View source for Thai Americans

{{Short description|Americans of Thai birth or descent}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Infobox ethnic group
| group            = Thai Americans
| native_name      = {{lang|th|ชาวอเมริกันเชื้อสายไทย}}
| native_name_lang = 
| image            = Americans with Thai Ancestry by state.svg
| total            = '''343,265''' (2023)<ref name="ACS 2023">{{cite web |url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT1Y2023.B02018 |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=2024-09-21 |title=US Census Data }}</ref><br/>(ancestry or ethnic origin)<br/>'''252,638''' (2023)<ref name="USCB Census">{{cite web|title=PLACE OF BIRTH FOR THE FOREIGN-BORN POPULATION IN THE UNITED STATES, Universe: Foreign-born population excluding population born at sea, 2023 American Community Survey Estimates|url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT1Y2023.B05006?q=B05006:%20Place%20of%20Birth%20for%20the%20Foreign-Born%20Population%20in%20the%20United%20States}}</ref><br/>(Born in Thailand)
| popplace         = [[Illinois]] ([[Chicago area|Chicago]]), [[Virginia]] ([[Alexandria, Virginia|Alexandria]]), [[California]] (Los Angeles, San Francisco, [[Long Beach]], [[Riverside, California|Riverside]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.pewresearch.org/chart/top-10-u-s-metropolitan-areas-by-thai-population/ | title=Top 10 U.S. Metropolitan areas by Thai population, 2015 | date=September 8, 2017 }}</ref>), [[Nevada]] ([[Las Vegas area|Las Vegas]]), [[Wisconsin]] ([[Madison, Wisconsin|Madison]]), [[Washington state|Washington]] ([[Seattle]]), [[Oregon]] ([[Portland, Oregon|Portland]]), [[Pennsylvania]] ([[Pittsburgh]]), [[Alaska]] ([[Anchorage]]), [[Hawaii]] ([[Honolulu]]), [[Texas]] ([[Houston]], [[Austin, Texas|Austin]], [[Dallas]], [[San Antonio]]), [[Arizona]] ([[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]]), [[New Mexico]] ([[Albuquerque]]), [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] ([[Atlanta]])
| langs            = [[American English]], [[Thai language|Thai]], [[Northern Thai|Lanna]], [[Isan language|Isan]], [[Karen language|Karen]], [[Burmese language|Burmese]], [[Rohingya language|Rohingya]]
| rels             = [[File:Dharma Wheel.svg|16px]] [[Theravada Buddhism]], [[Tai folk religion]],
[[Mahayana Buddhism]], [[Vajrayana Buddhism]], [[Christianity]], [[Islam]]
| related          = [[Laotian Americans]], [[Burmese Americans]], [[Cambodian Americans]], [[Hmong Americans]], other [[Asian Americans]]
}}

'''Thai Americans''', formerly referred to as '''Siamese Americans''', are [[Americans]] of [[Thai people|Thai]] ancestry.<ref>Megan Ratner,  "Thai Americans." ''Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America'', edited by Thomas Riggs, (3rd ed., vol. 4, Gale, 2014), pp. 357–368. [https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3273300176/GPS?u=wikipedia&sid=GPS&xid=580a2faf Online] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210326130512/https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=GPS&u=wikipedia&id=GALE{{!}}CX3273300176&v=2.1&it=r&sid=GPS&asid=580a2faf |date=March 26, 2021 }}</ref> The Thai American population is racially and ethnically diverse, consisting of many Thais who identify as mixed race.

==History in the United States==
Siamese people were named as one of the many Asian groups excluded from immigrating to the United States by the [[Immigration Act of 1917]]. The law was one of many provisions restricting [[Asian immigration to the United States]] in the early 20th century.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sohi |first1=Seema |title=Asian Americans: an encyclopedia of social, cultural, economic, and political history |date=2014 |publisher=Greenwood |location=Santa Barbara, California |isbn=978-1-59884-240-1 |pages=534–535}}</ref>

The [[1930 United States census|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.
[[File:Thai-US Citizen Population over time.png|thumb|Data Compiled from MPI Data Hub]]
Thai immigration to the United States proceeded very slowly. It began in earnest during and after the [[Vietnam War]], in which Thailand was an ally of the United States 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 [[2006 Thai coup d'état|subsequent coup]] in the following September. From 2007 to 2008, numbers dip back down to regular rate until 2009, which proceeded a [[2008 Thai political crisis|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 U.S. residents listed themselves as Thais.<ref>American Community Survey 2009</ref>

