Thai Americans ( th, ชาวอเมริกันเชื้อสายไทย; formerly referred to as Siamese Americans) are

Americans Americans are the citizens and nationals of the United States of America.; ; Although direct citizens and nationals make up the majority of Americans, many dual citizens, expatriates, and permanent residents could also legally claim Ame ...

of Thai ancestry.

History in the US

The 1930 Census recorded just 18 ‘Siamese’ Americans. According to the MPI Data Hub, there have been a total of 253,585 Thai people who have immigrated to the United States as of 2016. That year, they were 0.0057% of all immigrants. In comparing data from the MPI Data Hub to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are significant inconsistencies of total current population. According to the U.S. Census, there are currently 300,319 Thai people living in the United States today, with an error margin of +/- 14,326. Thai-US Citizen Population over time

Thai immigration to the United States proceeded very slowly. It began in earnest during and after the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...

, in which Thailand was an ally of the US and South Vietnam. Records show that in the decade between 1960 and 1970, some 5,000 Thais immigrated to the United States. In the following decade, the number increased to 44,000. From 1981 to 1990, approximately 64,400 Thai citizens moved to the United States. The general trend of Thai immigration can be stated at a relatively steady rising pace save for the peak in 2006, which marks the dissolution of the Thai Parliament in February and a subsequent coup in the following September. From 2007 to 2008, numbers dip back down to regular rate until 2009, which proceeded a year of military and political turmoil due to the disconnect between the monarchic Royal Army and the relatively newly established democratic government in 2006. According to the 2000 census there were 150,093 Thais in the United States. In 2009, 304,160 US residents listed themselves as Thais.

Demographics

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, has the largest Thai population outside of Asia. It is home to the world's first Thai Town. In 2002, it was estimated that over 80,000 Thais and Thai Americans live in Los Angeles. Other large or sizeable Thai communities are in Clark County,

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...

;

Cook County Cook County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, California. More than 40% of all residents of Illinois live within Cook County. As of 20 ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

;

Tarrant County, Texas Tarrant County is located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2020, it had a population of 2,110,640. It is Texas' third-most populous county and the 15th-most populous in the United States. Its county seat is Fort Worth. Tarrant County, one of ...

;

Orange County, California Orange County is located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area in Southern California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,186,989, making it the third-most-populous county in California, the sixth-most-populous in the United States, a ...

;

San Bernardino County, California San Bernardino County (), officially the County of San Bernardino, is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California, and is located within the Inland Empire area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 2,181, ...

; San Diego County, California;

San Francisco, California San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

;

Fresno, California Fresno () is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about and had a population of 542,107 in 2020, maki ...

;

Sacramento, California ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

;

King County, Washington King County is located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population was 2,269,675 in the 2020 census, making it the most populous county in Washington, and the 13th-most populous in the United States. The county seat is Seattle, also the ...

; Fairfax County, Virginia;

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

;

Albuquerque, NM Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

;

Queens, New York Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

;

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...

;

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region ...

; and Montgomery County, Maryland. The 2010 U.S. census counted 237,629 Thai Americans in the country, of whom 67,707 live in California.

Statistics

: Data from Migration Policy Institute Thai-born population: New legal permanent residents: Thais who acquire US citizenship:

Cultural influence on America

Thai Americans are famous for bringing Thai cooking to the United States.

Thai cuisine Thai cuisine ( th, อาหารไทย, , ) is the national cuisine of Thailand. Thai cooking places emphasis on lightly prepared dishes with strong aromatic components and a spicy edge. Australian chef David Thompson, an expert on Thai ...

is popular across the country. Even non-Thai restaurants may include Thai-influenced dishes on their menu like

Pad Thai Pad thai, phat thai, or phad thai ( or ; th, , , ISO: ''p̄hạd thịy'', , 'Thai stir fry'), is a stir-fried rice noodle dish commonly served as a street food in Thailand as part of the country's cuisine. It is typically made with rice noo ...

and

Thai tea Thai tea ( th, ชาไทย, , ) is usually known as a Thai drink made from Ceylon tea, milk and sugar, and served hot or cold. It is popular in Southeast Asia and is served in many restaurants that serve Thai food. When served cold it is kno ...

