Migration Statistics Japan Join Mailing List
Country profile

Thai nationals in Japan

Total residents (2025)
67,097
Total Population of Thailand: ~66 million
Growth (past 10 years)
+47.9%
45,379 in 2015 → 67,097 in 2025

Top visa types (2025)

Permanent resident
22,207
Technical Intern Trainee
11,672
Spouse of Japanese
7,630
Specified Skilled Worker
6,817
Scroll

The Average Thai Migrant

Male profile

The average Thai male in Japan is a technical intern trainee in his late twenties, living in Tokyo.

Modal age25–29
Top visaTechnical Intern Trainee (26.4%)
2nd visaSpecified Skilled Worker (16.1%)
Population19,855 (29.6%)
Female profile

The average Thai female in Japan is a permanent resident in her late twenties, living in Tokyo.

Modal age25–29
Top visaPermanent resident (41.6%)
2nd visaSpouse of Japanese (15.0%)
Population47,242 (70.4%)

Population over time

Total Thai residents

Annual figures, 2006–2025 — hover the line for details
020,00040,00060,00080,00020062010201520202025
0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2024
Permanent resident Engineer / Humanities Spouse of Japanese Instructor Student Others

Visa Types

What do these visa types mean? →

Status of residence (2025)

Current snapshot
0 10,000 20,000 30,000 Permanent resident Permanent resident: 22,207 22,207 Technical Intern Trainee Technical Intern Trainee: 11,672 11,672 Spouse of Japanese Spouse of Japanese: 7,630 7,630 Specified Skilled Worker Specified Skilled Worker: 6,817 6,817 Long-term resident Long-term resident: 4,492 4,492 Student Student: 3,867 3,867 Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services: 3,576 3,576 Designated activities Designated activities: 1,461 1,461 Skilled labour Skilled labour: 1,358 1,358 Intra-company transferee Intra-company transferee: 1,175 1,175 Family stay / Dependent Family stay / Dependent: 926 926 Spouse of PR Spouse of PR: 784 784
0 10,000 20,000 30,000 Permanent resident Permanent resident 2015: 18,831 Permanent resident 2025: 22,207 18,831 22,207 (2025) Technical Intern Trainee Technical Intern Trainee 2015: 6,084 Technical Intern Trainee 2025: 11,672 6,084 11,672 (2025) Spouse of Japanese Spouse of Japanese 2015: 7,206 Spouse of Japanese 2025: 7,630 7,206 7,630 (2025) Specified Skilled Worker Specified Skilled Worker 2015: 0 Specified Skilled Worker 2025: 6,817 0 6,817 (2025) Long-term resident Long-term resident 2015: 3,800 Long-term resident 2025: 4,492 3,800 4,492 (2025) Student Student 2015: 4,190 4,190 3,867 (2025) Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services 2015: 1,262 Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services 2025: 3,576 1,262 3,576 (2025) Designated activities Designated activities 2015: 225 Designated activities 2025: 1,461 225 1,461 (2025) Skilled labour Skilled labour 2015: 1,133 Skilled labour 2025: 1,358 1,133 1,358 (2025) Intra-company transferee Intra-company transferee 2015: 574 Intra-company transferee 2025: 1,175 574 1,175 (2025)
Where Thailand is heavier than rest of world Where Thailand is lighter (or absent) Permanent resident Thai: 33.1% 33.1% Rest of world: 22.8% 22.8% Technical Intern Trainee Thai: 17.4% 17.4% Rest of world: 11.0% 11.0% Spouse of Japanese Thai: 11.4% 11.4% Rest of world: 3.6% 3.6% Specified Skilled Worker Thai: 10.2% 10.2% Rest of world: 9.4% 9.4% Long-term resident Thai: 6.7% 6.7% Rest of world: 5.5% 5.5% Skilled labour Thai: 2.0% 2.0% Rest of world: 1.3% 1.3% Intra-company transferee Thai: 1.8% 1.8% Rest of world: 0.4% 0.4% Religion Thai: 0.3% 0.3% Rest of world: 0.1% 0.1% Professor Thai: 0.2% 0.2% Rest of world: 0.2% 0.2% Family stay / Dependent Thai: 1.4% 1.4% Rest of world: 8.7% 8.7% Special Permanent resident Thai: 0.0% 0.0% Rest of world: 6.6% 6.6% Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services Thai: 5.3% 5.3% Rest of world: 11.6% 11.6% Student Thai: 5.8% 5.8% Rest of world: 11.4% 11.4% Business manager Thai: 0.3% 0.3% Rest of world: 1.1% 1.1% Designated activities Thai: 2.2% 2.2% Rest of world: 3.1% 3.1% High-skilled professional Thai: 0.2% 0.2% Rest of world: 0.8% 0.8% Instructor Thai: 0.0% 0.0% Rest of world: 0.4% 0.4%

Demographics

Age distribution

All Thai residents — five-year age brackets, December 2025
0 5,000 10,000 15,000 0–4: 347 347 0–4 5–9: 483 483 5–9 10–14: 663 663 10–14 15–19: 1,459 1,459 15–19 20–24: 7,157 7,157 20–24 25–29: 11,603 11.6k 25–29 30–34: 8,337 8,337 30–34 35–39: 6,153 6,153 35–39 40–44: 5,697 5,697 40–44 45–49: 4,764 4,764 45–49 50–54: 5,310 5,310 50–54 55–59: 6,765 6,765 55–59 60–64: 5,071 5,071 60–64 65–69: 2,292 2,292 65–69 70–74: 770 770 70–74 75–79: 176 176 75–79 80+: 50 50 80+
MALE 男性 FEMALE 女性 0–4 188 159 5–9 234 249 10–14 314 349 15–19 776 683 20–24 3,327 3,830 25–29 4,880 6,723 30–34 3,364 4,973 35–39 2,104 4,049 40–44 1,605 4,092 45–49 965 3,799 50–54 765 4,545 55–59 662 6,103 60–64 415 4,656 65–69 171 2,121 70–74 60 710 75–79 16 160 80+ 9 41

Gender split

December 2025
Male: 19,855 (29.6%) Female: 47,242 (70.4%) 67,097 total
Male
19,855 (29.6%)
Female
47,242 (70.4%)

The Thai community leans strongly female (70%) — reflecting decades of Thai women marrying Japanese partners and settling permanently. Permanent Resident is the largest visa, with Technical Intern Trainee and Specified Skilled Worker growing fast.

