The Tai:

The term named Tai, Thai and Shan are most often used indiscriminately and interchangeably. Such use makes their denotations blurred, if not confused. The name ‘Tai’ refers to all the groups and sub groups of a people who usually call themselves as ‘Tai’ and are the speakers of the languages classified under the family named ‘Tai’. They are found in India’s North-East, in several regions of Burma, all over Thailand and Laos, Northern Vietnam, and the five southern provinces of China namely, Yunnan, Kwangsi, Kwangtung, Kuechu and Zechuan, and are known under a variety of national, regional and local appellations.