The Thai language belongs to the Tay-Thai Group. The Thai are experienced in consolidating edges, digging canals and building frames to carry gutters to convey water to the fields. Wet rice is their staple food, especially sticky rice. The Thai also cultivate rice, secondary crops and other trees on burnt-over land. Each family breeds cattle and poultry, makes wattle bamboo articles, weaves cloths and some families have developed ceramics.
Thai brocade is very well-known with unique, colourful and durable motifs.
In recent decades, Thai men have adopted the Kinh's style of dress, while Thai women retain their traditional clothes including short vests, long black skirts, scarves and ornaments. The Thai live in houses on stilts. A Thai village, called a ban , comprises on average 40-50 houses built side by side. Among the Black Thai, the roof is shaped like a tortoise's shell with decoration called khau cut at each end of the ridge. After the wedding, the husband comes to live with his wife's family for several years.