Thai culture Thai or THAI may refer to: * Of or from Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia ** Thai people, the dominant ethnic group of Thailand ** Thai language, a Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly in and around Thailand *** Thai script *** Thai (Unicode bloc ...

's prominence in the United States is disproportionate to their numbers. The stationing of American troops in Thailand during the

exposed the GIs to Thai culture and cuisine, and many of them came home with Thai wives.

Political involvement

In 2003, two Thai Americans ran in municipal elections, one in

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most ...

, the other in Houston, Texas. Both lost. However, on November 7, 2006, Gorpat Henry Charoen became the first US official of Thai origin, when he was elected to the

La Palma La Palma (, ), also known as ''La isla bonita'' () and officially San Miguel de La Palma, is the most north-westerly island of the Canary Islands, Spain. La Palma has an area of making it the fifth largest of the eight main Canary Islands. The ...

City Council in California. On December 18, 2007, he became the first Thai American mayor of a US city. In 2010,

Charles Djou Charles Kong Djou (born August 9, 1970) is an American politician who served as U.S. representative for Hawaii's 1st congressional district from 2010 to 2011. Appointed by President Joe Biden, Djou currently serves as the Secretary of the Americ ...

became the first Thai-American elected to Congress; he had previously served in the Hawaii State House and

Honolulu City Council Honolulu City Council is the legislature of the City and County of Honolulu, the capital and largest city in Hawai'i, the fiftieth state in the United States. The City and County of Honolulu is a municipal corporation that manages government asp ...

Tammy Duckworth Ladda Tammy Duckworth (born March 12, 1968) is an American politician and retired Army National Guard lieutenant colonel serving as the junior United States senator from Illinois since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, she represented ...

, a Thai American Iraq War veteran, ran for Congress as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

in Illinois's 6th district in the 2006 mid-term election. She was narrowly defeated, and served for two years as Assistant Secretary of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. She was previously the director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs. She was considered a likely nominee for appointment to the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

to fill the vacancy caused by

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...

's election to the

Presidency of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

; however,

Roland Burris Roland Wallace Burris (born August 3, 1937) is an American politician and attorney who is a former United States Senator from the state of Illinois and a member of the Democratic Party. In 1978, Burris was the first African American elected ...

was appointed instead. On November 6, 2012 Duckworth was elected to the US Congress to represent the 8th District of Illinois. On November 8, 2016, she was elected as the junior Senator from Illinois, the seat previously held by Barack Obama.

Bhumibol Adulyadej Bhumibol Adulyadej ( th, ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช; ; ; (Sanskrit: ''bhūmi·bala atulya·teja'' - "might of the land, unparalleled brilliance"); 5 December 192713 October 2016), conferred with the title King Bhumibol the Great ...

, the previous King and Head of the State of Thailand, was born at the Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on December 5, 1927. At the time, his father was studying at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

. He is the only American-born monarch in history. In 2017, Ekamon "Ek" Venin was appointed and later elected to the Borough Council in

Pompton Lakes, New Jersey Pompton Lakes is a borough in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 11,097,Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery Abhayagiri is a Theravadin Buddhist monastery of the Thai Forest Tradition in Redwood Valley, California. Its chief priorities are the teaching of Buddhist ethics, together with traditional concentration and insight meditation (also known as ...

, Redwood Valley, California * San Fran Dhammaram Temple, San Francisco *

Vajiradhammapadip Temple Vajiradhammapadip Temple is a Theravada Buddhist temple in New York, United States. There are two locations: one being in Mount Vernon, and the more recent being in Centereach, New York. Location Vajiradhammapadip Temple filed as a not-for-profi ...

, Centereach and Mount Vernon in New York *

Wat Boston Buddha Vararam Wat Boston Buddha Vararam (Abbreviated BBVT) is a Thai Theravada Buddhist Temple or Wat located in Bedford, Massachusetts. It is one of two Thai Buddhist Temples in Massachusetts, the other being Wat Nawamintararachutis. The main community at ...

