Bangkok Malay

Bangkok Malay, also referred to as Bangkok Melayu or Nayu, is the local variant of Malay spoken by ethnic Malays living in Bangkok and its surrounding areas. It arose from the intermingling of the Malay community from Southern Thailand and slowly diverged as a distinct variety of Malay. Despite historical Malay presence in what is now Bangkok dated as early as the Ayutthaya era, the dialect nonetheless only began to develop after the settlement of deportees from Kedah, Kelantan, Patani, Satun, Terengganu, and Yaring in 1786, 1791, and 1832.

The speakers of Bangkok Malay can be found throughout the city, with higher concentrations in Malay enclaves in Thon Buri, Thung Khru, Phra Pradaeng, Bang Kho Laem, Phra Khanong, Khlong Saen Saep, Min Buri, Nong Chok, Bang Nam Priao, Chachoengsao, Thon Buri, and Pom Prap Sattru Phai.

There are several variations of Bangkok Malay, owing to the various waves and origins of Malay settlements in the city. The dialect is largely based on Patani Malay, with visible divergence from the original spoken in the south. This allows Bangkok Malay to be constituted as a separate dialect from Patani Malay. Another notable sub-dialect of Bangkok Malay spoken in the Bang Kraso, Bang Bua Thong and Tha It districts demonstrate a strong Kedahan influence, which correlates to the fact that most Malay people from these areas descend from deportees brought from Kedah in the 18th century.

Following the rise of urbanism and assimilation with the larger Thai majority, the language is now highly confined to adults over the age of 40, with varied fluency among younger generations.