MigrantoThai Diaspora
1.2M Thais live abroad — the #66 largest diaspora in the world
Where emigrants go
The top 3 countries receive 52% of all emigrants
↑↓ — change vs 2020
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| USA | 307741 |
| South Korea | 199861 |
| Australia | 109845 |
| Taiwan | 80032 |
| Malaysia | 70718 |
| Japan | 61263 |
| Sweden | 47636 |
| Cambodia | 34957 |
| Norway | 24801 |
| Switzerland | 22654 |
| Hong Kong | 20710 |
| Canada | 19110 |
| Netherlands | 17831 |
| Brunei | 16790 |
| Denmark | 15432 |
| Bangladesh | 14210 |
| Finland | 13078 |
| New Zealand | 12405 |
| UAE | 11996 |
| Italy | 11785 |
| Belgium | 10952 |
| Indonesia | 10481 |
| Austria | 7083 |
| China | 5498 |
| Kuwait | 4352 |
| Laos | 3718 |
| Libya | 3215 |
| Qatar | 2447 |
| Iceland | 2265 |
| Portugal | 1885 |
| Macao | 1722 |
| Hungary | 1661 |
| Czech Republic | 1363 |
| Bahrain | 1209 |
| Egypt | 945 |
| Luxembourg | 744 |
| South Africa | 737 |
| Mali | 587 |
| North Korea | 584 |
| Brazil | 566 |
| Malta | 556 |
| Greece | 407 |
| Slovenia | 356 |
| Maldives | 348 |
| Sri Lanka | 279 |
| Cyprus | 272 |
| Panama | 261 |
| Seychelles | 246 |
| Faroe Islands | 164 |
| Greenland | 151 |
| Slovakia | 116 |
| Estonia | 111 |
| Liechtenstein | 92 |
| Namibia | 81 |
| Bulgaria | 78 |
| Cayman Islands | 66 |
| Bhutan | 64 |
| Venezuela | 62 |
| East Timor | 59 |
| Guinea | 45 |
| Latvia | 27 |
| Lithuania | 21 |
| Costa Rica | 10 |
| Bolivia | 10 |
| Puerto Rico | 6 |
By destination region
Asia is the leading destination region at 44%
521.3K
327K
181.1K
122.3K
20.3K
5.9K
981
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Interesting facts
Notable statistics about emigration from Thailand.
South Korea is the fastest-growing major destination
Emigration to South Korea has increased by 171% since 2015, rising from 73.9K to 199.9K in 9 years.
USA is the primary destination for emigrants
USA attracts 26% of all emigrants from Thailand, while the second-largest destination receives just 17%.
Top emigration destinations have shifted significantly since 1990
4 new countries have entered the top 20 destinations: South Korea, Norway, Finland — South Korea rose from outside the top 20 to rank #2.
Emigration destinations have diversified since 1990
The top destination's share fell from 39% to 26%, indicating a broader spread of emigration patterns.
How emigration changed over time
Total emigrant population by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 298071 |
| 1995 | 479776 |
| 2000 | 607699 |
| 2005 | 648137 |
| 2010 | 724614 |
| 2015 | 907298 |
| 2020 | 1075834 |
| 2024 | 1178757 |
Top destinations over time
Emigration to the 5 largest destination countries
| Year | USA | South Korea | Australia | Taiwan | Malaysia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 115752 | 15 | 13659 | 5197 | 51373 |
| 1995 | 176243 | 548 | 18987 | 69248 | 54713 |
| 2000 | 168186 | 3879 | 23113 | 138370 | 58053 |
| 2005 | 194540 | 9883 | 31615 | 106320 | 61394 |
| 2010 | 240660 | 15278 | 51298 | 65344 | 64841 |
| 2015 | 271800 | 73878 | 66376 | 69831 | 68074 |
| 2020 | 283039 | 171058 | 88230 | 63793 | 69539 |
| 2024 | 307741 | 199861 | 109845 | 80032 | 70718 |
Fastest-changing destinations
How emigration to each country has changed since the selected year
Thailand as an emigration source
Share of immigrants in each country who originate from Thailand
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
Where do Thais move to?
Most Thais have moved to USA, South Korea and Australia — these three countries account for about 52% of all Thais living abroad.
How many Thais live abroad?
Around 1.2M Thais live abroad, making it the #66-largest emigrant population in the world.
What share of the population of Thailand lives abroad?
About 2% of the population of Thailand lives abroad — that's 1.2M out of a total population of 71.7M.
How has emigration from Thailand changed over the past decade?
Over the past decade, the emigrant population from Thailand has grown from 907.3K to 1.2M people, a growth of about 30%.
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