the Communist Party of China had an active exile branch working among ethnic Chinese in the country. The party obtained legal status in 1946, and had a major influence on trade unions and Chinese students. The party had around 2,000 active members and another 3,000 sympathizers in Siam. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949 most Chinese communists in Thailand joined the CPT. From 1949 until 1976, the party membership was largely ethnically Chinese. Following the rapid expansion of the party following the 1976 massacre, ethnic Thais came to constitute the majority of party members. There was also a strong presence of other ethnic minorities in the party ranks. While many Hmongs in neighbouring Laos tended to side with anti-communist forces, the CPT was able to build a strong base among Hmong people in Thailand. See also Mahachon (newspaper) References External links List of incidents attributed to the Communist Party of Thailand on the START database The Road to victory : documents from the Communist Party of Thailand Chicago : Liberator Press, 1978 1942 establishments in Thailand Banned communist parties Banned political parties in Thailand Communism in Thailand Communist insurgency in Thailand Thailand Defunct communist militant groups Defunct communist parties Defunct Maoist parties Defunct political parties in Thailand Factions of the Third Indochina War Maoism in Asia Political parties established in 1942 Rebel groups in Thailand Socialist parties in Thailand