In 1979 the Ministry of Interior estimated that there were 60,000 Hindus and Sikhs in Thailand (0.13 percent of the total population). Small South Asian trading communities in southern Thailand were noted in a ninth-century Tamil inscription. In addition to being trade centers, these early Indian communities served as a conduit for Indian culture and political theory, especially during the Ayutthayan period. The modern South Asian community, however, was largely apolitical and attempted to blend into Thai society, its members working as tailors, night watchmen, and textile merchants.

Data as of September 1987

NOTE: The information regarding Thailand on this page is re-published from The Library of Congress Country Studies and the CIA World Factbook. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Thailand The South Asians information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Thailand The South Asians should be addressed to the Library of Congress and the CIA.