  | |
 | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 20,500 (2016)[1][2] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Bangkok · Phuket · Chonburi · Chiang MaiChiang Rai | |
| Languages | |
| Korean · Thai | |
| Religion | |
| Mahayana Buddhism andChristianity | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Korean diaspora |
Koreans in Thailand consist mainly ofNorth Korean refugees andSouth Korean expatriates, along with a tiny number of South Korean immigrants who have naturalised as citizens ofThailand and their descendants. According to South Korea'sMinistry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, in 2013 there were about 20,000 Koreans living in the country.
Thailand'sChiang Rai province is a popular entry point forNorth Korean defectors into the country.[3] Most of these defectors have escaped economic hardship in North Korea and traveled to Thailand for temporary refuge in the hope of being able to resettle in third countries, usually South Korea. Thailand is the easiest route to access and the most accommodating, compared toMongolia andVietnam, where border security is tighter and in some cases, those fleeing have been sent back to North Korea to face harsh punishment.[4]
A variety of factors have drawnSouth Korean expatriates to Thailand includingthe country's golf courses, as well asthe cuisine, the weather, and business opportunities.[5] There were an estimated 20,000 South Korean nationals or former nationals in Thailand as of 2011. Among them, 53 had obtainedThai nationality, 114 were permanent residents, 2,735 wereinternational students, and the remaining 16,000-odd South Korean residents had other kinds of visas. Their population fell by about 13 percent from 20,200 since 2009. 14,900 live inBangkok, 2,000 inChiang Mai, 1,800 inPhuket Province, and 1,300 inChonburi Province. Their community exhibits a significantly lopsidedsex ratio, with 11,843 men as compared to just 8,657 women, a ratio of about 1.4:1.[2]
Bangkok has aKoreatown in the Sukhumvit Plaza area nearSukhumvit Soi 12.[5]Phuket also has a Koreatown and numerous Korean restaurants.[6] There has been controversy over South Koreans working as tour guides without holding proper employment visas. TheTourism Authority of Thailand, the Korean Association in Phuket, and the South Korean consulate in Phuket signed an agreement in 2007 to promote the hiring of Thai tour guides instead.[7] Korean culture is popular throughout the country thanks to theKorean Wave.[5]
There is also a South Korean school in Bangkok, theKorean International School of Bangkok.
South Korean children born in Thailand to South Korean expatriates show littlelanguage shift towards Thai.[8]
There were twoKorean Buddhist temples and thirteen Korean Christian churches in Bangkok as of 2008. The Korean Union Church atRatchadaphisek Road is the most popular. The average Korean church in Bangkok has an attendance of about one to two hundred worshippers.[5]
Thai martial arts filmThe Kick follows a family of South Korean Taekwondo experts who move to Thailand.