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Background: A unified Thai kingdom was established in the mid-14th century. Known as Siam until 1939, Thailand is the only Southeast Asian country never to have been taken over by a European power. A bloodless revolution in 1932 led to a constitutional monarchy. In alliance with Japan during World War II, Thailand became a US ally following the conflict. Thailand is currently facing armed violence in its three Muslim-majority southernmost provinces.
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Common Name: Thailand
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Local Official Name: Prathet Thai
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Abbreviated Name: Kingdom of Thailand
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Official Name: Ratcha Anachak Thai
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Official Script Name: Thailand
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Local Common Name: Thailand
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Former Name: Siam
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Territory of: NA
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Head of State: King PHUMIPHON Adunyadet
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Government Type: constitutional monarchy
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Independence: 1238 (traditional founding date; never colonized)
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Constitution: constitution signed by King PHUMIPHON on 11 October 1997 abrogated on 19 September 2006 after coup; interim constitution promulgated on 1 October 2006; junta has promised new constitution by October 2007
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National Holiday: Birthday of King PHUMIPHON, 5 December (1927)
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International Organization Participation: APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIMSTEC, BIS, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC (observer), ONUB, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
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Administrative Divisions: 76 provinces (changwat, singular and plural); Amnat Charoen, Ang Thong, Buriram, Chachoengsao, Chai Nat, Chaiyaphum, Chanthaburi, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Chon Buri, Chumphon, Kalasin, Kamphaeng Phet, Kanchanaburi, Khon Kaen, Krabi, Krung Thep Mahanakhon (Bangkok), Lampang, Lamphun, Loei, Lop Buri, Mae Hong Son, Maha Sarakham, Mukdahan, Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon Phanom, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon Sawan, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Nan, Narathiwat, Nong Bua Lamphu, Nong Khai, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Pattani, Phangnga, Phatthalung, Phayao, Phetchabun, Phetchaburi, Phichit, Phitsanulok, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Phrae, Phuket, Prachin Buri, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ranong, Ratchaburi, Rayong, Roi Et, Sa Kaeo, Sakon Nakhon, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram, Sara Buri, Satun, Sing Buri, Sisaket, Songkhla, Sukhothai, Suphan Buri, Surat Thani, Surin, Tak, Trang, Trat, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Uthai Thani, Uttaradit, Yala, Yasothon
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Dependent Areas: NA
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Legal System: based on civil law system, with influences of common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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Suffrage: 18 years
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Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches: Executive branch:
chief of state: King PHUMIPHON Adunyadet (since 9 June 1946)
head of government: Interim Prime Minister SURAYUD Chulanon (since 1 October 2006); Interim Deputy Prime Ministers PRIDIYATHON Thewakun (since 9 October 2006); KHOSIT Panpiamrat (since 9 October 2006)
note: Prime Minister THAKSIN Chinnawat was overthrown on 19 September 2006 in a coup led by General SONTHI Boonyaratglin
cabinet: Council of Ministers
note: there is also a Privy Council
elections: none; monarch is hereditary; according to 1997 constitution, prime minister was designated from among members of House of Representatives; following national elections for House of Representatives, leader of party that could organize a majority coalition usually was appointed prime minister by king
Legislative branch:
bicameral National Assembly or Rathasapha consisted of the Senate or Wuthisapha (200 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Sapha Phuthaen Ratsadon (500 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); after coup in September 2006, junta appointed an interim National Assembly with 250 members to act as Senate and House of Representatives; body has no vote on government matters
elections: Senate - last held 19 April 2006; House of Representatives - last held 6 February 2005; junta scheduled next general election by October 2007
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; House of Representatives - (2005 election) percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - TRT 376, DP 97, TNP 25, PP 2
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Sandika (judges appointed by the monarch)
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Party Leaders: Democrat Party or DP (Prachathipat Party) [ABHISIT Wetchachiwa]; People's Party or PP (Mahachon Party) [ANEK Laothamatas]; Thai Nation Party or TNP (Chat Thai Party) [BARNHARN SILPA-ARCHA]; Thai Rak Thai Party or TRT
