Population figures
Total country population
71,885,799
Forcibly displaced population
Refugees (under UNHCR's mandate):
84,712
Asylum-seekers:
2,086
IDPs (of concern to UNHCR):
0
Other people in need of international protection:
0
Other
Statelessness persons
586,548
Host community
0
Others of concern to UNHCR
535
Country context
Thailand is home to a significant refugee and stateless population, mainly due to conflicts in neighboring Myanmar and other regional issues. Refugees, primarily from Myanmar's Karen, Karenni, and other ethnic groups, reside in nine temporary shelters along the Thailand-Myanmar border. Many of these refugees have been living in Thailand since the mid-1980s, fleeing persecution and armed conflict. In urban areas, reside a smaller number of refugees and asylum-seekers that face challenges due to their lack of legal status.
Refugee status determination (RSD) processes are conducted by UNHCR, while the Thai government has established a National Screening Mechanism to distinguish individuals needing international protection. This mechanism was launched in 2023 and is aimed at formalizing the legal status of recognized refugees, providing them access to essential services.
...Thailand's legal framework for statelessness has made progress, with the country hosting one of the largest stateless populations globally. The Thai government has shown political commitment to addressing statelessness, notably with a historic cabinet resolution approved in October 2024. This resolution aims to accelerate the processing of stateless individuals’ applications, granting citizenship or permanent residence to a large number of individuals, thus offering a path to full legal recognition and rights, including access to nationality. Thailand's response, particularly regarding the stateless population, reflects the broader regional efforts to address these issues within the frameworks of international protection, as demonstrated by Thailand's commitments at the Global Refugee Forum.
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