How did river valleys shape early Tai settlement and farming?

Historically, Tai-speaking peoples established small settlements along river valleys, which provided the necessary environment for their traditional way of life. These fertile landscapes were essential for subsistence rice agriculture, a practice that relied on the natural irrigation provided by floodplains and deltas.123

In these riverine settings, the Tai integrated farming with other essential activities, including fishing and the gathering of forest products. To support their agricultural efforts, they domesticated animals, specifically utilizing water buffalo for plowing the fields. This reliance on river valleys allowed the Tai to sustain their communities and eventually organize into the müang—a political structure consisting of groups of villages—which facilitated their expansion across Southeast Asia and southern China during the 1st millennium CE.123