Thai

The Thai or Wichien Maat (, , , meaning "diamond gold") is a newly renamed but old cat breed, related to but different from the Western, modern-style Siamese cat. This natural breed is descended from the cats of Thailand, and, among various groups of breeders in different times and places has also been called the Old-Style Siamese, Traditional Siamese, Classic Siamese; Wichien Maat (anglicised from the Thai name); and the Applehead, a nickname that originated in the 1950s (originally as a pejorative used by breeders of the modern-style, more extreme-featured Siamese). According to The International Cat Association: "The Thai is breed dedicated to preserving the native pointed cat of Thailand in as close to its original form as possible." Compared to the modern-style, more extreme-featured Siamese, the traditional Thai breed (and native specimens) have a much more moderate appearance. History Cats that were imported from Siam (today, Thailand) to Western countries in the 19th and early 20th centuries were more moderate in conformation than the modern Western Siamese. While the Thai has common ancestry with the Western Siamese, separate breeding, beginning after World War II, led to the development of two distinct breeds, with more extreme features dominating the cat show circuit and becoming the dominant variety of Siamese in the West. Starting in the 1980s, various breed clubs in both North America and Europe appeared that were dedicated to preserving the type that represents the early 20th-century Siamese and is still found in Thailand. The World Cat Federation (WCF) recognized the original style as a separate breed, Thai, with full championship competitive status, in 1990.