Indians in Thailand
![]() Mariamman Temple, Bangkok | |
Total population | |
---|---|
Indian nationals 65,000 People of Indian descent 465,000 | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Bangkok · Pattaya · Chiang Mai · Phuket | |
Languages | |
Thai · Malayalam · Tamil · English · Gujarati · Urdu · Punjabi | |
Religion | |
Hinduism · Buddhism · Sikhism · Islam | |
Related ethnic groups | |
People of Indian Origin |
Thai Indians are Thai people with full or partial Indian ancestry. [1] But these ancestral ties are usually left out of statistics. About 65,000 Indian Thais have full Thai citizenship, but around 400,000 persons of Indian origin settled in Thailand mainly in the urban cities.
Migration history[]
Since ancient time, there have been various exchanges between India and Thailand. Modern Indian communities have been around since the 1860s. Most of the Indians arrived in the last century, notably from Tamil Nadu and other areas of Southern India. Some others came from Northern India such as Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan and some from Gujarat. Buddhism and Hinduism originally arrived in Thailand from India and spread over the centuries.
The historical number of the Indian population in Thailand can be seen in British consular statistics; however, these figures often lumped Indians together with Sinhalese and Malays. According to 1912 statistics, there were 30 Indians registered in the Chiengmai (Chiang Mai) consular district, 41 Indians and Malays in the Puket (Phuket) consular district, 40 Indians and Malays in the Senggora (Songkhla) consular district, and 423 Indians, Sinhalese, and Malays in the Bangkok consular district. These figures were also believed to be a gross undercount of the true population; for example, the Bangkok consular district had registered only 517 British subjects, but other estimates claimed the number was 20 times higher.[2]
Notable people[]
- Aloke Lohia - Billionaire Businessman
- Ammar Siamwalla - One of Thailand's most prominent economists
- Chalida Vijitvongthong - Thai actress and model
- Lek Nana - Businessman and Politician
- Napakpapha Nakprasitte - Thai actress and Model
- Savika Chaiyadej - Thai soap actress
- Nishita Shah - Businesswoman
- Ratana Pestonji - Thai film director, producer, screenwriter and cinematographer
- Santi Thakral - Member of the Privy Council of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand
- Vidya Dhar Shukla - Chief Hindu priest of Thailand
See also[]
- Demographics of Thailand
- Religion in Thailand
- Phahurat
- Nepalis in Thailand
- Pakistanis in Thailand
- Mariamman Temple, Bangkok
References[]
- ^ Kutanan, Wibhu; Kampuansai, Jatupol; Brunelli, Andrea; Ghirotto, Silvia; Pittayaporn, Pittayawat; Ruangchai, Sukhum; Schröder, Roland; Macholdt, Enrico; Srikummool, Metawee; Kangwanpong, Daoroong; Hübner, Alexander (June 2018). "New insights from Thailand into the maternal genetic history of Mainland Southeast Asia". European Journal of Human Genetics. 26 (6): 898–911. doi:10.1038/s41431-018-0113-7. ISSN 1476-5438.
- ^ Bangkok and Siam, directory, Straits Settlements and Siam: Bangkok Times Press, 1914, p. 199
External links[]
- Indian diaspora in Thailand
- Thai people of Indian descent
- Ethnic groups in Thailand
- India–Thailand relations