What Do You Call Someone From Thailand? (Helpful Content!)

Someone from Thailand is called Thai. This is the standard demonym for a person of Thai nationality, or if they have some broader relationship to the country be it cultural or historical. The Thai people are also an ethnic group of their own, though Thailand is of course not monoethnic.

So, there is a simple answer and a slightly longer answer.

The short answer is that in terms of our modern use of demonyms and sense of nationality, a person from Thailand is called Thai.

Equally, Thai itself is an ethnic group, and there are also many other ethnic groups living in Thailand in large numbers.

Let’s find out more.

In This Article

What is someone from Thailand called?

Someone from Thailand is called Thai.

This is the simple answer and the only one you’ll really need in general.

But at the same time there are a few different ways of thinking about this question.

It’s always worth remembering that our modern sense of the nation state is something that has evolved relatively recently.

Countries and nations have not always defined themselves in the way we do know, and so that certainly extends to their citizens.

There are multiple ways you might consider yourself Thai.

Obviously, if you were born in Thailand to parents from the country, they you will be Thai through and through.

On the other hand, if you were born outside the country but still to native parents, then you would feel yourself still to be Thai.

Further, being born in Thailand, regardless of your parents, will make you feel Thai to some degree.

It’s all a bit murky, then, when you examine these questions closely.

The other question is of ethnicity.

The vast majority of the population of Thailand are ethnically Thai, but even this can be subdivided into many groups.

The majority, around 25 million, are Central Thai, but there are also around 20 million Isan Thai, then you also have Yuan Thai and Southern Thai.

Each of these groups in Thailand alone represents millions of people.

There are then many other non ethnic Thais also living in Thailand.

The largest group are ethnically Chinese, up to 9 million people in Thailand.

You also have large populations of Malay, Khmer, Karen, Kuy and many other groups living in Thailand.

The point is that nationality and ethnicity are quite separate things, and identity is obviously a very individual question.

All of these people are, in a legal sense, Thai, and yet many of them may prefer to identify with their ethnic, rather than national, identity.

Where does the name “Thailand” come from?

As we will look at shortly, prior to 1939, what is known now as Thailand was known as Siam.

There are multiple different suggestions for the proper meaning of the term “Thai”.

One scholar of the 20th Century suggested that the term translated as “free man”, distinguishing the Thai people from those who comprised the serf population of the country.

Others, though, suggest that Thai simply means person or human being.

Many different names are used for the country by the natives, including the common prathet Thai.

It is also sometimes referred to as Ratcha Anachak Thai, which is the full name for the country meaning essentially “Kingdom of Thailand”.

The name of the country, then, to simplify it, comes from the people who lived there, rather than the other way around.

It is essentially called the land of the Thai people.

Again, we often think in the modern world of being identified based on the country they live, rather than the other way around.

But this opposite naming convention was much more common in virtually parts of the world throughout history.

What about the term “Siam”, then?

Do Thai people call Thailand “Siam”?

Thai people do not call Thailand Siam, generally speaking.

There is a small minority in the country who advocate for returning to this older name, but most people simply refer to the country as Thailand and have no interest in using the term Siam.

Where this name originated is also something of a mystery.

It may have originated from the Sanksrit word syama, meaning “dark”.

It could also have come form the Mon word rhmanna, meaning “stranger”.

Some think it instead derives from the fact that Chinese people referred to the country as Xiam.

Again, it’s not really clear, but in any case the name is no longer used.

Where do Thai people live?

It’s also worth considering the widespread Thai diaspora that can be found across the world.

The estimated global population of Thai people is around 59 million, and around 57 million of these live in Thailand itself.

The total Thai diaspora is around 1-2 million, then.

The largest group of Thai people outside Thailand can be found in the United States, where there are around 319,000 Thai people living.

There are a further 185,000 Thai people living in South Korea, and populations in other Asian countries such as Taiwan, Malaysia and Japan.

There are also many in Europe in Germany and the U.K.

There is always more than one way of looking at a question like this, then.

The simple answer relates to nationality, which we all find easy to understand.

All people from Thailand, in this sense, are Thai.

At the same time, Thailand comprises many different ethnic groups, and many non ethnic Thais may feel their own ethnic identity to be the more important part of who they are.

More in Demonyms

Founder - @PollyWebster

Polly Webster is the founder of Foreign Lingo and a seasoned traveler with a decade of exploration under her belt.

Over the past 10 years, she has journeyed to numerous countries around the globe, immersing herself in diverse cultures, traditions, and languages.

Drawing from her rich experiences, Polly now writes insightful articles about travel, languages, traditions, and cultures, sharing her unique perspectives and invaluable tips with her readers.

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