Thai in North America

The Thai language and Buddhist religion are the unifying attributes of Thais in North America. There are approximately 221,000 Thai in North America. The most significant number of Thais are in California – most clustered around Los Angeles. New York City, Washington DC, Toronto, Chicago, Vancouver, and Las Vegas also contain significant populations of Thai people. Interestingly, Thai influence in North America is disproportionate to their numbers. Thai has influenced culture through their cuisine, Thai influence among the US during the Vietnam War, and intermarrying with the general population.
In Thai culture, there is a strong sense of collectivism as opposed to individualism. Thai people value helping each other even when it is inconvenient for them. There is a lot of indirect communication in the Thai community. If someone needs to be corrected, it is never done in front of others because that would cause them to lose face. Instead, they are approached in private and then encouraged.
Before the 1960s, Thai migration to North America was almost nonexistent. Following the Vietnam War, Thais became more aware of the “American Dream,” and immigration to the US spiked. The 1997 financial crisis increased Thai migration to Canada. People came in hopes of work and educational opportunities. Another large wave of Thai immigration came in 2006, marking the Thai Parliament’s dissolution.
Most Thai Canadians are well-educated professionals who emigrated for education, business, or marriage. Thais that receive post-secondary education and stay in Canada tend to work in banking, medicine, engineering, and business. Thai-Americans have integrated into American society and have a range of honorable lifestyles, especially the second generation. Thais often own banks, gas stations, beauty parlors, travel agencies, grocery stores, and restaurants in the US.

Religious Life
Nearly all Tai-speaking peoples are Theravada Buddhists. Buddhism contains a series of ideas based on the teachings of Buddha, who was born in the sixth century B.C. Buddha taught that humans are in a state of suffering produced by their attachment to temporal things. Only by releasing our desires can Buddhists avoid suffering.
Buddhists believe those who die are reborn in a form that is proportionate to the amount of merit they accumulated while alive. The cycle of death and rebirth continues as long as ignorance and craving remain. The reincarnation cycle can be broken only through enhanced personal wisdom and the elimination of desire. Reaching nirvana—the ultimate state of enlightenment—is the highest goal.
Buddhist monks are expected to lead a life of aestheticism but commonly perform essential functions in the community, especially as counselors. A variety of religious practitioners are associated with the animistic side of the religious beliefs of most Buddhists, including exorcists, spirit doctors, astrologers, and diviners.
Thai people have historically been unresponsive to the Gospel of Jesus Christ for centuries. There are currently believers and at least one church in cities with the most significant populations. Work remains among Thai people and is still considered significantly unreached.
These are the Thai communities in North America most in need of gospel witness
People Group | Metropolitan Area | Population Size | Concentrated Area | Priority Score |
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