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.
Geography of
Thailand
Location:
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman
Sea and the Gulf
of Thailand, southeast of
Burma
Coordinates:
15 00 N, 100 00 E
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
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
Geography - note:
controls only land route from Asia to
Malaysia
and
Singapore
64,631,595 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 2006 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 22% (male 7,284,068/female 6,958,632) 15-64 years: 70% (male 22,331,312/female 22,880,588) 65 years and over: 8% (male 2,355,190/female 2,821,805)
Median age:
31.9 years
Growth rate:
0.68%
Infant mortality:
19.49 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.25 years male: 69.95 years female: 74.68 years
Fertility rate:
1.64 children born/woman
Nationality:
noun: Thai (singular and plural) adjective: Thai
Ethnic groups:
Thai 75%, Chinese 14%, other 11%
Religions:
Buddhist 94.6%, Muslim 4.6%, Christian 0.7%, other 0.1%
Languages:
Thai, English (secondary language of the elite), ethnic
and regional dialects
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 96% male: 97.5% female: 94.6%
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom
of Thailand former:
Siam
Government type:
constitutional monarchy
Capital:
Bangkok
Administrative divisions:
76 provinces (changwat, singular and plural)
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 head of government: Prime Minister THAKSIN Chinnawat and Deputy
Prime Ministers CHITCHAI Wannasathit, SOMKHIT Chatusiphithak, SUCHAI
Charoenrattanakhun, SURAKIAT Sathianthai, SURIYA Chungrungruankit, SUWAT
Liptapanlop, WISANU Kruangam 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:
bicameral National Assembly or Rathasapha consists 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)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Sandika (judges appointed by the
monarch)
Economy
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.
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