==Demographics==
Los Angeles, has the largest Thai population outside of Asia.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://preservation.lacity.org/sites/default/files/SurveyLA_ThaiAmericanContextandResources_Aug2018.pdf |title=LOS ANGELES CITYWIDE HISTORIC CONTEXT STATEMENT: Context: Thai Americans in Los Angeles, 1950-1980 |access-date=October 17, 2019 |archive-date=October 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191017185433/https://preservation.lacity.org/sites/default/files/SurveyLA_ThaiAmericanContextandResources_Aug2018.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> It is home to the world's first [[Thai Town, Los Angeles, California|Thai Town]]. In 2002, it was estimated that over 80,000 Thais and Thai Americans live in Los Angeles.{{citation needed|date=October 2019}} Other large or sizeable Thai communities are in [[Clark County, Nevada]]; [[Cook County, Illinois]]; [[Tarrant County, Texas]]; [[Orange County, California]]; [[San Bernardino County, California]]; [[San Diego County, California]]; [[San Francisco]]; [[Fresno, California]]; [[Sacramento, California]]; [[King County, Washington]]; [[Fairfax County, Virginia]]; [[Philadelphia]]; [[Albuquerque, New Mexico]]; [[Queens, New York]]; [[Madison, Wisconsin]]; [[Seattle]]; and [[Montgomery County, Maryland]].{{citation needed|date=October 2019}} The 2010 U.S. census counted 237,629 Thai Americans in the country, of whom 67,707 live in California.<ref>[https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/americas-only-thai-town-celebrates-15-years-los-angeles-n237321 America's Only Thai Town Celebrates 15 Years in Los Angeles] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111171951/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/americas-only-thai-town-celebrates-15-years-los-angeles-n237321 |date=November 11, 2020 }}, June 12, 2014.</ref>

===Statistics===
: Data from Migration Policy Institute<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.migrationinformation.org/datahub/countrydata/country.cfm|title=Migration Data Hub|website=migrationinformation.org|access-date=April 5, 2018|archive-date=October 31, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131031092101/http://www.migrationinformation.org/DataHub/countrydata/country.cfm|url-status=live}}</ref>
: Data from Pew Research Center<ref>{{cite web |last1=Budiman |first1=Abby |title=Thai in the U.S. Fact Sheet |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/fact-sheet/asian-americans-thai-in-the-u-s/ |website=www.pewresearch.org |publisher=[[Pew Research Center]] |access-date=28 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414232132/https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/fact-sheet/asian-americans-thai-in-the-u-s/ |archive-date=April 14, 2021 |language=en-us |date=September 8, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>
'''Thai-born population:'''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Number!! Margin of error
|-
| 2000 || 169,801 || -
|-
| 2006 || 186,526 || +10,506
|-
| 2007 || 195,948 || +9,668
|-
| 2008 ||199,075 || +8,633
|-
| 2009 || 203,384 || +8,921
|-
| 2010 ||  222,759  || +9,960
|-
| 2011 ||  239,942 || +13,087
|-
| 2015 ||  295,000 || -
|-
| 2019 ||  343,000 || -
|}

'''New legal permanent residents:'''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Number
|-
| 2000 || 3,753
|-
| 2001 || 4,245
|-
| 2002 || 4,144
|-
| 2003 ||3,126
|-
| 2004 || 4,318
|-
| 2005 ||  5,505
|-
| 2006 || 11,749
|-
| 2007 || 8,751
|-
| 2008 ||6,637
|-
| 2009 || 10,444
|-
| 2010 ||  9,384
|-
| 2011 ||  9,962
|-
| 2012 || 9,459
|-
| 2013 || 7,583
|-
| 2014 || 6,197
|-
| 2015 ||   7,502
|-
| 2016 ||   7,039

|}

'''Thais who acquire US citizenship:'''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Number
|-
| 2000 || 5,197
|-
| 2001 || 4,088
|-
| 2002 || 4,013
|-
| 2003 ||3,636
|-
| 2004 || 3,779
|-
| 2005 || 4,314
|-
| 2006 || 4,583
|-
| 2007 || 4,438
|-
| 2008 ||6,930
|-
| 2009 || 4,962
|-
| 2010 ||   4,112
|-
| 2011 ||   5,299
|-
| 2012 || 6,585
|-
| 2013 || 5,544
|-
| 2014 || 4,805
|-
| 2015 ||   5,213
|-
| 2016 ||    5,211

|}

==Cultural influence on America==
{{unreferenced section|date=June 2025}}
Thai Americans are famous for bringing Thai cooking to the United States. [[Thai cuisine]] 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 [[Vietnam War]] 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]], the other in [[Houston, Texas]]. Both lost.
However, on November 7, 2006, Gorpat Henry Charoen became the first U.S. official of Thai origin when he was elected to the [[La Palma, California|La Palma]] City Council in California. On December 18, 2007, he became the first Thai-American mayor of a U.S. city.

