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 The United States census of 1930, conducted by the Census Bureau one month from April 1, 1930, determined the resident population of the United States to be 122,775,046, an increase of 13.7 percent over the 106,021,537 persons enumerated during ...

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 #Names, 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 Vie ...

, 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 largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

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 U.S. state, state in the Western United States, 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. N ...

; Cook County,

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 Rock ...

; Tarrant County, Texas;

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, ...

; San Bernardino County, California;

San Diego County, California San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,298,634, making it California's second-most populous county and the f ...

;

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 17t ...

;

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 C ...

;

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 Fairfax County, officially the County of Fairfax, is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is part of Northern Virginia and borders both the city of Alexandria and Arlington County and forms part of the suburban ring of Washington, D. ...

;

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. Since ...

;

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 i ...

;

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 ...

;

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 Montgomery County is the most populous county in the state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 1,062,061, increasing by 9.3% from 2010. The county seat and largest municipality is Rockville, although the census-design ...

. 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 and Thai tea. Thai culture'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 Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...

. 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 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. Tammy Duckworth, a Thai American Iraq War veteran, ran for Congress as a Democrat 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 po ...

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 (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

's election to the Presidency of the United States; however, Roland Burris 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 Grea ...

, 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 highe ...

. 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, Redwood Valley, California * San Fran Dhammaram Temple, San Francisco * Vajiradhammapadip Temple, Centereach and Mount Vernon in New York * Wat Boston Buddha Vararam, Bedford, Massachusetts * Wat Buddhananachat of Austin, 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 Buddh ...

, Fremont, California * Wat Carolina Buddhajakra Vanaram, Bolivia, North Carolina * Wat Florida Dhammaram, Kissimmee, Florida * Wat Mettāvarānaṁ, Valley Center, California * Wat Mongkolratanaram, Berkeley, California * Wat Mongkolratanaram, Tampa, Florida *

Wat Nawamintararachutis Wat Nawamintararachutis ( th, วัดนวมินทรราชูทิศ) is a working Thailand, Thai Theravada Buddhism, Buddhist temple or "wat" in Raynham, Massachusetts, which is about 45 minutes south of Boston, Massachusetts, USA. ...

, Raynham, Massachusetts * Wat Pasantidhamma, Carrollton, Virginia

Notable people

* Pornthip Nakhirunkanok Simon, Miss Universe 1988 * 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, 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, Siamese twins *

Anthony Burch ''Hey Ash, Whatcha Playin'?'' (''HAWP'') is an independently produced series of sketch comedy videos created by siblings Anthony Burch and Ashly Burch. The series uses surreal humor and comical sibling rivalry to examine the themes, industry tr ...

, writer of video game ''

Borderlands 2 ''Borderlands 2'' is a 2012 first-person shooter video game developed by Gearbox Software and published by 2K Games. Taking place five years following the events of '' Borderlands'' (2009), the game is again set on the planet of Pandora. ...

'' *

Amanda Mildred Carr Amanda Mildred Carr ( th, อะแมนดา มิลเดรด คาร์; born June 24, 1990) is a Thai BMX cyclist. Early life Carr started BMX when she was 5, after being convinced by her cousins. Carr attended Charlotte High School ...

, BMX racer * Lisa Changadveja, political strategist and author * Michael Chaturantabut, actor and martial artist *

Cherry Chevapravatdumrong Cherry T. Chevapravatdumrong (; born 1977), also known as Cherry Cheva, is an American author, screenwriter, comedian, and producer. She serves as an executive producer of '' Family Guy'' and a co-executive producer of '' The Orville'' and ''Re ...

, producer and story editor on ''

Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their ch ...

'' * Johnny Damon, MLB player *

, politician * Tammy Duckworth, politician and military officer *

Myra Molloy Maneepat Myra Molloy ( th, มณีภัสสร มอลลอย; ; born 18 September 1997), nicknamed Myra (ไมร่า), is a Thai-American singer, songwriter and actress. In 2011 at age 13, Molloy won the premier season of ''Thailan ...

, singer and actress * Lada Engchawadechasilp, beauty pageant queen * Kevin Kaesviharn, football player *

Sanit Khewhok Sanit Khewhok ( th, สนิท คิ้วฮก;born 1944) is a painter, sculptor, curator, and conservator. Early life and education He was born in Trang, Thailand, in 1944, and, in 1969, graduated from Silpakorn University in Bangkok with a ...

, 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 champ ...

, ice dancer * Nichkhun, singer * Thakoon Panichgul, 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 Ben Parr (born February 12, 1985) is an American journalist, author, venture capitalist and entrepreneur. He is the author of ''Captivology: The Science of Capturing People's Attention'', a book on the science and psychology of attention and how ...

, author * John Pippy, politician *

Stacy Prammanasudh Stacy Prammanasudh (born September 23, 1979) is a retired American professional golfer who played on the LPGA Tour from 2004 to 2013. Amateur career Prammanasudh was born in Enid, Oklahoma, to an American mother and a native Thai father who im ...

, 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 ...

, television actress * Alex Sink, former Chief Financial Officer for the state of Florida *

Prim Siripipat Prim Siripipat ( th, พริม สิริพิพัฒน์; ; born January 15) is an American former tennis player. She was previously a television anchor on ESPN. Siripipat was the co-host of "Spain and Prim" on ESPN Radio. Early year ...

, sportscaster * Brenda Song, actress * Ashly Burch, actress * Tamarine Tanasugarn, professional tennis player * Kevin Tancharoen, dancer, choreographer, television producer and film director * Maurissa Tancharoen, actress, singer, dancer, television producer/writer and lyricist * Chrissy Tiegen, model, TV host, food blogger * Traphik or

Timothy DeLaGhetto 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 ...

, rapper, comedian, and videographer on YouTube *

David Wagner (soccer) David Wagner (born 19 October 1971) is a German-American professional football manager and former player who is the current head coach of EFL Championship club Norwich City. Wagner grew up in West Germany and made his professional debut with Ei ...

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

Prince Gomolvilas Prince Gomolvilas (born August 28, 1972) is a Thai American playwright. He has written many plays which have been produced in the United States and won several distinctive awards, including a PEN Center USA West Literary Award for Drama. He was ...

, playwright * Pop Mhan, comic book writer * Dan Santat, 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 parent ...

, celebrity chef and restaurateur *

Matt Braly Matthew Benjakarn Braly ( ; born November 8, 1988) is an American animator, storyboard artist, director, writer, and producer. He is best known as the creator and executive producer of the Disney Channel animated series ''Amphibia (TV series)''. ...

, 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, arbo ...

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

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book 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 Comics'' in ...

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