, Bedford, Massachusetts *

Wat Buddhananachat of Austin Wat Buddhananachat is a Buddhist Temple located about 20 miles southeast of Downtown, on Linden Rd. in Del Valle, Texas. This Buddhist temple was established in April, 1986 (incorporated on August 4, 1986) as a nonprofit organization to s ...

, Del Valle, Texas * Wat Buddhasamakeevanaram, Bossier City, Louisiana *

Wat Buddhanusorn Wat Buddhanusorn is a Buddhist temple of the Theravadan tradition in Fremont, California, United States. The name, Wat Buddhanusorn, means “temple for the dedication of the Buddha,” in the Thai language. It was founded in 1983 and, in Buddhi ...

, Fremont, California *

Wat Carolina Buddhajakra Vanaram Wat Carolina Buddhajakra Vanaram is a Thai Buddhist Monastery. It is located near Bolivia, North Carolina (or about west of Wilmington, North Carolina). The Wat Carolina Monastery is under the leadership of Abbot Phrakru Buddamonpricha. History ...

, Bolivia, North Carolina *

Wat Florida Dhammaram Wat Florida Dhammaram ( th, วัดฟลอริดาธรรมมาราม) is a Buddhism, Buddhist monastery in Kissimmee, Florida, Kissimmee, Florida, established by Lung-po Chaokhun Phra Tepvaraporn (Im Arindhamo) in the mid-1990s. ...

, Kissimmee, Florida * Wat Mettāvarānaṁ, Valley Center, California *

Wat Mongkolratanaram Wat Mongkolratanaram ( th, วัดมงคลรัตนาราม) is a small Thai Buddhist temple located in Berkeley, California. A wat, it mainly attracts Thai American Buddhists, many of whom are students at the University of Cali ...

, Berkeley, California *

, Tampa, Florida * Wat Nawamintararachutis, Raynham, Massachusetts *

Wat Pasantidhamma Wat Pasantidhamma ( th, วัดป่าสันติธรรม, or "Wat Pa"), meaning "a peaceful temple in the woods", is a Thai Theravada Buddhist temple located at 14289 Chapmans Lane in rural Carrollton, Virginia. It is a non-profit rel ...

, Carrollton, Virginia

Notable people

* Pornthip Nakhirunkanok Simon,

Miss Universe 1988 Miss Universe 1988, the 37th Miss Universe pageant, was held on 24 May 1988 sponsored by Formosa Airlines at the Lin Kou Stadium in Taipei, Taiwan. Cecilia Bolocco of Chile crowned Porntip Nakhirunkanok of Thailand at the end of the event. 66 cand ...

* Allison Sansom,

Miss Universe Thailand 2014 Miss Universe Thailand 2014, the 15th Miss Universe Thailand pageant was held at Royal Paragon Hall, Siam Paragon in Bangkok on May 17, 2014. The contestants camped in Roi Et. before flying back to Bangkok for the final stage. Chalita Yaemwanna ...

Anthony Ampaipitakwong Anthony Petch Ampaipitakwong ( th, แอนโธนี่ เพ็ชร อําไพพิทักษ์วงศ์; born 14 June 1988) is a retired professional association football, footballer who played as a Midfielder (association fo ...

, professional soccer player *

Todd Angkasuwan Todd Angkasuwan is a Thai-American music video and documentary film director. Biography Angkasuwan grew up in Riverside, California and has been making films since he was 9 years old.

, music video and documentary film director *

Chang and Eng Bunker Chang Bunker and Eng Bunker (May 11, 1811 – January 17, 1874) were Siamese-American conjoined twin brothers whose fame propelled the expression " Siamese twins" to become synonymous for conjoined twins in general. They were widely exhibited as ...

