Today, most ethnic Teochew people live throughout Chaoshan and Hong Kong, and also outside China in Southeast Asia, including in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

Teochew people of the diaspora would generally use ting nang (Chinese: 唐人; pinyin: tangnóng) to indicate Sinitic heritage in a cultural sense.

The Teochews, along with the Hokkien people, migrated from the Central Plains and Yellow River region, mainly from the Henan, Shaanxi and Shandong provinces.

[8] This is evident in several genetic studies, which show a strong relationship and ancestry based on common Y-chromosome patterns and higher prevalence of esophageal cancer.

The Teochew were often called Fulao (Hoklo) because they came mostly passed through Fujian during migration, with some well-maintained language and customs from ancient China.

[12] The writings of Stamford Raffles and William Farquhar indicate that the British found Temenggong Abdul Rahman with 400 to 500 residents in Singapore in January 1819.

Based on Teochew oral traditions in Singapore published by Phua Chye Long (潘醒农) in Teo-chews in Malaya (马来亚潮侨通鉴) in 1950, the first Teochews in Singapore were led by Tan Heng Kim, who was from Siam, and a second merchant named Heng Hong Sung (王丰顺) from Ampou town in Chaozhou, China.

[14] Early Teochew settlers could trace their origins to eight counties/prefectures (潮州八邑): Chao'an, Chenghai, Chaoyang, Jieyang, Raoping, Puning, Huilai and Nan'ao.

[17][page needed] Like the rest of the Chinese diaspora, the Teochew have been known for their ability to thrive in adverse settings and harsh conditions, and to tolerate very low margins in the initial phase of a business.

[citation needed] While the Chinese diaspora as a whole is known for its relative success and economically dominant position in SE Asia - so that tycoons and successful businesspeople can be found from all dialect groups, the Teochew, in particular, have acquired a special reputation for their commercial acumen and derring-do, and often have the highest socioeconomic status amongst the Chinese diaspora, especially in Thailand.

[19] Throughout a history of over 1000 years, the region of Chaoshan, known in ancient times as Teochew Prefecture, has developed and cultivated a prestigious culture, which manifests its unique characteristics in language, opera, traditional dress, cuisine, tea practice, music, and embroidery.

The Teochew string instrument, gong, drum, and traditional Chinese flute are typically involved in ensembles.