The presence of the Siamese people or orang Siam in the northern states of Malaysia is not recent. They have been part of the northern Malay Peninsula region since the time when the Kings of Siam had relations with the northern Malay states of Saiburi (Kedah, incorporating Perlis and Pinang), Kelantan and Terengganu. Their long journey, mostly from the southern part of Siam to North Malaya, in search of land and jobs took place over a few waves of migration between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Thereafter, many of the Siamese migrants settled in the northern states and continued their lives as orang Siam Malaya/Malaysia. They practiced their Siamese culture, language and religion. The Thai wat was an integral part of the culture of the Siamese in Malaysia.