Our Thay is the Thay of right now, Realms time. As in, 1490s DR.
As the guy who created the place, I’m not sure what “old Thay” is/was, or “new Thay” for that matter. ;}#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 30, 2021
Ah. Thay's led by evil, and deals in slaves. Other countries (particularly neighbours like Rashemen and Aglarond) think of it as evil and rapacious.
However, to "just plain" Thayans, it's all they've known and "just the way life is."
But adventurers=forces for change.#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 31, 2021