, Siamese twins * Anthony Burch, writer of video game '' Borderlands 2'' * Amanda Mildred Carr, BMX racer * Lisa Changadveja, political strategist and author * Michael Chaturantabut, actor and martial artist * Cherry Chevapravatdumrong, producer and story editor on '' Family Guy'' *

Johnny Damon Johnny David Damon (born November 5, 1973) is an American former professional baseball outfielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1995 to 2012. During his MLB career, Damon played for the Kansas City Royals (1995–2000), Oakland A ...

, MLB player *

, politician *

, politician and military officer * Myra Molloy, singer and actress * Lada Engchawadechasilp, beauty pageant queen * Kevin Kaesviharn, football player * Sanit Khewhok, artist *

Eric Koston Eric Koston (born April 29, 1975) is an American professional skateboarder and company owner. He has been featured in the '' Tony Hawk's'' video game series and the Electronic Arts (EA) video games ''Skate 2'' and ''Skate 3''. Koston co-owns bot ...

, professional skater *

Lynn Kriengkrairut Lynn Kriengkrairut ( th, ลินน์ เกรียงไกรรัตน์; ; born October 4, 1988) is an American former competitive ice dancer. With partner Logan Giulietti-Schmitt, she is a two-time (2011–2012) Ice Challenge champi ...

, ice dancer *

Nichkhun Nichkhun Buck Horvejkul ( th, นิชคุณ หรเวชกุล; ; born June 24, 1988), better known mononymously as Nichkhun ( ko, 닉쿤), is a Thai American singer, songwriter, rapper, actor and model who is currently based in Sou ...

, singer *

Thakoon Panichgul Thakoon Panichgul (; th, ฐากูร พานิชกุล, born in Nakhon Phanom Province, Thailand) is a Thai-American fashion designer. Biography Panichgul moved to the United States with his family when he was 11 years old. He gr ...

, fashion designer *

Utt Panichkul Greg Uttsada Panichkul ( th, อัษฎา พานิชกุล; ; born September 3, 1973) is an American-born Thai actor, television presenter and model. He was a VJ for MTV Asia for over 15 years, making him one of Asia's longest running ...

, actor, model and VJ * Ben Parr, author *

John Pippy John Pippy (born December 12, 1970 in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand) is an American politician and Brigadier General from the U.S. State of Pennsylvania. A member of the Republican Party, he served in the Pennsylvania State Senate from 2003 to 2012 ...

, politician * Stacy Prammanasudh, golfer *

Jocelyn Seagrave Jocelyn Seagrave (born September 9, 1968) is an American film and television actress, best known for playing Julie Camaletti on '' Guiding Light'' and Jessica Mitchell on Fox's '' Pacific Palisades''. Early life Seagrave's father was American a ...

, television actress *

Alex Sink Adelaide Alexander Sink (born June 5, 1948) is an American politician and financier. A member of the Democratic Party, Sink was the Chief Financial Officer for the state of Florida and treasurer on the board of trustees of the Florida State Bo ...

, former Chief Financial Officer for the state of Florida * Prim Siripipat, sportscaster *

Brenda Song Brenda Song (born March 27, 1988) is an American actress. Born in California, Song began her career at the age of six, working as a child model. She made her screen debut with a guest appearance on the sitcom '' Thunder Alley'' (1995), and ...

, actress *

Ashly Burch Ashly Burch (born June 19, 1990) is an American voice actress, singer, and television writer. She is known for her roles as Aloy in ''Horizon Zero Dawn'' and ''Horizon Forbidden West'', Mel in ''The Last of Us Part II'', Tiny Tina in the '' Bord ...

, actress *

Tamarine Tanasugarn Tamarine Tanasugarn ( th, แทมมารีน ธนสุกาญจน์, , ; born 24 May 1977) is a Thai former tennis player. Born in Los Angeles, she turned professional in 1994, and has been in the top 20 in both singles and doubl ...

, professional tennis player *

Kevin Tancharoen Kevin Harwick Tancharoen (born April 23, 1984) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, dancer, and choreographer. On September 29, 2011, New Line Cinema/Warner Bros. announced that Tancharoen would be helming a big-screen adaptation ...