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International Disputes: separatist violence in Thailand's predominantly Muslim southern provinces prompt border closures and controls with Malaysia to stem terrorist activities; southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check the spread of avian flu; talks continue on completion of demarcation with Thailand but disputes remain over several areas along Mekong River and Thai squatters; despite continuing border committee talks, significant differences remain with Burma over boundary alignment and the handling of ethnic rebels, refugees, and illegal cross-border activities; Cambodia and Thailand dispute sections of boundary with missing boundary markers; Cambodia claims Thai encroachments into Cambodian territory and obstructing access to Preah Vihear temple ruins awarded to Cambodia by ICJ decision in 1962; ethnic Karens from Burma flee into Thailand - to escape fighting between Karen rebels and Burmese troops - resulting in Thailand sheltering about 120,000 Burmese refugees in 2005; Karens also protest Thai support for a Burmese hydroelectric dam construction on the Salween River near the border; environmentalists in Burma and Thailand remain concerned about China's construction of hydroelectric dams upstream on the Nujiang/Salween River in Yunnan Province
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Illicit Drugs: a minor producer of opium, heroin, and marijuana; illicit transit point for heroin en route to the international drug market from Burma and Laos; eradication efforts have reduced the area of cannabis cultivation and shifted some production to neighboring countries; opium poppy cultivation has been reduced by eradication efforts; also a drug money-laundering center; minor role in methamphetamine production for regional consumption; major consumer of methamphetamine since the 1990s
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Location of Thailand: Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma
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Continent: Asia
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Land Area Total: 514,000 sq km
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Region: South East Asia |
Land Area Land: 2,230 sq km
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Capitol City: Bangkok
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Land Area Water: 511,770 sq km
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Current: +7
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Latitude: 015 00 N
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Border Boundary Land: 4,863 km
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Longitude: 100 00 E
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Border Boundary Coastline: 3,219 km
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Arable Land: 27.54 %
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Pastures: 0.00 %
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Crops: 6.93 %
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Woodlands and Forests: 0.00
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Highest Elevation: 2,576 m
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Location: Doi Inthanon
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Lowest Elevation: 0 m
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Location: Gulf of Thailand
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Largest City in Thailand: Bangkok
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Bangkok Largest City Population: 7,133,000
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Threatened Species: 213
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Environmental Issues: air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from organic and factory wastes; deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by illegal hunting
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Environmental Agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
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Irrigated Land: 49,860
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Bordering Countries: Burma 1,800 km, Cambodia 803 km, Laos 1,754 km, Malaysia 506 km
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Natural Resources: tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite, arable land
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Geographical Terrain: central plain; Khorat Plateau in the east; mountains elsewhere
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Comparative Area of Thailand: slightly more than twice the size of Wyoming
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Thailand's Geography: controls only land route from Asia to Malaysia and Singapore
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Click Here for detailed information about the weather conditions in Thailand.
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General Climate: tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March); southern isthmus always hot and humid
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Natural Hazards: land subsidence in Bangkok area resulting from the depletion of the water table; droughts
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Economic Overview: With a well-developed infrastructure, a free-enterprise economy, and pro-investment policies, Thailand appears to have fully recovered from the 1997-98 Asian Financial Crisis. The country was one of East Asia's best performers in 2002-04. Boosted by increased consumption and strong export growth, the Thai economy grew 6.9% in 2003 and 6.1% in 2004 despite a sluggish global economy. Bangkok has pursued preferential trade agreements with a variety of partners in an effort to boost exports and to maintain high growth. In 2004, Thailand and the US began negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement. In late December 2004, a major tsunami took 8,500 lives in Thailand and caused massive destruction of property in the southern provinces of Krabi, Phangnga, and Phuket. Growth slowed to 4.4% in 2005. The downturn can be attributed to high oil prices, weaker demand from Western markets, severe drought in rural regions, tsunami-related declines in tourism, and lower consumer confidence. Moreover, the THAKSIN administration's expansionist economic policies, including plans for multi-billion-dollar mega-projects in infrastructure and social development, has raised concerns about fiscal discipline and the health of financial institutions. On the positive side, the Thai economy performed well beginning in the third quarter of 2005. Export-oriented manufacturing - in particular automobile production - and farm output are driving these gains. In 2006, the economy should benefit from an influx of investment and a revived tourism sector; however, a possible avian flu epidemic could significantly harm economic prospects throughout the region.
