Thai DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Thailand · Southeast Asia
Thailand's central plain was the heart of the kingdoms of Sukhothai and Ayutthaya, and Thai belongs to the Tai-Kadai family, whose speakers spread into the region from southern China around a thousand years ago. They joined a large existing population. In our model, the Thai average is 46.1% Southeast Asian Neolithic farmer, 24.2% East Asian, 17.7% Southern Chinese Neolithic farmer and 10.5% South Asian hunter-gatherer related, with 1.5% Iranian Neolithic farmer. That South Asian-related share, more than a tenth in all, links Thailand with Myanmar to the west, and genetic studies connect it to the long contacts with India that brought Buddhism and Indian scripts. The closest modern averages are not other Tai speakers but the Moken sea nomads (0.029), then the Mon of Thailand and the Khmer, whose languages were spoken in the region before Thai. The closest ancient groups are Early Neolithic Dushan in Guangxi (0.0464) and Iron Age log-coffin burials of northwestern Thailand.
- Largest ancient components in our model: Southeast Asian Neolithic farmers 46.1%, East Asian 24.2%, Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers 17.7%
- Closest modern population in our data: Moken, distance 0.0290
- Closest ancient group in our data: China Guangxi EN Dushan, distance 0.0464
Thai is one of the 335 modern populations in our population genetics atlas. The numbers on this page describe the average Global25 (G25) genome of the Thai individuals sampled in Thailand. Like every population average, it smooths over a lot of variation between individuals.
Ancient make-up of the Thai average
The ancient make-up of the Thai average is led by Southeast Asian Neolithic farmers (46.1%), followed by East Asian (24.2%) and Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers (17.7%). The Southeast Asian Neolithic farmers component reflects the Neolithic farmers of mainland Southeast Asia. The East Asian share (24.2%) reflects ancestry most common today in East Asia.
Smaller traces of Iranian Neolithic farmers (under 5%) also appear. At that level they can reflect real minor ancestry, but also simple model noise, so they should not be over-read. The model fits well (fit distance 0.023), so these proportions are a reasonable summary. This population was modelled with a global set of reference populations (ancient genomes, plus modern stand-ins where no suitable ancient genome exists), because West Eurasian sources alone cannot describe it.
Closest modern populations to Thai
Genetically, the Thai average sits nearest to Moken at 0.029, Mon (Thailand) at 0.032 and Khmer (Cambodia) at 0.036. On our scale, a distance of 0.029 counts as close. By the tenth closest (Wa) the distance grows to 0.065, a common pattern for a population that shares ancestry with its neighbours while keeping a profile of its own.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Moken | 0.0290 | Close |
| 2 | Mon (Thailand) | 0.0318 | Close |
| 3 | Khmer (Cambodia) | 0.0364 | Close |
| 4 | Cambodian | 0.0434 | Close |
| 5 | Malay (Malaysia) | 0.0448 | Close |
| 6 | Nyah (Kur) | 0.0581 | Moderate |
| 7 | Malay | 0.0588 | Moderate |
| 8 | Malay (Singapore) | 0.0620 | Moderate |
| 9 | Lawa | 0.0650 | Moderate |
| 10 | Wa | 0.0652 | Moderate |
Distances are Euclidean distances between averaged G25 coordinates. On our scale, below 0.025 is very close, below 0.050 close, below 0.080 moderate, and beyond that distant.
Closest ancient populations to Thai
Among ancient genomes, the closest match to the modern Thai average is China Guangxi EN Dushan (Early Neolithic), at 0.046, followed by China Qihe N and Thailand IA Log Coffin. That is a close match: much of the modern profile was already present then, while later movements of people added further layers. A close ancient match is not proof of direct descent: it means those individuals carried a similar overall mix of ancestry.
| # | Ancient sample or group | Period | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China Guangxi EN Dushan | Early Neolithic | 0.0464 |
| 2 | China Qihe N | Neolithic | 0.0525 |
| 3 | Thailand IA Log Coffin | Iron Age | 0.0563 |
| 4 | China Guangxi LBA Hanging Coffin Hua Cun | Late Bronze Age | 0.0567 |
| 5 | China Qihe 11500BP | c. 9550 BC | 0.0580 |
| 6 | Vietnam BA Dong Son Culture | Bronze Age | 0.0687 |
| 7 | Vietnam LN Nam Tun | Late Neolithic | 0.0690 |
| 8 | China Baojianshan 7300BP | c. 5350 BC | 0.0702 |
| 9 | China Liangdao2 N | Neolithic | 0.0724 |
| 10 | China Liangdao1 N | Neolithic | 0.0739 |
Ancient DNA from Thailand
Our ancient DNA database holds 77 individuals excavated in present-day Thailand, dated from about 1,350 BC to 645 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are N1b (6), O1b (6) and O2a (6), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are F1 (34), G2 (7) and N8 (4). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Thai population.
Ancient sample data compiled by Nomad on the GenArchivist forum.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups in ancient samples from Thailand
Ancient DNA studies on Thailand
- Paternal genetic landscape of contemporary Thai populations in the borderland provinces of Thailand and Myanmar (2025)
- Natural selection and adaptive traits in the Maniq, a nomadic hunter-gatherer society from Mainland Southeast Asia (2025)
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 77 from Thailand.
Compare yourself with Thai
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Thai average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Thai and its neighbours. To find out which of our reports actually fits your DNA, run the free Report Finder: it runs the same fit test that every report uses before an order.
No G25 coordinates yet? Get a free simulated G25 from your raw DNA file, or order G25 coordinates.
About these numbers
A word of caution: these figures describe the average of the Thai individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Thai. Individuals vary around that average, and identity is about history, language and family, not about a genetic score. Read this page as a map of deep ancestry, not as a definition.
Method: averaged G25 coordinates, Euclidean distances to other modern and ancient averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations (data generated 2026-10-01). Read the full method.
Thanks: to Nomad (GenArchivist) for the population and ancient sample collection this atlas is built on, and to Davidski (Eurogenes) for Global25.
Go deeper than the average
This page describes the Thai average. For your own DNA, Advanced Ancestry Report (16€) gives a full ancestry breakdown with no regional focus, in a personal PDF report.
Comprehensive DNA analysis comparing your genetics to over 2,000 modern reference populations.
More populations from Southeast Asia
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Thai?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Thai average is about 46.1% Southeast Asian Neolithic farmers, 24.2% East Asian and 17.7% Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers. These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Thai?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Thai average are Moken, Mon (Thailand) and Khmer (Cambodia). The closest ancient matches are China Guangxi EN Dushan, China Qihe N and Thailand IA Log Coffin.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Thai?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Thai average and to its neighbours. If you have G25 coordinates, paste them in the comparison box on this page to check that for free.
Which ExploreYourDNA report suits Thai ancestry?
None of our regional reports is built for Thai ancestry, so the full Advanced Ancestry Report (no regional focus) is the better choice. The DNA Mega-Analysis adds Neanderthal %, traits and closest ancient populations. The free Report Finder checks every report against your own DNA first.
Where does the data on this page come from?
From the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the sampled individuals: genetic distances to other modern and ancient population averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations. The full method is described at https://www.exploreyourdna.com/populations#method.