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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.
Location Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma Map references Southeast Asia Area total: 514,000 sq km water: 2,230 sq km land: 511,770 sq km Area - comparative slightly more than twice the size of Wyoming Land boundaries total: 4,863 km border countries: Burma 1,800 km, Cambodia 803 km, Laos 1,754 km, Malaysia 506 km Coastline 3,219 km Maritime claims continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM 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 Terrain central plain; Khorat Plateau in the east; mountains elsewhere Elevation extremes lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m highest point: Doi Inthanon 2,576 m Natural resources tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite, arable land Land use: arable land: 32.88% permanent crops: 7% other: 60.12% (1998 est.) Irrigated land 47,490 sq km (1998 est.) Natural hazards land subsidence in Bangkok area resulting from the depletion of the water table; droughts Environment - current issues air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from organic and factory wastes; deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by illegal hunting
Population 62,354,402 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2002 est.) Age structure 0-14 years: 23.3% (male 7,404,227; female 7,121,083) 15-64 years: 69.9% (male 21,469,186; female 22,090,520) 65 years and over: 6.8% (male 1,868,632; female 2,400,754) (2002 est.) Population growth rate 0.88% (2002 est.) Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2002 est.) Expectancy at birth total population: 69.18 years female: 72.51 years (2002 est.) male: 66 years Nationality noun: Thai (singular and plural) adjective: Thai Ethnic groups Thai 75%, Chinese 14%, other 11% Religions Buddhism 95%, Muslim 3.8%, Christianity 0.5%, Hinduism 0.1%, other 0.6% (1991) Languages Thai, English (secondary language of the elite), ethnic and regional dialects Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 93.8% male: 96% female: 91.6% (1995 est.)
Country name conventional long form: Kingdom of Thailand conventional short form: Thailand former: Siam Government type constitutional monarchy Capital Bangkok 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 Independence 1238 (traditional founding date; never colonized) National holiday Birthday of King PHUMIPHON, 5 December (1927) Constitution new constitution signed by King PHUMIPHON on 11 October 1997 Legal system based on civil law system, with influences of common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction Suffrage 18 years of age; universal and compulsory Executive branch chief of state: King PHUMIPHON Adunyadet (since 9 June 1946) note: there is also a Privy Council head of government: Prime Minister THAKSIN Chinnawat (since NA January 2001) and Deputy Prime Ministers Gen. (Ret.) CHAWALIT Yongchaiyut (since NA), DET Bunlong (since NA), PHITHAK Intharawithayanan (since NA), PONGPHON Adireksan (since NA), and SOMKHIT Chatusiphithak (since NA) cabinet: Council of Ministers elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister designated from among the members of the House of Representatives; following a national election for the House of Representatives, the leader of the party that can organize a majority coalition usually becomes prime minister Legislative branch Democratic Party or DP (Prachathipat Party) [CHUAN Likphai]; Mass Party or MP [CHALERM Yoobamrung, SOPHON Petchsavang]; National Development Party or NDP (Chat Phattana) [KORN Dabbaransi]; Phalang Dharma Party or PDP (Phalang Tham) [CHAIWAT Sinsuwong]; Solidarity Party or SP (Ekkaphap Party) [CHAIYOT Sasomsap]; Thai Citizen's Party or TCP (Prachakon Thai) [SAMAK Sunthonwet]; Thai Nation Party or TNP (Chat Thai Party) [BANHAN Sinlapa-acha]; Thai Rak Thai Party or TRT [THAKSIN Chinnawat] note: the Liberal Democratic Party or LDP (Seri Tham) and the New Aspiration Party or NAP (Khwamwang Mai) no longer exist as separate parties; elements of the two parties joined the Thai Rak Thai Party or TRT International organization participation APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC (observer), OPCW (signatory), OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNTAET, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Economy - overview After enjoying the world's highest growth rate from 1985 to 1995 - averaging almost 9% annually - increased speculative pressure on Thailand's currency in 1997 led to a crisis that uncovered financial sector weaknesses and forced the government to float the baht. Long pegged at 25 to the dollar, the baht reached its lowest point of 56 to the dollar in January 1998 and the economy contracted by 10.2% that same year. Thailand entered a recovery stage in 1999, expanding 4.2% and grew 4.4% in 2000, largely due to strong exports - which increased about 20% in 2000. An ailing financial sector and the slow pace of corporate debt restructuring, combined with a softening of global demand, however, slowed growth in 2001 to 1.4%. GDP purchasing power parity - $410 billion (2001 est.) GDP - real growth rate 1.4% (2001 est.) GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $6,600 (2001 est.) GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 11% industry: 40% services: 49% (2001) Population below poverty line 12.5% (1998 est.) Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 32.4% (1998) Inflation rate (consumer prices) 1.6% (2001) Labor force 33.4 million (2001 est.) Unemployment rate 3.9% (2001 est.) Budget revenues: $19 billion expenditures: $21 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) Industries tourism; textiles and garments, agricultural processing, beverages, tobacco, cement, light manufacturing, such as jewelry; electric appliances and components, computers and parts, integrated circuits, furniture, plastics; world's second-largest tungsten producer and third-largest tin producer Industrial production growth rate 3% (2000 est.) Electricity - production 94.314 billion kWh (2000) Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 92.26% hydro: 6.33% other: 1.41% (2000) nuclear: 0% Electricity - consumption 90.261 billion kWh (2000) Electricity - exports 151 million kWh (2000) Electricity - imports 2.7 billion kWh (2000) Agriculture - products rice, cassava (tapioca), rubber, corn, sugarcane, coconuts, soybeans Exports $65.3 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.) Exports - commodities computers, transistors, seafood, clothing, rice Exports - partners US 23%, Japan 14%, Singapore 8%, China 6%, Hong Kong 5%, Malaysia 4% (2000) Imports $62.3 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.) Imports - commodities capital goods, intermediate goods and raw materials, consumer goods, fuels Imports - partners Japan 24%, US 11%, Singapore 10%, Malaysia 6%, China 4%, Taiwan 4% (2000) Debt - external $69.4 billion (2001 est.) Economic aid - recipient $131.5 million (1998 est.) Currency baht (THB)
Telephones - main lines in use 5.6 million (2000) Telephones - mobile cellular 3.1 million (2002) Telephone system general assessment: service to general public adequate, but investment in technological upgrades reduced by recession; bulk of service to government activities provided by multichannel cable and microwave radio relay network domestic: microwave radio relay and multichannel cable; domestic satellite system being developed international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) Radio broadcast stations AM 204, FM 334, shortwave 6 (1999) Radios 13.96 million (1997) Television broadcast stations 5 (all in Bangkok; plus 131 repeaters) (1997) Televisions 15.19 million (1997) Internet country code .TH Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 15 (2000) Internet users 2.3 million (2000)
Railways total: 4,071 km narrow gauge: 4,071 km 1.000-m gauge (`2001) Highways total: 64,600 km paved: 62,985 km unpaved: 1,615 km (1996) Waterways 4,000 km note: 3,701 km are navigable throughout the year by boats with drafts up to 0.9 meters; numerous minor waterways serve shallow-draft native craft Pipelines petroleum products 67 km; natural gas 350 km Ports and harbors Bangkok, Laem Chabang, Pattani, Phuket, Sattahip, Si Racha, Songkhla Merchant marine total: 297 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,661,314 GRT/2,564,820 DWT note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Germany 1, Greece 1, Indonesia 1, Japan 1, Norway 24, Panama 1, Singapore 1 (2002 est.) ships by type: bulk 34, cargo 133, chemical tanker 3, combination bulk 1, container 14, liquefied gas 20, multi-functional large-load carrier 2, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 65, refrigerated cargo 16, roll on/roll off 2, short-sea passenger 2, specialized tanker 4 Airports 110 (2001) Airports - with paved runways total: 59 over 3,047 m: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 16 under 914 m: 4 (2001) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 22
Disputes - international a one km stretch of Malaysia-Thailand territory at the mouth of the Kolok river remains in dispute, despite overall success in boundary redemarcation; Cambodia accuses Thailand of moving or destroying boundary markers and encroachment, of not respecting its claims, and of sealing off access to the Preah Vihear temple ruin awarded to Cambodia by the ICJ in 1962; demarcation of boundary with Laos is nearing completion, but Mekong River islets remain in dispute; Laos also protests Thai squatters; despite renewed border committee talks, significant differences remain with Burma over boundary alignment and the handling of ethnic guerrilla rebels, refugees, smuggling, and drug trafficking in cross-border region 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 amphetamine production for regional consumption; increasing indigenous abuse of methamphetamine |
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