, dancer, choreographer, television producer and film director *

Maurissa Tancharoen Maurissa Tancharoen () in Los Angeles, California)Maurissa Tancharoen
biographical inf ...

, actress, singer, dancer, television producer/writer and lyricist *

Chrissy Tiegen Christine Diane Teigen (born November 30, 1985) is an American model and television personality. She made her professional modeling debut in the annual ''Sports Illustrated'' Swimsuit Issue in 2010 and later appeared on the 50th anniversary co ...

, model, TV host, food blogger *

Traphik Tim Chantarangsu (born March 6, 1986), formerly known as Timothy DeLaGhetto (and previously Traphik), is an American internet and television personality. He is best known from the improv comedy show ''Wild 'N Out'' where he was a cast member bet ...

or Timothy DeLaGhetto, rapper, comedian, and videographer on YouTube * David Wagner (soccer),

United States men's national soccer team The United States men's national soccer team (USMNT) represents the United States in men's international soccer competitions. The team is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and is a member of FIFA and CONCACAF. The U.S. team h ...

striker of Thai descent. *

Tiger Woods Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods (born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer. He is tied for first in PGA Tour wins, ranks second in men's major championships, and holds numerous golf records. * * * Woods is widely regarded as ...

, professional golfer *

Tata Young Amita Marie "Tata" Young ( th, อมิตา มารี "ทาทา" ยัง; born 14 December 1980) is a Thai singer, actress and model who gained prominence in Thailand when she placed first in a national singing contest at age 11, su ...

, singer, actress and former model who lives in Bangkok *

Janie Tienphosuwan Janie Tienphosuwan ( th, เจนี่ เทียนโพธิ์สุวรรณ์; born 11 September 1981) is an American-born Thai actress and model. She graduated a bachelor in Communication Arts from Bangkok University. After her par ...

, actress * Prince Gomolvilas, playwright *

Pop Mhan Pop Mhan (October 5, 1973) is a comic book penciller and inker. Biography Pop Mhan was born in Bangkok, Thailand, and immigrated to the United States at the age of three. He joined Wildstorm Productions in San Diego and studied sequential art un ...

, comic book writer *

Dan Santat Dan Santat (born 1975) is an American author and illustrator known for his children's book '' The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend'', which won the 2015 Caldecott Medal for distinguished illustration. He also wrote ''The Guild of Ge ...

, author and winner of the 2015 Caldecott Medal. *

Jet Tila Jet Tilakamonkul, known professionally as Jet Tila ( th, เจ็ท ติลกมลกุล; ), is an American celebrity chef, author, restaurateur, and restaurant developer. Early life Tila was born in Los Angeles to Thai Chinese parents ...

, celebrity chef and restaurateur * Matt Braly, creator of ''

Amphibia Amphibians are four-limbed and ectothermic vertebrates of the class Amphibia. All living amphibians belong to the group Lissamphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terrestrial, fossorial, arbor ...

'' * Vicha Ratanapakdee, Thai-American man who was murdered in San Francisco

Thai Americans in popular culture

Anne Boonchuy Anne Savisa Boonchuy ( ; Thai: แอนน์ สาวิสา บุญช่วย) is the main protagonist of the Disney Channel animated series ''Amphibia'', created by Matt Braly. She is voiced by Brenda Song. The character debuted in ...

and her parents from the animated TV series ''

'' are Thai-Americans. * Molly McGee, Darryl McGee and their mother Sharon McGee from the animated TV series ''

The Ghost and Molly McGee , creator = Bill Motz & Bob Roth , voices = {{Plainlist, * Ashly Burch * Dana Snyder * Jordan Klepper * Sumalee Montano * Michaela Dietz , theme_music_composer = {{Plainlist, * Michael Kramer * Allie Feder , opent ...

'' are Thai-Americans. * Stonecutter (Utama Somchart) and Avenger X (Cressida) from

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

are Thai-Americans.

Sources

We the People Asians in the United States Census 2000 Special ReportsVong, Pueng. Unrest in the Homeland Awakens the Thai Community IMDiversity March 29, 2006Asian American Action Fund 2006 endorsed candidates