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Thailand at a Glance
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Historical Background
There are conflicting opinions as
to the origins of the Thai. Only a few
decades ago. it could be said with
presumed certainly thai they originated
in northwestern Szechuan in China
about 4,500 years ago and later
migrated down to their present homdand.
However, this theory has been altered
by the discovery of remarkable prehistoric
artifacts in the village of Ban Chiang,
in the northern province of
UdonThani.
These include evidence of bronze
metallurgy going back 3,500 years, as
well as odier indications of a far more
sophisricaied culture lhan any previously
suspected. It now appears that the Thais
might have originated here in Thailand
and later scattered to various parts of
Asia, including some parts of China,
though as yet [he matter is far from settled.
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Prehistoric paintings at Phu Plara
hill in Uthai Thani province reflect the
mysterious beliefs of the primitive people in the area. |
"Siam" is the name by which the
country was known to the world until
1949. On II May 1949, an official
proclamation changed the name of the
country to "Praihet Thai", or Thailand.
The word "Thai" means "free", and
therefore "Thailand" means "Land of the Free."
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Painted pottery from Ban Chiang.
Each design painted in red on a cream background is unique. Archaeologists
have discovered numerous pieces of pottery from the area.
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