Until recently, this species and Assam Laughingthrush (Trochalopteron chrysopterum), Malay Laughingthrush (Trochalopteron peninsulae) and sometimes Golden-winged Laughingthrush (Trochalopteron ngoclinhense) were regarded as conspecific with Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush (Trochalopteron erythrocephalum). However, report of a hybrid between subspecies connectens and subspecies ailaoshanense of Assam Laughingthrush (Trochalopteron chrysopterum), calls into question the recent taxonomic split of Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush (Trochalopteron erythrocephalum). Birds recorded in north-eastern Myanmar provisionally placed in nominate subspecies of present species, but could belong to subspecies woodi of Assam Laughingthrush (Trochalopteron chrysopterum). Further research required. Subspecies ramsayi often merged with nominate, but seems sufficiently distinctive to warrant recognition. Racial identity of individuals of this species in extreme southern part of western Thailand uncertain and tentatively included in ramsayi.
The following 5 subspecies are recognised:
melanostigma (Blyth, 1855) - South-eastern Myanmar (including north-eastern Tenasserim) and north-western and western Thailand; possibly also this form in north-eastern Myanmar.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet