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The known early history of Thailand begins with the earliest major archaeological site at Ban Chiang; dating of artefacts from this site is controversial, but there is a consensus that at least by 3600 BC, the inhabitants had developed bronze tools and had begun to cultivate wet rice, providing the impetus for social and political organization.

Later, Malay, Mon, and Khmer civilizations flourished in the region prior to the domination of the Thais, most notably the kingdom of Srivijaya in the south, the Dvaravati kingdom in central Thailand and the Khmer empire based at Angkor.

The Thai are part of a larger ethno-linguistic group known as the Tai, a group which includes the Lao, the people of the ShanThe Shan are an ethnic group of Southeast Asia. The Shan live primarily in the Shan State of Myanmar, and in adjacent parts of China, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. The Shan number approximately 6 million, but a population census has not been taken region of north-eastern Burma, the ZhuangThe Zhuang people ( Traditional Chinese: , Simplified Chinese: , Hanyu Pinyin: Zhuangzu; own name: Boucuen/Bouxcuengh) are an ethnic group of people who mostly live in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China. They form one of the 56 ethnic people of GuangxiGungxi ( Simplified Chinese: , Traditional: , Wade-Giles: Kuang-hsi Tongyong Pinyin: Guangsi also transliterated as Kwangsi is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Its formal name is the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region . Together, Guan Province in ChinaThis article is on the geographic and cultural entity. For other meanings, see China (disambiguation). China ( Traditional Chinese: , Simplified Chinese: , Hanyu Pinyin: Zhongguo, Wade-Giles: Chung-kuo) is a country in continental East Asia with some oute and the Tho and NungThe Nung are an ethnic minority in Vietnam. Population Estimated to be more than 700,000. Location Provinces of: Bac Giang, Bac Kan, Cao Bang, Lang Son, Thau Nguyen, and Tuyen Quang. Language The Nung language is part of the Tai languages (written script people of northern VietnamThe Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a country in Southeast Asia. It borders China, Laos, Cambodia, and the Gulf of Tonkin. Cng Hoa Xa Hi Ch Nghia Vit Nam ( In Detail) (Full size) National motto: Dc lp, t do, hnh phuc (Independence, Liberty, Happiness Off. Migrations from southern China to Southeast Asia took place primarily during the first millennium AD, most likely via northern LaosThe Lao People's Democratic Republic is a landlocked country in southeast Asia, bordered by Myanmar (commonly known in the west as Burma) and the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south, and Thailand to the.

During the first millennium AD the Tai peoples were loosely organised in small entities known as muang. They were heavily influenced by the more advanced cultures around them: the Khmer to the east, and the Hindu cultures of India to the west. Most of the Tai were converted to a form of Hinduism, traces of which can still be seen in Thai religious practice today. Between the 6th and 9th centuries AD Buddhism was introduced into the Tai-speaking lands, probably via Burma, and became the dominant religion. The Theravada Buddhism now practised in Thailand was introduced by missionaries from Sri Lanka in the 13th century.