Koreans in Thailand
Total population | |
---|---|
20,500 (2016) Phuket · Chonburi · Chiang Mai
Mahayana Buddhism and Christianity | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Korean diaspora |
Koreans in Thailand consist mainly of
Overview
North Korean refugees
Thailand's Chiang Rai province is a popular entry point for North 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 to Mongolia and Vietnam, where border security is tighter and in some cases, those fleeing have been sent back to North Korea to face harsh punishment.[4]
South Korean expatriates
A variety of factors have drawn
Bangkok has a Koreatown in the Sukhumvit Plaza area near Sukhumvit 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. The Tourism 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 the Korean Wave.[5]
Education and language
There is also a South Korean school in Bangkok, the Korean International School of Bangkok.
South Korean children born in Thailand to South Korean expatriates show little language shift towards Thai.[8]
Religion
There were two Korean Buddhist temples and thirteen Korean Christian churches in Bangkok as of 2008. The Korean Union Church at Ratchadaphisek Road is the most popular. The average Korean church in Bangkok has an attendance of about one to two hundred worshippers.[5]
In popular culture
Thai martial arts film The Kick follows a family of South Korean Taekwondo experts who move to Thailand.
Notable people
- Aree Song, South Korean professional golfer
- Naree Song, South Korean professional golfer
- Park Jongbae, South Korean singer. He is a member of Thai boyband, K-Otic (Originally from Seoul, South Korea)
- Spill Tab (Claire Chicha), French-Korean singer-songwriter
See also
References
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
- ^ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 30 September 2013, p. 103, retrieved 30 April 2015
- ^ "Illegal North Korean migrants on rise", Bangkok Post, 5 June 2011
- ^ "Thailand: North Koreans escape from hunger", IRIN Asia, 5 June 2011
- ^ a b c d Dhammataree, Maneeya (14 September 2008), "Korean community blossoming in Bangkok", Thai Asia Today, archived from the original on 2 September 2010, retrieved 30 March 2012
- ^ "Phuket's Korea Town: A Clash of Cultures", Phuket Magazine, 27 July 2011, archived from the original on 13 May 2012, retrieved 31 March 2012
- ^ "Agreement reached over illegal Korean guides", Phuket News, 5 September 2007, retrieved 29 September 2018
- ^ Jeon, Yun-Sil (2003), A comparison of Social and Linguistic Features in the Korean communities in Bangkok and Buenos Aires (PDF), Asia Research Center, Chulalongkorn University, retrieved 30 March 2012