The Vietnamses in Thailand: A cultural Bridge in Thai-Vietnamese relationship

Abstract

This paper begins with the Vietnamese arrivals and the routes through which they moved from Vietnam to Thailand. It pays particular attention to their large exoduses during and after World War II, especially in 1945-1946, and the plights they experienced during this period. The Vietnamese who arrived during this time include those who, fleeing the French armed suppression in Laos in March 1946, crossed the Mekong River to ortheastern Thailand. To distinguish them from the “Old Vietnamese” or “ Viet Cu”, who had arrived in Thailand before World War II, these people were called “New Vietnamese” or ‘'Viet Moi”. There is the word “Viet Kieu” in the Vietnamese language; this refers to the Vietnamese who live outside the country or abroad, including those in Thailand.