China sends the marines to Thailand

[dead0man]

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Should opebo start learning Mandarin?

[phk]

Thailand is already ~15%-20% Chinese and likely higher once you count all those of mixed ancestry.

[opebo]

Thai Chinese aren't entirely sold on China the country, phknrocket, though they are impressed by its wealth (in fact wealth is the only thing they are ever impressed by).  Anyway the vast majority of them are far more Thai now than they are 'Chinese' - very few speak the language and if they follow any cultural aspects it is just to be a bit more patriarchal and try to marry someone as chinese as they can.

Most of the Thai intelligensia (Chinese-Thai nouveau-rich or traditional 'real-Thai' aristocracy) does have at least a dawning undertanding of the threat China represents, and the idea of actively encouraging economic and military ties with India (as well as continuing those with the US/Japan duo) as a counterbalance to being overwhelmed is openly and often talked about. 

Of course in the medium term it is probably too late and China will dominate and Thai will be a satelite once again as it was 1950s-1970s.  No way in h^ll I'd learn that sh@tty language though.