In 2010, [[Charles Djou]] 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-born American Iraq War veteran, ran for Congress as a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] in [[Illinois's 6th Congressional district|Illinois's 6th district]] in the [[United States House of Representatives election, 2006|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]] to fill the vacancy caused by [[Barack Obama]]'s election to the [[President of the United States|Presidency of the United States]]; however, [[Roland Burris]] was appointed instead. On November 6, 2012 Duckworth was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives to represent the 8th District of Illinois. On November 8, 2016, she was elected as the junior U.S. senator from Illinois, the seat previously held by Barack Obama.

[[King Bhumibol Adulyadej]] of Thailand was born at the [[Mount Auburn Hospital]] in [[Cambridge, Massachusetts]], on December 5, 1927.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/12/15/world/bangkok-journal-once-upon-a-time-a-good-king-had-4-children.html|title=Bangkok Journal; Once Upon a Time a Good King Had 4 Children . . .|author=Barbara Crossette|newspaper=The New York Times|date=December 15, 1987|access-date=April 5, 2018|archive-date=April 5, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180405094917/https://www.nytimes.com/1987/12/15/world/bangkok-journal-once-upon-a-time-a-good-king-had-4-children.html|url-status=live}}</ref> At the time, his father was studying at [[Harvard University]]. He is the only American-born monarch in history.

In 2017, Ekamon Venin was appointed and later elected to the Borough Council in [[Pompton Lakes, New Jersey]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/passaic/pompton-lakes/2017/03/02/pompton-lakes-new-councilman-sworn-in/98645124/|title=New Pompton Lakes councilman sworn in}}</ref> In 2020, he served as Council President and was re-elected to another 3-year term.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.passaiccountynj.org/home/showpublisheddocument/3378/637678115691870000|title=2020 Passaic County Election Results}}</ref>

==Notable Thai Buddhist temples in the United States==
[[File:Songkran at Wat Thai in Los Angeles, April 2008.JPG|thumb|250px|[[Songkran festival]] at Wat Thai, Los Angeles, 2008]]
* [[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]], Fremont, California
* [[Wat Carolina Buddhajakra Vanaram]], Bolivia, North Carolina
* [[Wat Florida Dhammaram]], Kissimmee, Florida
* [[Metta Forest Monastery|Wat Mettāvarānaṁ]], Valley Center, California
* [[Wat Mongkolratanaram]], Berkeley, California
* [[Wat Dhammakaya]], Azusa, California
* [[Wat Mongkolratanaram (Tampa, Florida)|Wat Mongkolratanaram]], Tampa, Florida
* [[Wat Nawamintararachutis]], Raynham, Massachusetts
* [[Wat Pasantidhamma]], Carrollton, Virginia
* [[Wat Thai DC]], Silver Spring, Maryland

