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.

Geographic coordinates: 15 00 N 100 00 E

Map reference: Southeast Asia

Area
Total: 514,000 km²
Water: 2,230 km²
Land: 511,770 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
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
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: 32.88%
Permanent crops: 7%
Other: 60.12% (1998 est.)

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

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

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 2002 est.)
Growth rate: 0.88% (2002 est.)
Below poverty line: 13% (1998 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)

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.)

Birth rate: 16.39 births/1000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 7.55 deaths/1000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2002 est.)

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: Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Biodiversity, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male/female
Total population: 0.97 male/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 29.5 deaths/1000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 69.18 years
Female: 72.51 years (2002 est.)
Male: 66 years

Total fertility rate: 1.86 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 2.15% (1999 est.)
People living with hivaids: 755,000 (1999 est.)
Deaths: 66,000 (1999 est.)

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 9 February 2001) and Deputy Prime Ministers Gen. (Ret.) CHAWALIT Yongchaiyut, KON Thappharansi, SUWIT Khunkitti, CHATURON Chaisaeng, VISHANU Krua-ngam, and PROMMIN Lertsuridej (since 18 February 2001)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers
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 NA March 2004); House of Representatives - last held 6 January 2001 (next to be held NA January 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, NAP 36, NDP 29, other 18

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

Political parties and leaders
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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador SAKTHIP Krairiksh
In the us chancery: 1024 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,007
In the us fax: [1] (202) 944-3,611
In the us consulates general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 944-3,600
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Darryl N. JOHNSON
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) 254-1171
From the us consulates general: Chiang Mai

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

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%.

Real gdp growth rate: 1.4% (2001 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $6,600 (2001 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 11%
Industry: 40%
Services: 49% (2001)

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: 3% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 33.4 million (2001 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 54%
By occupation industry: 15%
By occupation services: 31% (1996 est.)

Unemployment rate: 3.9% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line: 13% (1998 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 3%
Highest 10: 32% (1998)

Distribution of family income gini index: 41 (1998)

Budget
Revenues: $19 billion
Expenditures: $21 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)

Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.6% (2001)

Exports: $65.3 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Commodities: computers transistors seafood clothing rice
Partners: US 23% Japan 14% Singapore 8% China 6% Hong Kong 5% Malaysia 4% (2000)

Imports: $62.3 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Commodities: capital goods intermediate goods and raw materials consumer goods fuels
Partners: Japan 24% US 11% Singapore 10% Malaysia 6% China 4% Taiwan 4% (2000)

Debt external: $69.4 billion (2001 est.)

Exchange rates: baht per US dollar - 43.982 (January 2002) 43.432 (2001) 40.112 (2000) 37.814 (1999) 41.359 (1998) 31.364 (1997)

Electricity
Production: 94.314 billion kWh (2000)
Production by source fossil fuel: 92%
Production by source hydro: 6%
Production by source other: 1% (2000)
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Consumption: 90.261 billion kWh (2000)
Exports: 151 million kWh (2000)
Imports: 2.7 billion kWh (2000)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 5.6 million (2000)
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)

Internet
Country code: .th
Service providers isps: 15 (2000)
Users: 1.2 million (2001)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $1.775 billion (FY00)
Percent of gdp: 1.4% (FY00)

Airports: 110 (2001)
With paved runways total: 62
With paved runways over 3047 m: 7
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 10
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 17
With paved runways under 914 m: 5 (2002)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 23
With unpaved runways total: 49
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 17
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 31 (2002)

Heliports: 2 (2002)

Pipelines: petroleum products 67 km; natural gas 350 km

Railways
Total: 4,071 km
Narrow gauge: 4,071 km 1.000-m gauge (`2001)

Waterways
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

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

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