What country was Tiger Woods' mother Kultida originally from?

Tiger Woods’s mother, Kultida Woods, was originally from Thailand. She met Woods’s father, Earl, while he was serving in Thailand in 1968, and the couple later married and raised their son in the United States.

Kultida’s background was ethnically mixed: she was described as having Thai, Chinese, and Dutch ancestry. That family history contributed to Woods’s unusually diverse heritage, which he famously described with the term “Cablinasian,” combining Caucasian, Black, American Indian, and Asian.

The question asks for her country of origin, not every part of her ancestry. Thailand is therefore the single best answer; China is sometimes selected because Kultida had Chinese ancestry, but it was not her country of origin. Woods’s middle name, Tont, is also a traditional Thai name, reflecting his connection to his mother’s heritage.

Kultida remained an important influence throughout Woods’s career and attended his major victories, including his 1997 and 2019 Masters wins. She died in February 2025.