Did you know that many everyday Thai words have their roots in Teochew Chinese? Thanks to centuries of Chinese immigration to Thailand, particularly from the Teochew region of southern China, the Thai language has absorbed countless words from the Chinese dialect, enriching the local lexicon.

Trade between Thailand and China has jumped 3,000 times in value since the countries formalised ties 41 years ago, the Chinese Ambassador Ning Fukui told an |audience yesterday.