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Þā Lao sind folclic mǣgþ Ēastansūðan Asian. Mǣste Lao menn wuniaþ in oþþe Laolande (ymbe 3 million) oþþe Thailande (ymbe 15 million). Þæt Lao folc Thailandes in Isan dǣle wuniaþ mǣst, þēah hēr sind mænig wīdgangol wyrcend of Isane þe þā wyrcaþ in ōðrum dǣlum, tō bīsene Bangcoce. Þæt Lao folc sprecaþ mænigfealde undersprǣcas þǣm Lao sprǣce and Isan sprǣce, þe Þā man eft gecwiðaþ swā ānfald sprǣce. Mænig lēode in Isan prefer the term Isan to Lao as a result of the "Thaification" campaigns of the 20th century, but there remain many close cultural bonds between the Lao people as a whole.

Stǣr 

Þæt stǣr Lao is þæt stǣr Laose and stǣr Isane.

Further reading 

 Thongchai Winichakul. Siam Mapped. University of Hawaii Press, 1984.
 Wyatt, David. Thailand: A Short History. Yale University Press, 1984.

Ūtweardliċ bend 

 Reports on languages spoken in Laolande and in Thailande, fram Ethnologue.com