Map of Thailand | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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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Location: Southeastern Asia bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand southeast of Burma

Geographic coordinates: 15 00 N 100 00 E

Map reference: Southeast Asia

Area
Total: 514,000 km²
Land: 511,770 km²
Water: 2,230 km²
Comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Wyoming

Land boundaries
Total: 4,863 km
Border countries: (4) Burma 1,800 km; , Cambodia 803 km; , Laos 1,754 km; , Malaysia 506 km

Coastline: 3,219 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

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
Extremes 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: 29.36%
Permanent crops: 6.46%
Other: 64.18% (2001)

Irrigated land: 47,490 km² (1998 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: land subsidence in Bangkok area resulting from the depletion of the water table; droughts

Geography
Note: controls only land route from Asia to Malaysia and Singapore


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Population
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 2004 est.)
Growth rate: 0.91% (2004 est.)
Below poverty line: 10.4% (2002 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Thai (singular and plural)
Adjective: Thai

Ethnic groups: Thai 75% Chinese 14% other 11%

Languages: Thai English (secondary language of the elite) ethnic and regional dialects

Religions: Buddhism 95% Muslim 3.8% Christianity 0.5% Hinduism 0.1% other 0.6% (1991)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 24.1% (male 7,985,724; female 7,631,337)
15-64 years: 68.7% (male 21,998,552; female 22,538,765)
65 years and over: 7.3% (male 2,167,421; female 2,543,724) (2004 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 30.5 years
Male: 29.7 years
Female: 31.2 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.91% (2004 est.)

Birth rate: 16.04 births/1000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 6.94 deaths/1000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2004 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from organic and factory wastes; deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by illegal hunting
International 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
International agreements signed but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male/female
Total population: 0.98 male/female (2004 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 21.14 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 22.49 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 19.73 deaths/1000 live births (2004 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 71.41 years
Male: 69.23 years
Female: 73.71 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.89 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 1.5% (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids: 570,000 (2003 est.)
Deaths: 58,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 92.6%
Male: 94.9%
Female: 90.5% (2002)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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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

Dependent areas

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch
Chief of state: King PHUMIPHON Adunyadet (since 9 June 1946)
Head of government: Prime Minister THAKSIN Chinnawat (since 9 February 2001) and Deputy Prime Ministers CHATURON Chaisaeng, Gen. CHAWALIT Yongchaiyut (Ret.), PURACHAI Piamsombun, VISHANU Krua-ngam (since 8 November 2003); LIPTAPANLOP Suwat (since 1 July 2004); SOMSAK Thepsuthin, PHINIT Charusombat (since 6 October 2004)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers
Note: there is also a Privy Council
Elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister is designated from among the members of the House of Representatives; following national elections for the House of Representatives, the leader of the party that can organize a majority coalition usually is appointed prime minister by the king

Legislative branch
Elections: Senate - last held 4 March, 29 April, 4 June, 9 July, and 22 July 2000 (next to be held by March 2006); House of Representatives - last held 6 January 2001 (next to be held 6 February 2005)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - TRT 248, DP 128, TNP 41, NDP 29, other 54

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Sandika (judges appointed by the monarch)

Political parties and leaders: Democrat Party or DP (Prachathipat Party) [BANYAT Bantadtan]; 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 [THAKSIN Chinnawat]

International organization participation: APEC ARF AsDB ASEAN BIS CP FAO G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICCt (signatory) ICFTU ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM ISO ITU MIGA NAM OAS (observer) OIC (observer) OPCW OSCE (partner) PCA UN UNAMSIL UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UPU WCL WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: KASIT Piromya
In the us chancery: 1024 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 401, Washington, DC 20,007-3,681
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 944-3,600
In the us fax: [1] (202) 944-3,611
In the us consulates general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Ralph L. BOYCE
From the us embassy: 120/22 Wireless Road, Bangkok
From the us mailing address: APO AP 96,546
From the us telephone: [66] (2) 205-4,000
From the us fax: [66] (2) 254-2,990, 205-4,131
From the us consulates general: Chiang Mai

Flag description: five horizontal bands of red (top) white blue (double width) white and red