==Notable people==
{{Americans}}
{{image array|perrow=7|width=95|height=120| border-width = 1
| image1  = ChangandEng.jpg| caption1 = [[Chang and Eng Bunker]]
| image2  = Tiger Woods in May 2019.jpg| caption2 = [[Tiger Woods]]
| image3  = Tamarine Tanasugarn 2007 Australian Open R1.jpg| caption3 = [[Tamarine Tanasugarn]]
| image4  = Tammy Duckworth, official portrait, 115th Congress.jpg| caption4 = [[Tammy Duckworth]]
| image5  = Charles Djou.jpg| caption5 = [[Charles Djou]]
| image6  = Alex Sink.png| caption6 = [[Alex Sink]]
| image7  = John Pippy.jpg| caption7 = [[John Pippy]]
| image8  = 190910 닉쿤 (2).jpg| caption8 = [[Nichkhun]]
| image9  = Johnny Damon on June 28, 2012 (cropped).jpg| caption9 = [[Johnny Damon]]
| image10 = Brenda Song 2009 (Cropped).jpg| caption10 = [[Brenda Song]]
| image11 = Pop Mhan.jpg| caption11 = [[Pop Mhan]]
| image12 = Kevin Tancharoen by Gage Skidmore.jpg| caption12 = [[Kevin Tancharoen]]
| image13 = Tata Wiki 2.jpg| caption13 = [[Tata Young]] 
| image14 = Christine Teigen 2012 Shankbone.JPG| caption14 = [[Chrissy Teigen]]
}}
* [[Miranda Nild]], professional soccer player
* [[Bui Simon|Pornthip Nakhirunkanok Simon]], [[Miss Universe 1988]]
* [[Pimbongkod Chankaew|Allison Sansom]], [[Miss Universe Thailand 2014]]
* [[Anthony Ampaipitakwong]], professional soccer player
* [[Todd Angkasuwan]], music video and documentary film director
* [[Chang and Eng Bunker]], 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]], MLB player
* [[Timothy DeLaGhetto]], internet and television personality and rapper
* [[Charles Djou]], politician
* [[Tammy Duckworth]], politician and military officer
* [[Myra Molloy]], singer and actress
* [[Lada Engchawadechasilp]], beauty pageant queen
* [[Kevin Kaesviharn]], football player
* [[Sanit Khewhok]], artist
* [[Eric Koston]], professional skater
* [[Lynn Kriengkrairut]], ice dancer
* [[Nicolene Limsnukan]], [[Miss Thailand World 2018]]
* [[Nichkhun]], singer
* [[Thakoon Panichgul]], fashion designer
* [[Utt Panichkul]], actor, model and VJ
* [[Ben Parr]], author
* [[John Pippy]], politician
* [[Stacy Prammanasudh]], golfer
* [[Jocelyn Seagrave]], television actress
* [[Alex Sink]], former Chief Financial Officer for the state of Florida
* [[Prim Siripipat]], 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 Teigen]], model, TV host, food blogger
* [[Traphik]] or [[Timothy DeLaGhetto]], rapper, comedian, and videographer on YouTube
* [[David Wagner (soccer)]], [[United States men's national soccer team]] striker of Thai descent 
* [[Michelle Waterson-Gomez]], mixed martial artist, actress, stuntwoman and model
* [[Tiger Woods]], professional golfer
* [[Tata Young]], singer, actress and former model who lives in Bangkok
* [[Janie Tienphosuwan]], actress
* [[Prince Gomolvilas]], playwright
* [[Pop Mhan]], comic book writer
* [[Dan Santat]], author and winner of the 2015 Caldecott Medal.
* [[Jet Tila]], celebrity chef and restaurateur
* [[Matt Braly]], creator of ''[[Amphibia (TV series)|Amphibia]]''
* [[Killing of Vicha Ratanapakdee|Vicha Ratanapakdee]], Thai-American man who was murdered in San Francisco
* [[Tera Patrick]], pornstar
* [[Tony Jaa]], Muay Thai fighter, martial artist, actor, action choreographer, stuntman, and film director
* [[Alex Aust]], lacrosse player
* [[Ethan Cha]], politician 
* [[Fue Lee]], politician

==Thai Americans in popular culture==
* [[Anne Boonchuy]] and her parents from the animated TV series ''[[Amphibia (TV series)|Amphibia]]'' are Thai-Americans.
* Molly McGee, Darryl McGee, Sharon McGee, Grandma Nin Suksai, David Suksai and Emmie Suksai from the animated TV series ''[[The Ghost and Molly McGee]]'' are Thai-Americans.
* [[Stonecutter (comics)|Stonecutter (Utama Somchart)]] and [[Avenger X (comics)|Avenger X (Cressida)]] from [[Marvel Comics]] are Thai-Americans.

==See also==
{{Portal|Thailand|United States}}
*[[Thailand–United States relations]]
*[[Thai Canadians]]
*[[Thais in the United Kingdom]]
*[[Thai Town, Los Angeles]]

==Sources==
#[https://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/censr-17.pdf We the People Asians in the United States Census 2000 Special Reports]
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20061016050007/http://www.imdiversity.com/Villages/Asian/world_international/pns_thai_unrest_0306.asp Vong, Pueng. Unrest in the Homeland Awakens the Thai Community IMDiversity March 29, 2006]
#[https://web.archive.org/web/20060704071442/http://www.aaa-fund.org/main/candidates.asp#duckworth Asian American Action Fund 2006 endorsed candidates]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Ratner, Megan. "Thai Americans." ''Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America'', edited by Thomas Riggs, (3rd ed., vol. 4, Gale, 2014), pp.&nbsp;357–368. [https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3273300176/GPS?u=wikipedia&sid=GPS&xid=580a2faf Online]

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110430183606/http://thainewyork.com/ ThaiNewYork.com]
*[http://www.thaitownusa.com/frontnews/index.aspx Thaitown USA News]
*[http://www.apacnews.net/ Asian Pacific Newspaper] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110301153305/http://www.apacnews.net/ |date=March 1, 2011 }}
*[http://www.siammedia.org/ Siam Media Newspaper]
*[http://www.sereechai.com/ Sereechai Newspaper]
* ''[http://www.thailawforum.com/us-immigration-thai-sex-workers.html Yearning to be Free: US Immigration and Thai Sex Workers]'', Thailand Law Forum, June 30, 2010

{{Thaidiaspora}}
{{Asian Americans}}
{{Demographics of the United States}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Asian diaspora in the United States]]
[[Category:Southeast Asian diaspora in the United States]]
[[Category:American people of Thai descent| ]]
[[Category:Thai diaspora in the United States| ]]
[[Category:Thai diaspora in North America]]