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Introduction
Sort
Facts for the visitor
Full country name:
Kingdom of Thailand
Area: 517,000sq
km
Population: 62
million
Capital city: Bangkok
(pop 6 million)
People: 75% Thai,
11% Chinese, 3.5% Malay, also Mon,
Khmer, Phuan and Karen minorities
Language: Thai
Religion: 95% Buddhism,
4% Muslim
Government:Democratic
constitutional monarchy
Prime Minister:
Thaksin Shinawatra
Head ofstate: King
Bhumibol Adulyadej
(Rama IX)
Visas:
Most visitors can stay for 30 days
without a visa
Health risks: AIDS,
cholera, dengue fever, Japanese
encephalitis, malaria, rabies
Time: UTC plus
seven hours
Electricity: 220V,
50 Hz
Weights & measures:
Metric with local variations
Tourism: average
8.5 million visitors annually
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Background:
A unified Thai kingdom was established
in the mid-14th century; it was 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.
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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
references: Southeast Asia
Area:
total: 514,000 sq km
land: 511,770 sq km
water: 2,230 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: 34%
permanent crops: 6%
permanent pastures: 2%
forests and woodland: 26%
other: 32% (1993 est.)
Irrigated
land: 44,000 sq km (1993 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
Environment
- international agreements:
party to: Climate Change, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine
Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber
83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity,
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Law
of the Sea
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| Population:
61,230,874
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 2000 est.)
Age
structure:
0-14 years: 24% (male 7,386,231;
female 7,107,010)
15-64 years: 70% (male 21,102,363;
female 21,714,411)
65 years and over: 6% (male
1,726,043; female 2,194,816) (2000
est.)
Population
growth rate: 0.93% (2000 est.)
Birth
rate: 16.86 births/1,000 population
(2000 est.)
Death
rate: 7.53 deaths/1,000 population
(2000 est.)
Net
migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2000 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: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female
(2000 est.)
Infant
mortality rate: 31.48 deaths/1,000
live births (2000 est.)
Life
expectancy at birth:
total population: 68.55 years
male: 65.29 years
female: 71.97 years (2000
est.)
Total
fertility rate: 1.88 children
born/woman (2000 est.)
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
Data
code: TH
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 His Majesty
the King, 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)
head of government: Prime
Minister TAKSIN Shinawatra
cabinet: Council of Ministers
note: there is also a Privy
Council
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: bicameral National Assembly
or Rathasapha consists of the Senate
or Wuthisapha (a 253-member appointed
body which will be phased into a
200-member elected body starting
in March 2000; members serve six-year
terms) and the House of Representatives
or Sapha Phuthaen Ratsadon (currently
has 392 members, but will become
a 500-member body after the next
election; members elected by popular
vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives
- last held 17 November 1996 (next
scheduled to be held by 17 November
2000, but may be held earlier)
election results: House of
Representatives - percent of vote
by party - NA; seats by party -
NAP 125, DP 123, NDP 52, TNP 39,
SAP 20, TCP 18, SP 8, LDP 4, MP
2, PDP 1
Judicial
branch: Supreme Court (Sandika),
judges appointed by the monarch
International
organization participation: APEC,
AsDB, ASEAN, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO,
G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer),
OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNTAET,
UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO, WTrO
Flag
description: five horizontal bands
of red (top), white, blue (double
width), white, and red.
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| 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 nearly 10% that same
year. Thailand entered a recovery
stage in 1999; preliminary estimates
are that the economy expanded by
about 4% - most forecasters expect
similar growth in 2000. Beginning
in 1999 the Baht stabilized and
inflation and interest rates began
coming down. The CHUAN government
has cooperated closely with the
IMF and adhered to its mandated
recovery program, including passage
of new bankruptcy and foreclosure
laws. The regional recovery boosted
exports, while fiscal stimulus buoyed
domestic demand. While slow progress
has been made in recapitalizing
the financial sector, tough measures
- such as implementing a privatization
plan and forcing the private sector
to restructure - remain undone.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $388.7
billion (1999 est.)
GDP
- real growth rate: 4% (1999
est.)
GDP
- per capita: purchasing power
parity - $6,400 (1999 est.)
GDP
- composition by sector:
agriculture: 12%
industry: 39%
services: 49% (1997 est.)
Population
below poverty line: 12.5% (1998
est.)
