The Chantaburi Nose

This is a brief recap of Thai history:

Centuries ago, way way up in northeastern Laos, a king had 7 sons. To 6 of those sons, he gave each 20 families, and sent them to the southwest and told them to set up their own principalities, be fruitful, multiply, and send back some money from time to time.

About a hundred years later, one of the sons' great grandsons, with his city now having grown quite large from the original 20 families, had 7 sons. To 6 of those sons, he gave 20 families, and sent them to the southwest and told them to set up their own principalities, et cetera, et cetera.

This was repeated over and over, with the same 20 families mixing and matching and then having 20 new families drawn from their number.

Back in those days... heck, even up to 75 years ago... trekking 20 miles through the Lao/Thai jungle wasn't something that people did on a whim. Therefore, people tended to stay where they were born. Also, the Thai community consciousness kept Thai people close to home and family as well. In other words, there was very little migration that wasn't of the "king's son with 20 families" variety.

Anyway, all the way down at the end of the line of these principalities, is Chantaburi. By the time the 20 Thai families arrived here, they had been intermixing and interbreeding for generations among the 20 families from 20 families from 20 families, et cetera.

So because of the homogeneity of the original stock families, you can recognize a person is instantly from Chontaburi by the profile of their nose. I've met 3 completely unrelated people from Chontaburi, and sure enough, in profile, they could all be brothers/sisters.