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Thailand has a free-enterprise economy and welcomes foreign investment. Exports feature textiles and footwear fishery products rice rubber jewelry automobiles computers and electrical appliances. Thailand has recovered from the 1997-98 Asian Financial Crisis and was one of East Asia's best performers in 2002. Increased consumption and investment spending and strong export growth pushed GDP growth up to 6.3% in 2003 despite a sluggish global economy. The highly popular government has pushed an expansionist policy including major support of village economic development.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 6.7% (2003 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $7,400 (2003 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 9.8%
Industry: 44%
Services: 46.3% (2003)

Agriculture products: rice cassava (tapioca) rubber corn sugarcane coconuts soybeans

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: 12.3% (2003 est.)

Labor force: 34.9 million (2003 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 49%
By occupation industry: 14%
By occupation services: 37% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate: 2.2% (2003 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 10.4% (2002 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.8%
Highest 10: 32.4% (1998)

Distribution of family income gini index: 41.4 (1998)

Budget
Revenues: $24.41 billion
Expenditures: $24.01 billion, including capital expenditures of $5 billion (2003 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt: 46.6% of GDP (2003)

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.8% (2003 est.)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance: $9.44 billion (2003)

Exports: $75.99 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Commodities: computers office machine parts transistors rubber vehicles (cars and trucks) plastic seafood (2002)
Partners: US 17% Japan 14.2% Singapore 7.3% China 7.1% Hong Kong 5.4% Malaysia 4.8% (2003)

Imports: $65.3 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Commodities: capital goods intermediate goods and raw materials consumer goods fuels (2000)
Partners: Japan 24.1% US 9.5% China 8% Malaysia 6% Singapore 4.3% Taiwan 4.2% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $53.75 billion (2003 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: baht per US dollar - 41.4846 (2003) 42.9601 (2002) 44.4319 (2001) 40.1118 (2000) 37.8137 (1999)


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Electricity
Production: 97.6 billion kWh (2001)
Consumption: 90.91 billion kWh (2001)
Exports: 200 million kWh (2001)
Imports: 350 million kWh (2001)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 18.73 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Consumption: 23.93 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2001 est.)
Imports: 5.2 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Proven reserves: 368.2 billion m³ (1 January 2003)

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 6.6 million (2003)
Mobile cellular: 16.117 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: country code - 66; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .th
Hosts: 103,700 (2003)
Users: 6,031,300 (2003)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $1.775 billion (FY00)
Percent of gdp: 1.8% (2003)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 109 (2003 est.)
With paved runways total: 65
With paved runways over 3047 m: 7
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 10
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 23
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 19
With paved runways under 914 m: 6 (2004 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 44
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 15
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 28 (2004 est.)

Heliports: 3 (2003 est.)

Pipelines: gas 3,112 km; refined products 265 km (2004)

Railways
Total: 4,071 km
Narrow gauge: 4,071 km 1.000-m gauge (2003)

Roadways

Waterways
Note: 3,701 km navigable by boats with drafts up to 0.9 m (2003)

Merchant marine
Total: 339 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,038,597 GRT/3,104,712 DWT
By type: bulk 40, cargo 135, chemical tanker 5, combination bulk 2, combination ore/oil 1, container 19, liquefied gas 22, multi-functional large load carrier 2, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 79, refrigerated cargo 22, roll on/roll off 2, short-sea/passenger 2, specialized tanker 6, vehicle carrier 1
Foreign owned: Egypt 1, Germany 3, Indonesia 1, Japan 4, Norway 38, Panama 2, Singapore 3
Registered in other countries: 43 (2004 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: a 1 kilometer segment at the mouth of the Golok River remains in dispute with Malaysia; demarcation with Laos complete except for certain Mekong River islets and complaints of 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 accuses Thailand of moving boundary markers and obstructing access to Preah Vihear temple ruins awarded to Cambodia by ICJ decision in 1962; 2003 anti-Thai riots in Phnom Penh resulted in the destruction of the Thai Embassy and damage to 17 Thai-owned businesses and disputes over payments of full compensation persist; groups in Burma and Thailand express concern over China's construction of 13 hydroelectric dams on the Salween River in Yunnan Province

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees country of origin: 118,407 (Burma) (2004)

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