Nationality Of Expats/tourists In Thailand

[dumbnewbie]

I'm guessing roughly 40% British, 30% other European, 20% Australia/NZ and 10% North American...

Just a wild guess. Am I in the ballpark? Are such statistics to be found somewhere?

Oh, I'm also guessing the breakdown is very similar for tourists and expats. Is it different?

Also, regarding expats living in Thailand... do they tend to socialize evenly across nationalities, or do they tend to form national cliques, or groups of nationalities (I imagine Brits, Aussies and Kiwis hanging together; Americans mostly to themselves (though not necessarily by choice); Canadians mixing with either Americans or other Commonwealth types (or both); and then the European nationalities according to language (German, French, Dutch, etc.). Or are expats mostly loners who hang with their Thai girlfriends/wives?

[daifuku1616]

I read somewhere that there's about 500,000 japanese living in Thailand. given thailand's manufacturing base, it's certainly not surprising.

Also down south, there are loads of Malaysian who travel in and out of the country as they please. some states in northern malaysia allow Malaysian Identity card holders to cross the border for day trips.

[chiang mai]

As I recall it's Brits, Americans and Europeans, that order - something like 35% Brits and 30% Americans in spots one and two. Do a forum search, the info is out there somewhere.

[TallForeigner]

I would guess you grossly overestimate the number of Brits. And since when are Brits not Europeans??

Maybe you overestimate the number of English speakers if you are an English speaker yourself. If you ask a German you will certainly get the answer that there are more Germans around here than Brits....

If you go to Koh Lanta and there around you will find more Scandinavians....if you are around Sukhumvit you see more people from Arab countries...

I would really like to see some well researched statistics - personal and regional "perceptions" cannot be trusted

[spysee]

I read somewhere that over 50% tourists are actually from asia. Seems hard to believe, I thought brits would make the biggest numbers.

[patklang]

I read somewhere that over 50% tourists are actually from asia. Seems hard to believe, I thought brits would make the biggest numbers.

I read somewhere that brit tourists were 7 th in the league and asians number 1

[wernerfreitag]

I would guess you grossly overestimate the number of Brits. And since when are Brits not Europeans??

Maybe you overestimate the number of English speakers if you are an English speaker yourself. If you ask a German you will certainly get the answer that there are more Germans around here than Brits....

If you go to Koh Lanta and there around you will find more Scandinavians....if you are around Sukhumvit you see more people from Arab countries...

I would really like to see some well researched statistics - personal and regional "perceptions" cannot be trusted

I completely agree!

Just came back from a weekly meeting of foreigners here with a nice meal and some drinks:1 Dutch,1 Belgian,1 French, 2, Germans, 2 Japanese, 1 USA .

But what does it mean ? Nationalities are really coming together.

[kuma]

I'm guessing roughly 40% British, 30% other European, 20% Australia/NZ and 10% North American...

Just a wild guess. Am I in the ballpark? Are such statistics to be found somewhere?

Oh, I'm also guessing the breakdown is very similar for tourists and expats. Is it different?

Also, regarding expats living in Thailand... do they tend to socialize evenly across nationalities, or do they tend to form national cliques, or groups of nationalities (I imagine Brits, Aussies and Kiwis hanging together; Americans mostly to themselves (though not necessarily by choice); Canadians mixing with either Americans or other Commonwealth types (or both); and then the European nationalities according to language (German, French, Dutch, etc.). Or are expats mostly loners who hang with their Thai girlfriends/wives?

hilarious - yes the only people who visit thailand are white and from the 'developed world' - no one else comes

[zink]

In Bangkok: "Long-term foreign residents include 250,000 mainland Chinese, 85,000 Indians (most of whom are Sikh), of whom more than 80% have dual Thai citizenship,[12] 30,000 Japanese (the largest Japanese population in Asia outside Japan)[citation needed], 25,000 Americans[citation needed], 45,000 Europeans, 15,000 Taiwanese, 20,000 South Koreans, 6,000 Nigerians, 7,500 Australians, 12,000 people of Arabic speaking countries, 20,000 Malaysians, 4,000 Singaporeans, 5,000 Filipinos, and 800 New Zealanders" (from Wikipedia).

