Overseas Thai people (Thai: คนไทยพลัดถิ่น, คนไทยในต่างแดน) can be roughly divided into 3 groups;
A non-resident Thai is a citizen of Thailand who holds a Thai passport and has temporarily emigrated to another country for employment, residence, education or any other purpose.
A Person of Thai ethnics or ancestry (Siamese, Lanna, Isan etc.) who was or whose ancestors were born in Thailand or other countries under Thai ancestry and holds non-Thai citizenship. A person of Thai origin might have been a citizen of Thailand and subsequently taken the citizenship of another country.
A Person of Thai origin with foreigner ancestry (Chinese, Persians, Hindi, Pathans, Panjabi, Portuguese etc.) who was or whose ancestors were born in Thailand before 1975 and holds non-Thai citizenship. A person of Thai origin might have been a citizen of Thailand and subsequently taken the citizenship of another country.
