Chinese as a Heritage Language in Thailand: Theoretical Framework, Core Themes,  and Future Prospects

LILING LI; Keran  Wang

Authors

LILING LI Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Khon Kaen University, Thailand
Keran Wang Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Khon Kaen University, Thailand

Keywords:

Chinese in Thailand, Heritage Language, Language Identity, Family Language Planning, Research Review

Abstract

Thailand, as a Southeast Asian country with a significant ethnic Chinese population, has a profound historical background characterized by large-scale immigration from Teochew, Hakka, Hainanese, and other dialect groups, forming a unique ethnic Chinese social ecology. In the context of globalization and localization process, the transmission of Chinese as a heritage language faces both opportunities and challenges. This paper systematically reviews research on Chinese as a heritage language in Thailand, synthesizing peer-reviewed sources published between 1990 and 2025, identified through Scopus, TCI, and Google Scholar using keywords “heritage language in Thailand” and “Chinese as a heritage language in Thailand”. Through literature review, it finds that current research primarily focuses on factors influencing Chinese as a heritage language transmission among the new generation of ethnic Chinese, family language planning, language maintenance and shift among dialect groups (Teochew, Hakka), and Chinese language variation. The review indicates that significant progress has been achieved in fieldwork and empirical research. Research on Chinese as a heritage language in Thailand has developed a unique path in theory construction, topic expansion, and methodological innovation. However, there remain issues on insufficient cross-ethnic comparative research and inadequate alignment with educational policies. Future research should focus on emerging groups including children of new Chinese immigrants and children from interethnic marriage, strengthen the digital preservation and development of heritage language resources, and provide more explanatory country-specific cases for Southeast Asian heritage language research.

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