
way to Chiang Mai in 1921 strengthened those links until the northern provinces finally
became part of the kingdom of Siam in the early part of the 20th century.
Language
Thailand's regional dialects vary greatly and can even be unintelligible to native speakers
of Thai not familiar with the vernacular being spoken. Găm méuang, the northern Thai
dialect, is no exception and, in addition to an entirely different set of tones to master, pos-
sesses a wealth of vocabulary specific to the north. The northern dialect also has a slower
rhythm than Thailand's three other main dialects, an attribute reflected in the relaxed,
easygoing manner of the people who speak it.
Northern Thai also has its own writing system, based on an old Mon script that was ori-
ginally used only for Buddhist scripture. The script became so popular during the Lanna
period that it was exported for use by the Thai Lü in China, the Khün in the eastern Shan
State and other Thai-Kadai-speaking groups living between Lanna and China. Although
few northerners nowadays can read the northern Thai script - often referred to as 'Lanna
script' - it is mostly used in signage to add a northern Thai cultural flavour.
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