Household
income or consumption by percentage
share:
lowest 10%: 2.5%
highest 10%: 37.1% (1992)
Inflation
rate (consumer prices): 2.4%
(1999 est.)
Labor
force: 32.6 million (1997 est.)
Labor
force - by occupation: agriculture
54%, industry 15%, services 31%
(1996 est.)
Unemployment
rate: 4.5% (1998 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $20 billion
expenditures: $23 billion,
including capital expenditures of
$NA (1999 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: 12.6%
(1999 est.)
Electricity
- production: 85 billion kWh
(1999)
Electricity
- production by source:
fossil fuel: 91.44%
hydro: 8.56%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1998)
Electricity
- consumption: 80.293 billion
kWh (1999)
Electricity
- exports: 138 million kWh (1998)
Electricity
- imports: 700 million kWh (1998)
Agriculture
- products: rice, cassava (tapioca),
rubber, corn, sugarcane, coconuts,
soybeans
Exports:
$58.5 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)
Exports
- commodities: computers and
parts, textiles, rice
Exports
- partners: US 22.3%, Japan
13.7%, Singapore 8.6%, Hong Kong
5.1%, Netherlands 4.0%, UK 3.9%,
Malaysia 3.3%, China 3.2%, Taiwan
3.2%, Germany 2.9% (1998)
Imports:
$45 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)
Imports
- commodities: capital goods,
intermediate goods and raw materials,
consumer goods, fuels
Imports
- partners: Japan 23.6%, US
14.0%, Singapore 5.5%, Malaysia
5.1%, Taiwan 5.2%, Germany 4.2%,
China 4.2%, South Korea 3.5%, Oman
2.6%, Indonesia 2.1% (1998)
Debt
- external: $80 billion (1999
est.)
Economic
aid - recipient: $1.732 billion
(1995)
Currency:
1 Bah (THB) = 100 Satang
Exchange
rates: Baht (THB) per US$1 -
37.349 (January 2000), 37.844 (1999),
41.359 (1998), 31.364 (1997), 25.343
(1996), 24.915 (1995)
Fiscal
year: 1 October - 30 September
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| Telephones
- main lines in use:
5.4 million (1998)
Telephones
- mobile cellular: 2.3 million
(1998)
Telephone
system: 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
Service Providers (ISPs): 13
(1999) |
| Railways:
total: 3,940 km
narrow gauge: 3,940 km 1.000-m
gauge (99 km double track)
Highways:
total: 64,600 km
paved: 62,985 km
unpaved: 1,615 km (1996 est.)
Waterways:
3,999 km principal waterways; 3,701
km with navigable depths of 0.9
m or more throughout the year; numerous
minor waterways navigable by 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: 299 ships (1,000 GRT
or over) totaling 1,834,809 GRT/2,949,558
DWT
ships by type: bulk 39, cargo
135, chemical tanker 3, combination
bulk 1, container 13, liquified
gas 19, multi-functional large load
carrier 3, passenger 1, petroleum
tanker 63, refrigerated cargo 13,
roll-on/roll-off 2, short-sea passenger
2, specialized tanker 5 (1999 est.)
Airports:
106 (1999 est.)
Airports
- with paved runways:
total: 56
over 3,047 m: 6
2,438 to 3,047 m: 11
1,524 to 2,437 m: 17
914 to 1,523 m: 18
under 914 m: 4 (1999 est.)
Airports
- with unpaved runways:
total: 50
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 16
under 914 m: 33 (1999 est.)
Heliports:
3 (1999 est.)
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| Military
branches:
Royal Thai Army, Royal Thai Navy
(includes Royal Thai Marine Corps),
Royal Thai Air Force, Paramilitary
Forces
Military
manpower - military age: 18
years of age
Military
manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 17,621,080
(2000 est.)
Military
manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 10,603,857
(2000 est.)
Military
manpower - reaching military age
annually:
males: 580,014 (2000 est.)
Military
expenditures - dollar figure:
$2.075 billion (FY97/98)
Military
expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.3% (FY97/98)
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| Disputes
- international:
parts of the border with Laos are
indefinite; maritime boundary with
Vietnam resolved, August 1997; parts
of border with Cambodia are indefinite;
maritime boundary with Cambodia
not clearly defined; sporadic conflict
with Burma over alignment of border
Illicit
drugs: a minor producer of opium,
heroin, and marijuana; major 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 methamphetamines
and heroin. |
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