Of about half million foreigners listed about 9% are Europeans, 5% Americans and 1.5% Australia/New Zealand.

For tourists in 2005: http://www2.tat.or.th/stat/web/static_index.php

East Asians: 52%

Europeans: 23%

Americans: 6%

Oceania: 4%

[cdnvic]

I think if you looked at visit days, rather than just arrivals, it would swing substantially back toward western countries. There's many day trippers and weekend visits from neighbouring countries that skew the statistics.

[DP25]

I think if you looked at visit days, rather than just arrivals, it would swing substantially back toward western countries. There's many day trippers and weekend visits from neighbouring countries that skew the statistics.

Even leaving out Malaysia and Singapore, East Asian arrivals (China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan) massively outnumber those from 'farang' countries. People just don't notice them.

Among white expats the OP doesn't seem that far off. I meet lots of Brits and other Europeans, hardly ever run in to Americans. The UK alone sends more tourists to Thailand than North and South America combined

[kensingto]

As surveyed from many hotels, I notice that the Japanese are the most welcome foreigner in Thailand. I known some Japanese who are not employed immigrated here on their own to make a living in the country due to low expenses.

Edited September 28, 2009 by kensingto

[spysee]

As surveyed from many hotels, I notice that the Japanese are the most welcome foreigner in Thailand. I known some Japanese who are not employed immigrated here on their own to make a living in the country due to low expenses.

Everyone loves Japanese tourists, in AUstralia they come and spend a lot of there money and are the most behaved tourists in the world.

What is there not to love about them?

[sassienie]

I don’t consider visa runners and holidaymakers as ex-pats, therefore are irrelevant to any survey regarding the nationality of Farangs living in Thailand.

As for the ex-pats, those with non-immigrant visas, students and residing in Thailand legally, taking an educated guess, I would say the majority are British.

Edited September 28, 2009 by sassienie

[QED]

And since when are Brits not Europeans??

Britain is an Island nation, not part of Europe. They are dictated to now by Brussels, but refuse to give in. We fought against European dictatorship many years ago and will fight them again if necessary.

As for me, I live here so don't really care, but the time I have to buy Euros to visit the UK will be the last time I go.

Back on topic, I have friends from all the nations mentioned previously, even some septics, who are far less anti Brit than the idiot posting earlier.

It depends where you go, in Pattaya I would say the OP's figures are spot on, but down here in Rayong I think Antipodeans outnumber us Brits.

[Meridian007]

Back to the topic...

Canadian here, and closest expat friend is American/Thai.

[cdnvic]

Some flames and replies to them deleted. One poster sent packing. Please stay on topic.

[womblejamie]

I don't consider visa runners and holidaymakers as ex-pats, therefore are irrelevant to any survey regarding the nationality of Farangs living in Thailand.

As for the ex-pats, those with non-immigrant visas, students and residing in Thailand legally, taking an educated guess, I would say the majority are British.

Agreed holidaymakers are not ex-pats as they are..... holidaymakers !! But why are people who do visa runs not ex-pats. I know a great many people who have resided in Thailand for a long time and do visa runs every 12-15 months and border bounces every three months. Are these people not ex-pats?

[lingyaiyai]

And since when are Brits not Europeans??

Britain is an Island nation, not part of Europe. They are dictated to now by Brussels, but refuse to give in. We fought against European dictatorship many years ago and will fight them again if necessary.

As for me, I live here so don't really care, but the time I have to buy Euros to visit the UK will be the last time I go.

Back on topic, I have friends from all the nations mentioned previously, even some septics, who are far less anti Brit than the idiot posting earlier.

It depends where you go, in Pattaya I would say the OP's figures are spot on, but down here in Rayong I think Antipodeans outnumber us Brits.

Britain is indeed an island nation, but of which continent is it a part if not Europe?

No mention of Russians here yet - there certainly seem to be a few around in Thailand.

[astral]

And since when are Brits not Europeans??

It says Europe on my passport

and at the current rate of exchange I might just as well have Euros in my wallet.