The Phai are an
ethnic group
An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...
in
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
and
Laos
Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...
. They are one of two sub-groups of the
Lua people
The Lua people () are a minority ethnic group native to Laos, although there is now a sizable community living in Thailand. ''Lua is their preferred autonym (self-designation), while their Lao neighbours tend to call them Thin, T'in or Htin ...
(the other one being the
Mal).
Name Variation
The Phai are also commonly referred to as Prai, Phay, Thung Chan Pray, Kha Phay,
[Ethnologue report for Laos](_blank)
/ref> and Pray. In Laos they are also referred to as Htin.[Schliesinger, Joachim, ''Ethnic Groups of Laos, vol. 2'', ]
Language
The Phai speak a language also called ''Phai'', which belongs to the Khmuic
The Khmuic languages are a branch of the Austroasiatic languages spoken mostly in northern Laos, as well as in neighboring northern Vietnam and southern Yunnan, China. Khmu language, Khmu is the only widely spoken language in the group.
Homelan ...
branch of Austroasiatic languages There are several dialects called ''Phai'', that are sometimes hardly mutually intelligible.
Geographic Distribution
*Population in Thailand: 36,000 in Nan Province
*Population in Laos: 15,000 in Phongsali
Phongsali or Phongsaly ( lo, ຜົ້ງສາລີ) is the capital of Phongsaly Province, Laos. It is the northernmost provincial capital in Laos, opposite Attapeu in the south. The town has about 8,000 inhabitants. It lies at approximately 1,4 ...
and Xaignabouli Provinces
References
{{Ethnic groups in Laos
Ethnic groups in Laos
Ethnic groups in Thailand
Khmuic peoples