Northeast India holds an advantageous position in India's Look East Policy (LEP) since the region provides an important historical and cultural linkage between Southeast Asia and India's Northeast. The case of the Tai-Ahoms of Assam brings to light a historically shared but currently disjointed cultural identity, which links India's Northeast with Southeast Asia.

The Tai ethnic groups live in a vast area extending from the south of China, and north of Vietnam to Laos, Thailand, Myanmar and India's Northeast. Altogether seven Tai groups are identified and recorded in the three northeastern states of Assam, Manipur and Arunachal. These are the Ahom, Aiton, Kabaw, Khamyang, Phake and Turung. The Ahoms are the descendents of the Mao Shan branch of the Tai race who originally migrated from Yunnan of China through Upper Burma where they established a group of small kingdoms. In the early part of 13th century, this group entered the Brahmaputra valley through the Patkai hills from Upper Burma under the leadership of Chao Lung Sukapha. After gaining a foothold in Upper Assam, the Ahom extended their control over a number of indigenous people and came to dominate the valley area south of the river Brahmaputra and east of the river Dikhou. This is a region which at present comprises all of Dibrugarh district and part of Sibsagar district in Assam. At present the Ahom population is most numerous in these two places with some concentration also in Lakhimpur district.

Like the Ahoms, another section of the Tai people migrated to the Chao Phraya valley in the mainland Thailand. The level of interaction between the Tais in the Brahmaputra and Chao Phraya valleys was more intense and wider than that between other Tais in Southeast Asia despite the mountain barriers and this relationship continued for a long time. The Tai people with their rural agriculture-based culture migrated to different parts of Southeast Asia in search of plain cultivable land. In the later period, they moulded their culture in conformity with their geographical environment. Nevertheless, there is much similarity of culture among the Tai people around the world. In Assam, even today, it is found that the Tai-Ahoms adhere to their traditional Tai culture along with the priestly class who are said to follow Tai religious beliefs. These old cultural practices retained by some interior Tai (Ahom) villages are quite similar to that seen in the Tai culture in Southeast Asia.

There is a great deal of affinity in the pattern of living, food habits, dress, religion and agriculture among the Tai Ahoms and the Thais of Thailand who are the dominant race there. Although Buddhism is not practised by the Tai Ahoms, the other Tai groups residing in Assam strictly adhere to it. A number of other ritual ceremonies like the 'Rik Khan,' which is observed to gain longevity are common to both the Thais and the Ahoms.

The basic cultural affinities still prominent among them can definitely be tapped for promotion of cultural tourism .There is much scope for attracting Southeast Asian tourists to the Tai-inhabited areas of Assam to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the Tais which is still visible in isolated Ahom villages. Often scholars or visitors from Thailand are greeted by Tai-Ahom people in their villages in the Tai language. This is definitely indicative of the potential for boosting economic ties and cultural diplomacy with Southeast Asia while promoting cultural and historical linkages among the nations.

Tourism is perceived as a diplomatic channel to ease economic and political relations between nations. Tourism has a potential to facilitate better political understanding and acts as a catalyst creating better understanding between peoples and states. This is true also in the case of promoting relations between India and Thailand. Tourism can enable the exchange of ideas and revival of historical and cultural linkages, which could be the basis for establishing an integrated sub-regional economy that could foster trans-border economic relations both in the sphere of production and consumption. While at present India-Thailand cooperation seems satisfactory, there are still many sectors to explore and tourism is one of them.

Although tourism is an important aspect in the Indian dialogue with ASEAN, not much has been done to promote it. Though the number of Indian tourists to Thailand is increasing enormously every year, the reverse is not happening. With the stopping of international flights from Guwahati, the hope of higher tourist inflows from these countries has also disappeared. It is through cultural tourism, another much-ignored aspect of India's Look East Policy, that the impediments to economic growth can be done away with eventually making a road to peace and stability in the whole region. It is time now, therefore, to promote the LEP through tourism in the Northeast. Peace will follow once there is economic development.