Where Do Phuket's Expats Come From?
Where Do Phuket's Expats Come From?

It should come as little surprise that many foreigners choose to make their home in Phuket. After all, you are reading this right now which means this topic is of personal interest. As Phuket’s population has steadily increased over the decades (the population was only about 23,000 in 1950), so too have the numbers of expats who take up residence on the island.

The great push behind the development of the island has of course been tourism. Along with a boom in the tourism industry comes more opportunity for employment and business, and along with that comes more people flocking here in search of a better economic future and a good quality of life. Much of that population growth consists of Thais migrating here for said opportunities and, once again, the same can be said about many expats. 

Foreign | Credit: Investopedia

In the olden days before working remotely via the internet was all the rage (which really wasn’t that long ago), Phuket was well-known as a great place for a certain demographic of pensioner as well as entrepreneurial types. For pensioners, one of the primary limitations is being able to receive retirement benefits while residing in another country. Not all governments allow this, but many such as the US, UK, and Australia do. 

When it comes to the question of where exactly Phuket’s foreign residents originate, the most accurate answer is pretty much everywhere. For the past few decades it has been common to hear many French, Italian, Australian, and German accents in various areas of Phuket. While this is still true, the expat population continues to increase in numbers and diversity. 

The foreign community in Phuket tends to mirror tourism trends. That is to say that as Phuket becomes more popular for travelers from certain countries, more people from those places tend to move here. Nowadays, and especially before the COVID-19 era, the majority of foreign tourists in Phuket came from Russia and China. Inevitably, more people from those countries fall in love with the island, envision business opportunities, or are able to work remotely and see that Phuket has a lot to offer. 

English Teacher | Credit: Teachaway

Another influencing factor on expat demographics is the education system. One of the most accessible forms of employment in Phuket, and Thailand as whole, is as an english teacher. Not only are there plenty of Thai public schools that employ native English speakers, but an ever-increasing number of international schools as well. Most of these schools have curricula based in English and employ those from native English-speaking countries such as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the UK, the US, and Canada. As such, you will find more expats representing those countries working in the education industry on the island.

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