Ruqayyah Snyder
Thailand and Australia have had a long history of cultural exchange, with the first notable Thai to arrive in Australia being Butra Mahintra, who was sent by King Rama VI in the 1920s to purchase racehorses. Since then, the number of Thai people in Australia has grown significantly, with 45,465 Thailand-born people recorded in the 2011 census, an increase of 48.8% from 2006. The Thai community in Australia is quite young to middle-aged, with the largest cohorts aged between 25 and 44. They primarily reside in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, and Western Australia, with Victoria having one of the largest Thai communities in the country.
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What You'll Learn
Thai Australians with Thai ancestry
The Thai community in Australia is predominantly young to middle-aged, with the largest cohorts aged 35-44 (23.5%) and 25-34 (22.3%). The median age of Thailand-born people in Australia is 33 years, and 48.9% are Australian citizens. The community has medium levels of English language proficiency, with 63.4% speaking another language but also speaking English very well or well, and 17.2% speaking only English at home.
The migration of Thai people to Australia has a history dating back to the early 1920s when Butra Mahintra, sent by King Rama VI, first arrived in Australia to purchase racehorses. In 1950, the Australian government launched the Colombo Plan, an aid program sponsoring Asian students, including Thais, to study or train in Australia. From the 1950s to the 1970s, most new arrivals from Thailand were students, spouses of Australians, or those sponsored under military traineeships. The number of Thai migrants increased significantly after the repeal of the Immigration Restriction Act in 1973.
In terms of occupation, the most common responses for Thailand-born individuals in Australia were labourers (24%), community and personal service workers (22.7%), technicians and trades workers (16.3%), professionals (9.3%), and managers (8.7%). The most common industries of employment were cafes and restaurants (23%), other allied health services (6.2%), building and industrial cleaning services (4.9%), accommodation (3.7%), and aged care residential services (2.8%). The personal weekly median income for Thailand-born individuals aged 15 and over was $449, with a family median weekly income of $1,566 and a household median weekly income of $1,646.
Regarding religion, the most common responses for Thailand-born people in Australia were Buddhism (72.9%), no religion (9.4%), Baptist (4.3%), Catholic (3.4%), and Anglican (1.5%).
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Thai students in Australia
The number of Thai students in Australia has fluctuated over the years. Between 1954 and 1989, approximately 450 Thai students travelled to Australia under the Colombo Plan, an aid program for sponsoring Asian students to study or train in Australia. From the 1950s to the 1970s, the majority of new arrivals from Thailand were students, as well as spouses of Australians and those sponsored under military traineeships.
The 2011 Australian Census recorded 45,465 Thailand-born people in Australia, with New South Wales having the largest number (17,541), followed by Victoria (10,766), Queensland (7,022), and Western Australia (5,662).
As of June 2022, there were approximately 1.5 thousand Thai citizens enrolled in higher education institutions in Australia, with Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses being the most popular among Thai international students, with over nine thousand enrolled.
Thai students intending to study in Australia need to apply for a student visa. This requires submitting various documents, including proof of sufficient funds to support oneself and any family members included in the application for the first 12 months. Thai students must also have valid health insurance and be enrolled in a full-time course listed on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS). Once in Australia, international students, including Thais, are allowed to work up to 48 hours per fortnight during study periods and full time during breaks, provided they follow the specific work conditions set by their visa.
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Thai communities in Victoria
The Thai community in Victoria, Australia, is one of the largest Thai communities in the country. The 2021 Census recorded 21,059 Thailand-born people living in Victoria, with the City of Melbourne being home to the largest Thai community in the state, at 2,114 people. The City of Wyndham is the next largest, with 1,051 people. Other local government areas with large Thai communities include Greater Dandenong and Boroondara. The Thai-born population in Victoria has been steadily growing, with a peak of 6,003 people arriving between 2016 and 2021.
The migration of Thai people to Victoria remained relatively low until after the 1980s, with a slight increase due to the Colombo Plan, which sponsored Thai students to study in Australia. The first significant wave of Thai migration to Victoria occurred during the 1980s and 1990s, with a notable increase in the number of Thai students. Since the 2000s, there has been a consistent influx of Thai immigrants, with half of the Thailand-born population in Victoria settling in Melbourne by 2001.
The Thai community in Victoria is predominantly young to middle-aged, with the largest age groups being 35–44 (23.5%) and 25–34 (22.3%). The community has medium levels of English language proficiency, with 63.7% of the Thailand-born population reporting that they speak English 'very well' or 'well'. 15.8% speak English 'not well' or 'not at all', and 20.1% speak only English. The top languages spoken by the Thailand-born population in Victoria include Vietnamese, with 185 people.
