INTRODUCTION

Thailand and India have been in contact economically, socially and culturally since the early formation of the Thai Kingdom of Sukhothai in the 13th Century A.D. The similarity between Thai script and some South Indian scripts, the belief in Buddhism, Indian words and place names which tell of economic, social and cultural contacts are some of the evidences of the close links between peoples of the two countries. However, the diplomatic relations between Thailand and India only began in 1947 when India became independent. In the year 2007, the two countries celebrated the sixtieth anniversary of Indo-Thai diplomatic relations.

Since India has begun its Look East policy that seeks to intensify diplomatic and economic ties with countries of Southeast Asia grouped together as ASEAN, there have been increasing inter-linkages between Thailand and India. Naturally, Indians in Thailand enjoy the benefits of this new policy that began from the 1990s. Exchange of visits of the prime ministers of the two countries as well as the royal visits of H.R.H. Prince Vajiralongkorn, Crown Prince of Thailand, H.R.H. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, and H.R.H. Princess Chulabhorn have created interest inThailand among Indians. Thailand, therefore, has become an attractive destination for Indian tourists and businessmen. Thai Airways International as well as Air India and Indian Airlines join in to facilitate both Indian and Thai travellers going to and from both countries by increasing direct flights to all major cities of India: New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Bodhgaya, Guwahati and Hyderabad. Increasing India–Thailand bilateral trade especially from year 2000 onwards have brought more prosperity to both India and Thailand. Indian businessmen in Thailand who are usually active in this intertrade benefit considerably from the above circumstances. Moreover, the first BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok in July 2004 which includes some South Asian and ASEAN countries boosted the trade between India and Thailand as well as ASEAN countries in general. The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Thailand and India also promotes trade.

THE TERM ‘INDIANS’ AND THE NUMBER OF INDIANS IN THAILAND

The term “Indians” here includes all people from the Indian sub-continent who may retain their nationalities as Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi or Nepalese as the case may be and also those who have become Thai citizens.