Demographics of Thailand

As of 2016, the population of Thailand stands at nearly 69,518,555 inhabitants. Women outnumber men. It is a young and active population, as those aged over 50 represent only 18% of the total population. Thailand is among the countries with the highest longevity rate in Southeast Asia. Men live over 71 years, and women over 77 years.

History

Before the arrival of the Thais, other Indianized ethnicities such as the Mons, Khmers, or Malays inhabited the Kingdom of Siam. Originating from southern China, the Thais arrived in Thailand towards the end of the 18th century through successive migrations to escape religious and ethnic persecutions during the King dynasty in China. They settled in the Yunnan region at that time. Since the 1990s, the demographics of Thailand have been steadily growing. Between 1990 and 1995, the country experienced an increase of more than 0.88%, compared to 1.52% for the Asian population. Until 2000, its population increased by 1.14%. Until 2010, the increase was recorded at over 1.80%.

The Thai population today

Approximately 33% of Thais live in urban areas today. Hence, its population is mainly rural. Its inhabitants are mainly concentrated in the rice-growing areas of the central, northeastern, and northern regions. The city of Bangkok, the capital of the country, has approximately 6,000,000 inhabitants. Following Bangkok, in descending order, are the cities of Nakhon Ratchasima, Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, and Khon Kaen. The population of other Thai cities does not exceed 100,000 inhabitants per urban area.

The Thais

The Thai ethnicity, also known as Siamese, represents nearly 75% of the Thai population. Thai people live in central Thailand. It can be divided into four ethnic subgroups, including the Central Thais or Siamese, the Northeastern Lao Thais, the Southern Pak Tai Thais, and the Northern Thais. Each ethnic subgroup speaks its own Thai dialect and has different customs.

Other Thai ethnicities

Thailand and China are still linked by history, which is why a part of its population has Chinese origins. About 14% of Thais are descendants of Hakka, Chao Zhou, and Han. Some of them are Cantonese. The majority of Sino-Siamese people live in the northern part of the country. The remaining groups of the population include Malays, Vietnamese, Khmers, Mons, Semang, Moken, Htin, Mabri, and Khamu. These minorities inhabit the regions of Songkhla, Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat provinces. Since 1990, Thailand has been formed by a large number of foreign communities. It has about 769,809 immigrants. Burmese, Cambodians, and Laotians form the largest foreign communities in the Kingdom of Siam. According to data provided by the Thai government, nearly 770,900 Cambodian migrants currently live in Thailand. This country is also a second home for many Westerners. In 2010, about 27,357 Westerners settled permanently in the country. The French living in Thailand today are approximately 22,486, which is 0.87% of the local population.