The Thailand-born population in Victoria has three significant points of arrival: 2001–2010, 2011–2015, and 2016–2021, with most arrivals falling within these periods. The community is vibrant and active, with organised events and resources available for those seeking to connect with Thai expats in Victoria. Digital media is also a useful tool for engaging with the many young and middle-aged Thai individuals in the state.
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Thai communities in Melbourne
Melbourne is home to one of the largest Thai communities in Victoria, with 2,114 people of Thai ancestry living in the city, according to the 2021 Census. The Thai-born population in Victoria has continued to grow since the 2000s, with a peak of 6,003 people arriving between 2016 and 2021. The City of Wyndham is home to the second-largest Thai community in Victoria, with 1,051 people. Other local government areas with significant Thai communities include Greater Dandenong and Boroondara.
The Thai community in Melbourne is vibrant and diverse, with people of all ages, although the largest cohorts are aged from 35 to 44 (23.5%) and 25 to 34 (22.3%). The community is mostly concentrated in Melbourne's central and south-eastern suburbs, with some also living in the CBD and the outer West. The community has medium levels of English language proficiency, and some members may require information, resources, or support in their native language.
The migration of Thai people to Victoria remained relatively low until after the 1980s, with a slight increase due to the Colombo Plan, which brought Thai students to Australia. The first wave of Thai migration to Victoria occurred during the 1980s and 1990s, with a significant increase in Thai students, spouses, and children of Australians arriving under various visa programs. Many Thai people in Melbourne have taken advantage of skilled migration visas and working holiday visa programs to settle in the city.
The Thai community in Melbourne is active and welcoming, with organized events and online communities that support Thai expats and help them connect with each other. They also follow the lunar calendar, so festivities and significant dates may vary yearly. For example, Buddhist Lent Day is celebrated annually in July but falls on a different date each year. Overall, Melbourne's Thai community is thriving and contributes significantly to the city's cultural diversity.
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Thai refugees in Australia
The 2011 Australian Census recorded 45,465 Thailand-born people in Australia, with 45,635 Australians with Thai ancestry. New South Wales had the largest number of Thai-born people with 17,541, followed by Victoria (10,766), Queensland (7,022), and Western Australia (5,662). The Thai community in Victoria is one of the largest in Australia, with 20,430 people of Thai ancestry and 21,059 Thailand-born people. The City of Melbourne is home to one of the largest Thai communities in Victoria with 2,114 people, followed by the City of Wyndham with 1,051 people. The Thai community is young to middle-aged, with the largest cohorts aged 35-44 (23.5%) and 25-34 (22.3%). The community has medium levels of English language proficiency, with 63.7% of the Thailand-born population in Victoria speaking English "very well" or "well".
Historically, the number of Thais in Australia remained under 50 until the 1950s. In 1950, the Australian government launched the Colombo Plan, an aid program for sponsoring Asian students to study or train in Australia. Between 1954 and 1989, approximately 450 Thai students travelled to Australia on the Colombo Plan. Most did not settle in Australia permanently but increased awareness of Australia when they returned to Thailand. From the 1950s to the 1970s, the majority of new arrivals from Thailand continued to be students, spouses of Australians, and those sponsored under military traineeships. The migration of Thai people to Victoria remained relatively low until after the 1980s, with the first wave of Thai people arriving in Victoria during the 1980s and 1990s, which saw a significant increase in Thai students.
Australia has provided humanitarian assistance to refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border, where refugees have been fleeing conflict in Burma since the mid-1980s. Thailand hosts 91,401 refugees from Myanmar in nine temporary shelters, approximately 5,000 urban refugees and asylum seekers from over 40 countries, and about 480,000 stateless persons. Australia has committed $8 million over two years to provide basic health and education services for refugees on the Thai-Burma border, in addition to the $20 million in humanitarian assistance provided since 1999. This funding will support basic education for 30,000 children, training for 500 teachers, vocational training for 2,100 people, basic health services for up to 100,000 refugees, and food, shelter, and livelihood support for vulnerable households.
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Frequently asked questions
The 2011 Census recorded 45,465 Thailand-born people in Australia, an increase of 48.8% from the 2006 Census.
The largest Thai community in Australia is in New South Wales, with 17,541 people. Victoria is home to the second-largest Thai community, with 10,766 people, many of whom live in central Melbourne and the south-eastern suburbs.
In 2018, there were more than 30,000 Thai-born students in Australia.
