Malayu-Muslim and Thai-ization

Abstract

Peoples in the southern provinces are distinctive in terms of culture, religion, and ethnic group. They are Malayu-Muslim in Thailand. They have faced political, social, cultural, and religious changes during the past decades, particularly impacts from Thai mainstream society and influences from Thai nation-state, under the Thai-zation. This article focuses on the processes of Thai-ization, which existed in both policy and implementation levels, toward the Malayu-Muslim in southern provinces. Thai-ization towards them has been implemented through the governance system, education system, religious intervention, and the role of the monarchy. Information in this article derived documentary research, field works, and personal experiences. The author adopt the concept of technology of power to analyze the empirical evidences exist in local communities. The author argues that among the Malayu ethnic group in southern Thailand, the Thai-ization by state government has caused tremendous changes in integrating the majority of Malayu people to become Thai in a certain level.