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GDP: $560,700,000,000 USD
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Currency: baht
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GDP per Capita: $8,300 USD
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Currency Code: THB
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GDP Growth Rate: 4.50 %
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One $USD Equals: %fincurrencyequals% THB
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Currency Exchange Rate History: baht per US dollar - 40.22 (2005), 40.222 (2004), 41.485 (2003), 42.96 (2002), 44.432 (2001)
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GDP of Agriculture: 9.90 %
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GDP of Industry: 44.10 %
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GDP of Services: 46.00 % |
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Inflation Rate: 4.50 % |
Population in Poverty: 12.50 %
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Unemployment Rate: 1.80 %
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Tourism: 8,651,000.00 visitors each year
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Consumption by lowest 10%: 2.80 %
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Budget Revenue in USD: $30,640,000,000 USD
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Consumption by upper 10%: 32.40 %
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Budget Expenditures in USD: $31,760,000,000 USD
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Electricity Production: 114,700,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Exports: 315,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Consumption: 107,300,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Imports: 980,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Production by Source:
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Fossil Fuel Electricity Production: 92.26%
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Nuclear Electricity Production: 0.00%
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Hydro Electricity Production: 6.33%
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Other Electricity Production: 1.41%
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Oil Production: 230,000 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Production: 22,280,000,000 cu m
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Oil Consumption: 851,000 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Consumption: 29,150,000,000 cu m
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Oil Exports: 0 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Exports: 0 cu m
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Oil Imports: 0 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Imports: 5,200,000,000 cu m
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Proven Oil Reserves: 583,000,000 barrels
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Proven Natural Gas Reserves: 377,700,000,000 cu m
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External Debt: $52,460,000,000 USD |
Received in economic aid: $720,000,000 USD
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Donated in economic aid: $0 USD
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Agricultural Products: rice, cassava (tapioca), rubber, corn, sugarcane, coconuts, soybeans
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Primary Industries: tourism, textiles and garments, agricultural processing, beverages, tobacco, cement, light manufacturing such as jewelry and electric appliances, computers and parts, integrated circuits, furniture, plastics, automobiles and automotive parts; world's seco
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Industrial Growth Rate: 9.10 %
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Import Amount in USD: $107,000,000,000 USD - capital goods, intermediate goods and raw materials, consumer goods, fuels
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Import Partners: Japan 22%, China 9.4%, US 7.4%, Malaysia 6.8%, UAE 4.8%, Singapore 4.5% (2005)
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Export Amount in USD: $105,800,000,000 USD - textiles and footwear, fishery products, rice, rubber, jewelry, automobiles, computers and electrical appliances
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Export Partners: US 15.5%, Japan 13.7%, China 8.3%, Singapore 6.8%, Hong Kong 5.6%, Malaysia 5.2% (2005)
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GINI Index: 51.10%
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Labor Force Number of People: 35,360,000
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Labor Force by Occupations: agriculture 49%, industry 14%, services 37%
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Radio Broadcast Stations: 544 |
Number of People with Radios: 13,960,000 |
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Television Broadcast Stations: 111 |
Number of People with Televisions: 15,190,000 |
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Number of People with Mainline Telephones: 6,797,000 |
Number of People with Mobile Phones: 27,379,000 |
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Internet Service Providers: 786,226 |
Internet Users: 8,420,000 |
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Internet Country Code: .th |
Newspapers: 63 |
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Two Letter Country Code: TH |
Weights and Measures: Metric |
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Phone Country Code: 66 |
