Map of Thailand
Garuda Emblem of Thailand
Thailand Flag
Principal Government Officials
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Chief of State
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King Bhumibol Adulyadej
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Prime Minister
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Yingluck Shinawatra
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Minister of Foreign Affairs
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Surapong Tovichakchaikul
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Ambassador to the U.S.
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Kittiphong Na Ranong
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Ambassador to the UN
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Norachit Sinhaseni
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Geography
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Area
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513,115 sq. km. (198,114 sq. mi.); equivalent to the size of France, or slightly smaller than Texas.
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Capital
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Bangkok (population 9,668,854)
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Cities
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Nakhon Ratchasima (pop. 437,386 for Muang district and 2,565,685 for the whole province), Chiang Mai (pop. 247,672 for Muang district and 1,595,855 for the whole province).
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Terrain
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Densely populated central plain; northeastern plateau; mountain range in the west; southern isthmus joins the land mass with Malaysia
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Climate
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Tropical monsoon
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People
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Nationality
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Thai
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Population
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66.7 million (July 2011 est., CIA World Factbook)
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Labor force
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38.6 million (2010 est.)
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Annual population growth rate
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0.5% (2011 est.)
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Ethnic groups
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Thai 89%, other 11%.
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Religions
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Buddhist 94%, Muslim 5%, Christian 1%, Hindu, Brahmin, other
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Official Language
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Thai
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Other languages
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English is the second language of the elite; Malay and regional languages and dialects
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Education
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Years compulsory--9. Literacy--94.9% male, 90.5% female
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Infant mortality rate
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16.39/1,000 (2011 est.)
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Life expectancy
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71.24 years male, 76.08 years female (2011 est.)
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Government
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Type
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Constitutional monarchy
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Constitution
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Thailand adopted its current constitution following an August 19, 2007 referendum.
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Independence
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Never colonized; traditional founding date 1238.
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Executive Branches
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King (chief of state), Prime Minister (head of government)
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Legislative Branches
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bicameral, with a fully-elected House of Representatives and a partially-elected Senate
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Judicial Branches
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Composed of the Constitutional Tribunal, the Courts of Justice, and the Administrative Courts.
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Administrative subdivisions
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77 provinces, including Bangkok municipality, subdivided into 877 districts, 7,255 tambon administration, and 74,944 villages.
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Political parties
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Multi-party system; Communist Party is prohibited
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Suffrage
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Universal and compulsory at 18 years of age.
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Economy (all 2011 statistics are estimates and subject to change as a result of widespread flooding in Thailand from July to November 2011.)
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GDP
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$323.6 billion (2011 est.)
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Annual GDP growth rate
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1.5% (2011 est.)
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Inflation rates (as of November 2011)
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4.2% (headline) and 0.5% (excluding energy and food prices)
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Per capita income
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$4,716 (2010 prelim)
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Unemployment rate
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1.0% of total labor force. (2011 est.)
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Natural resources
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Tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite
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Agriculture (12% of GDP)
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Rice, tapioca, rubber, corn, sugarcane, coconuts, soybeans
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Industry
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Tourism, textiles, garments, agricultural processing, cement, integrated circuits, jewelry, electronics, petrochemical, and auto assembly.
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Trade (2010 est.)
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Merchandise exports--$193.5 billion. Merchandise imports--$161.3 billion
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Merchandise export
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automatic data processing machines and parts, automobiles and parts, precious stones and jewelry, refined fuels, rubber, electronic integrated circuits, polymers of ethylene and propylene, rice, iron and steel and their products, rubber products, chemical products.
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References:
Background Note: Thailand. (2012, January 3). Retrieved July 9, 2012, from U.S. Department of State Diplomacy in Action: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2814.htm
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