Prai people explained

Group:	Phai
Population:	51,000
Langs:	Phai Lao and/or Thai as second languages
Rels:	Animism, Theravada Buddhism
Related:	Mal

The Phai are an ethnic group in Thailand and Laos. They are one of two sub-groups of the Lua people (the other one being the Mal).^[1]

Name Variation

The Phai are also commonly referred to as Prai, Phay, Thung Chan Pray, Kha Phay,^[2] and Pray.^[3] In Laos they are also referred to as Htin.^[4]

Language

The Phai speak a language also called Phai, which belongs to the Khmuic branch of Austroasiatic languages^[2] There are several dialects called Phai, that are sometimes hardly mutually intelligible.

Geographic Distribution

• Population in Laos: 15,000 in Phongsali and Xaignabouli Provinces^[2]

There are also dozens of Prai villages in Thailand.^[5]

References

1. Book: Joachim Schliesinger . Ethnic Groups of Laos, Volume 1: Introduction and Overview . White Lotus . 2003 . 171.
2. http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=LA Ethnologue report for Laos
3. Frank Proschan . A Survey of Khmuic and Palaungic Languages in Laos and Vietnam . Pan-Asiatic Linguistics . 3 . 895–919, at pp. 896, 898 .
4. Schliesinger, Joachim, Ethnic Groups of Laos, vol. 2,
5. Jordan-Diller . K . Diller . FJ . The Prai of Northern Thailand: A sociolinguistic survey of a Mon-Khmer language . Journal of Mon-Khmer Studies . 2004.