Permanent resident: 19,661 (41.6%) Spouse of Japanese: 7,072 (15.0%) Technical Intern Trainee: 6,437 (13.6%) Specified Skilled Worker: 3,613 (7.6%) Long-term resident: 3,214 (6.8%) Student: 2,047 (4.3%) Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services: 1,909 (4.0%) Designated activities: 935 (2.0%) Family stay / Dependent: 665 (1.4%) Intra-company transferee: 497 (1.1%) Spouse of PR: 389 (0.8%) Skilled labour: 271 (0.6%) Nursing care: 134 (0.3%) Other: 398 (0.8%) Total female 47,242
47,242 female Thai residents — by status of residence
Permanent resident19,661
Spouse of Japanese7,072
Technical Intern Trainee6,437
Specified Skilled Worker3,613
Long-term resident3,214
Student2,047
Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services1,909
Designated activities935
Family stay / Dependent665
Intra-company transferee497
Spouse of PR389
Skilled labour271
Nursing care134
Other398
Technical Intern Trainee: 5,235 (26.4%) Specified Skilled Worker: 3,204 (16.1%) Permanent resident: 2,546 (12.8%) Student: 1,820 (9.2%) Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services: 1,667 (8.4%) Long-term resident: 1,278 (6.4%) Skilled labour: 1,087 (5.5%) Intra-company transferee: 678 (3.4%) Spouse of Japanese: 558 (2.8%) Designated activities: 526 (2.6%) Spouse of PR: 395 (2.0%) Family stay / Dependent: 261 (1.3%) Religion: 152 (0.8%) Other: 448 (2.3%) Total male 19,855
19,855 male Thai residents — by status of residence
Technical Intern Trainee5,235
Specified Skilled Worker3,204
Permanent resident2,546
Student1,820
Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services1,667
Long-term resident1,278
Skilled labour1,087
Intra-company transferee678
Spouse of Japanese558
Designated activities526
Spouse of PR395
Family stay / Dependent261
Religion152
Other448
0 20,000 40,000 60,000 2010 2015 2020 2025 Female 47,242 Male 19,855

Where they live (2025)

By region — heat map

Hover or tap a region to see its breakdown.
Hokkaido Hokkaido 723 723 Tohoku Tohoku 518 518 Kanto Kanto 2,621 2,621 Chubu Chubu 1,926 1,926 Kansai Kansai 3,189 3,189 Chugoku Chugoku 487 487 Shikoku Shikoku 245 245 Kyushu Kyushu 1,158 1,158
Fewer
More
Selected region
Kanto
11,830
57.6% of Japan total
Top Visa Categories
Prefectures
Tokyo
7,596
Kanagawa
1,948
Chiba
1,018
Saitama
763
Ibaraki
231
Tochigi
138
Gunma
136

Highest and Lowest Prefectures

2025 Resident Counts
Top 10
Tokyo
Kanto
14.2%
Chiba
Kanto
11.0%
Ibaraki
Kanto
8.5%
Kanagawa
Kanto
7.8%
Aichi
Chubu
6.9%
Saitama
Kanto
6.4%
Osaka
Kansai
5.0%
Nagano
Chubu
4.2%
Tochigi
Kanto
3.2%
Mie
Kansai
3.0%
Bottom 10
Tottori
Chugoku
0.1%
Miyazaki
Kyushu
0.1%
Kochi
Shikoku
0.1%
Akita
Tohoku
0.1%
Tokushima
Shikoku
0.2%
Saga
Kyushu
0.2%
Nagasaki
Kyushu
0.2%
Shimane
Chugoku
0.2%
Kagoshima
Kyushu
0.3%
Aomori
Tohoku
0.3%

Prefecture Growth, 2015 to 2025

Absolute change in Thai residents over the past decade
Fastest growth
Iwate
Tohoku
+320%
Hokkaido
Hokkaido
+230%
Okinawa
Okinawa
+212%
Shimane
Chugoku
+204%
Nara
Kansai
+159%
Slowest growth
Tottori
Chugoku
-20%
Tokushima
Shikoku
-16%
Oita
Kyushu
-1%
Ehime
Shikoku
+8%
Yamanashi
Chubu
+11%
0 2,500 5,000 7,500 10,000 2010 2015 2020 2025 Tokyo Chiba Ibaraki Kanagawa Aichi Saitama Osaka Nagano

Fun Fact

Japan–Thailand ties go back over 600 years. In the early 1600s the port city of Ayutthaya had a thriving Japanese quarter of some 1,500 residents, led by the samurai adventurer Yamada Nagamasa — one of the first overseas Japanese communities in history.
Interested to know more about migration numbers in Japan?
Explore Overview →Immigration statistics for the whole of Japan — 4.13 million foreign residentsAll Nationalities/Regions →This page is one of 67 — explore every major community in Japan
Stay Updated

Join Our Mailing List

Be the first to know when we add new countries, charts, and yearly data updates.