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INTRODUCTION
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.
GEOGRAPHY
Location: South-eastern Asia, bordering the
Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma
Geographic coordinates: 15 00 N, 100 00 E
Area: total: 514,000 sq km
land: 511,770 sq km
water: 2,230 sq km
Land boundaries: total: 4,863 km border countries: Burma 1,800 km,
Cambodia 803 km, Laos 1,754 km, Malaysia 506 km.
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.
Natural resources: tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum,
timber, lead, fish,
gypsum, lignite, fluorite, arable land.
note: controls only land route from Asia
to Malaysia and Singapore.
PEOPLE
Population: 61,797,751
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 2001 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 23.43% (male 7,380,273;
female 7,099,506)
15-64 years: 69.95% (male 21,304,051; female 21,921,383)
65 years and over: 6.62% (male 1,796,325; female 2,296,213) (2001
est.)
Population growth rate: 0.91% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 16.63 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 7.54 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 68.86 years
male: 65.64 years
female: 72.24 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.87 children born/woman (2001 est.)
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.
GOVERNMENT
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)
Legal system: based on civil law system, with influences of common
law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction.
Executive branch:
chief of state: King PHUMIPHON Adunyadet (since 9 June 1946).
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
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.
ECONOMY
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 about
the same amount 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, is likely to slow growth in 2001.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $413 billion (2000
est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 4.2% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $6,700 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 13%
industry: 40%
services: 47% (1999)
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): 2.1% (2000 est.)
Labor force: 32.6 million (1997 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 54%, industry 15%, services
31% (1996 est.)
Unemployment rate: 3.7% (2000 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.)
Agriculture - products: rice, cassava (tapioca),
rubber, corn, sugarcane, coconuts,
soybeans
Exports: $68.2 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities: computers and parts, textiles, integrated
circuits, rice
Exports - partners: US 22%, Japan 14%, Singapore 9%, Hong Kong 5%,
Netherlands 4%, Malaysia 4%, UK 4% (1999)
Imports: $61.8 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities: capital goods, intermediate goods and raw
materials,
consumer goods, fuels.
Imports - partners: Japan 26%, US 14%, Singapore 6%, China 5%, Malaysia
5%, Taiwan 5% (1999)
Debt - external: $90 billion (2000 est.)
Currency: baht (THB)
Currency code: THB
Exchange rates: baht per US dollar - 43.078 (January 2001), 40.112
(2000), 37.814 (1999), 41.359(1998), 31.364 (1997), 25.343 (1996)
Fiscal year: 1 October
- 30 September
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