Can Lao and Thai people understand each other?

Thai and Lao are closely related languages. They’re in a way mutually intelligible at least for a greater part. Thai people can understand most of spoken Lao, though perhaps with difficulties. If the Thais are from the Northeastern region (Isan), then it’s easier for them, as the Isan dialect is very close to Lao.

What do you call someone who is from Laos?

Linguistically, there is no distinction between descriptors of the country, its people, its culture and so on. There is only one word: Lao. In English however, both ‘Lao’ and ‘Laotian’ are widely used.

Is Lao part of Thailand?

At the heart of the Indochinese Peninsula, Laos is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and southwest….Administrative divisions.

How many Laotians live in the US?

There are about over 200,000 ethnic Lao in America. Approximately 8,000 to 11,000 Americans are of mixed Lao and other descent. Ethnic Lao people may identify as both Lao American and Laotian American (see also Hmong American).

Why do I See Question marks instead of Lao script?

Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Lao script. The Lao people are a Tai ethnic group native to Southeast Asia, who speak the eponymous language of the Kra–Dai languages, originating from present-day southern China.

What is the origin of the word Laotian?

The English word Laotian, used interchangeably with Lao in most contexts, comes from French laotien/laotienne. The dominant ethnicity of Northeastern Thailand who descend from the Lao are differentiated from the Lao of Laos and by the Thais by the term Isan people or Thai Isan (Lao: ໄທ ອີສານ, Isan: ไทยอีสาน,…

What language do the Lao people speak?

Now, the primary language of the Lao people is also spoken in the Northeast Thailand, referred to as Isan language.

Is Lao hard to learn?

Asian languages are generally hard to learn and Lao is no exception! You’ll be able to pick up the basics but it will be nigh on impossible to hold a fluent conversation. But it’s not a problem if you have to resort to speaking English during your trip to Laos. Lao, the country’s official language, closely resembles Thai.