Electricity Voltage: 220 Volts |
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Telephone Systems: general assessment: high quality system, especially in urban areas like Bangkok; WTO requirement for privatization of telecom sector is planned to be complete by 2006
domestic: fixed line system provided by both a government owned and commercial provider; wireless service expanding rapidly and outpacing fixed lines
international: country code - 66; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean); landing country for APCN submarine cable
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Highways: 56,542 km |
Railways: 4,071 km
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Gas And Oil Pipelines: 3,377 km |
Waterways: 4,000 km
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Airports: 66 |
Heliports: 3
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Motor Vehicles: 110 per 1,000 people |
CO2 Emissions: 208,822,000 Metric Tons of CO2 per year |
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Per capita CO2 emissions: 3.50 Metric Tons of CO2 per year |
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Merchant Marines: total: 400 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,808,509 GRT/4,317,320 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 60, cargo 145, chemical tanker 14, container 21, liquefied gas 29, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 91, refrigerated cargo 32, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: 45 (China 1, Egypt 1, Indonesia 1, Japan 4, Norway 30, Singapore 6, UK 2)
registered in other countries: 34 (Bahamas 1, Mongolia 1, Panama 9, Singapore 22, Tuvalu 1)
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Ports and Harbors: Bangkok, Laem Chabang, Prachuap Port, Si Racha
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Population: 64,631,595 people type - nationality |
Birth Rate: 13.87 births per 1,000 people |
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Population Density: 122.00 people per sq km |
Death Rate: 7.04 deaths per 1,000 people |
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Population Growth: 0.68% per year |
Fertility Rate per Women: 1.64 babies born per woman |
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Population Male 0-14: 7,284,068 |
Population Female 0-14: 6,958,632 |
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Population Male 15-64: 22,331,312 |
Population Female 15-64: 22,880,588 |
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Population Male 65+: 2,355,190 |
Population Female 65+: 821,805 |
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Population 0-14: 22.00% |
Literacy Rate: 92.60% |
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Population 15-64: 70.00% |
Literacy rate of Males: 94.90% |
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Population 65+: 8.00% |
Literacy rate of Females: 90.50% |
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Population that is Male: 49.00
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Population that is Female: 51.00% |
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Life expectancy at birth in years: 72.25 years |
Infant mortality rate - baby deaths per 1000 births: 19.49 Babies die per 1,000 births |
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Life expectancy at birth for Males: 69.95 years |
Life expectancy at birth for Females: 74.68 years |
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Rate of AIDS/HIV infection: 1.50%
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Number of people living with AIDS or HIV: 570,000
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Number of people who died of AIDS: 58,000 |
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Disease Risk:
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Diseases:
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Net Migration Rate per 1,000 people: 0.00
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Nationality: THAI
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Ethnic Groups: Thai 75%, Chinese 14%, other 11%
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Primary Language: Thai
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Other Languages: Thai, English (secondary language of the elite), ethnic and regional dialects
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Primary Religion: Buddhism
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Other Religions: Buddhist 94.6%, Muslim 4.6%, Christian 0.7%, other 0.1%
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Branches: Royal Thai Army, Royal Thai Navy (includes Royal Thai Marine Corps), Royal Thai Air Force
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Manpower Fit to Serve: 18 years
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Manpower Available: 30,169,709 People
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Manpower Fit to Serve: 21,883,722 People
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Amount of Manpower Available each Year: 1,040,672 People per year
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Expenditures: $1,775,000,000 USD per year
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Expenditures as a Percentage of GDP: 1.80
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Note: Phrasebase uses a variety of sources when compiling the facts and information presented above. This information is continually updated throughout the year.
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Thailand Spa and Resort Directory
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