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Nothing seemingly parallels the extraordinary standing and achievements of the Thai with Chinese ethnic roots—particularly their political and economic success, which can be traced back to the start of the Thai Kingdom in the 13th century. Successive waves of immigration in the 20th century gave rise to new generations of ethnic Chinese in Thailand. In modern history (after 1932) many prime ministers, high-ranking officials, and business leaders have been Thai with Chinese ethnicity. For instance, the Sophonpanich family, which owns the Bangkok Bank (one of the largest banks in Southeast Asia), is from an emigrant family from Southern China that has resided in the Thai Kingdom for generations. Furthermore, former Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai, former Prime Minister Banharn Silapa-acha, and controversial former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, along with many of his former Cabinet members, were also all from ethnic Chinese families. The Chinese community in Thailand today does not live in exclusive communities separate from the local population, like in the neighboring countries of Malaysia and Indonesia. Indeed, the ethnic Chinese in Thailand have come to identify themselves as Thai with Chinese ethnicity.
Such an achievement of assimilation is not merely a balancing act but rather an organic and complex process—a synthesis of their proclivity towards moderation and their ability to adapt and survive. This ability to assimilate and to do so with seeming ease is different from the experience of other minority groups in the country and of the Chinese in other Southeast Asian countries.
Definitions
Definition of Overseas Chinese and Ethnic Chinese
For the purpose of clarity, I will first define the meaning and parameters of the term “overseas Chinese,” as it will be used throughout this book. It applies to both Chinese descendants who live outside of mainland China and maintain their Chinese citizenship and to Chinese emigrants who hold citizenship in a new country. Webster’s dictionary describes the “overseas Chinese” as “ethnic Chinese who live outside of Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan.”4