al ▁cells ▁which ▁remains ▁exposed ▁on ▁the ▁veget al ▁surface ▁of ▁the ▁bl ast ula ▁that ▁will ▁eventually ▁be ▁internal ized ▁by ▁ep ib oly . ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Category : Am ph ib ians ▁Category : Ver te br ate ▁development al ▁bi ology <0x0A> </s> ▁The ▁Northern ▁Kh mer ▁people , ▁also ▁known ▁in ▁Th ai ▁as ▁Th ai - K h mer ▁people ▁( ▁lit . ▁" Th ais ▁of ▁Kh mer ▁descent "), ▁is ▁the ▁design ation ▁used ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁eth nic ▁K hm ers ▁native ▁to ▁the ▁Is an ▁region ▁of ▁N ortheast ▁Th ailand . ▁ ▁History ▁K hm ers ▁have ▁had ▁a ▁presence ▁in ▁this ▁area ▁since ▁at ▁least ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁Kh mer ▁Empire . ▁With ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁the ▁Ang kor , ▁the ▁K hm ers ▁of ▁the ▁Is an ▁region ▁were ▁subject ▁to ▁increasing ▁Th ai ▁influence . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century , ▁the ▁Th ai ▁kingdom ▁officially ▁an nex ed ▁the ▁former ▁Camb od ian ▁province ▁of ▁Sur in . ▁The ▁Kh mer ▁residents ▁became ▁de ▁fact o ▁subjects ▁of ▁the ▁Th ai ▁mon archy ▁and ▁a ▁long ▁process ▁of ▁grad ual ▁cultural ▁assim ilation ▁began . ▁ ▁Dem ograph ics ▁ ▁Culture ▁Although ▁now ▁a ▁minor ity , ▁the ▁Northern ▁Kh mer ▁have ▁maintained ▁some ▁of ▁their ▁Kh mer ▁identity , ▁pract icing ▁the ▁Kh mer ▁form ▁of ▁Ther av ada ▁Buddh ism ▁and ▁speaking ▁a ▁dialect ▁known ▁as ▁Kh mer ▁Sur in ▁in ▁Kh mer