1981 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1981 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Communists
strength of illegal Communist Party is about 1,200; Thai Communist insurgents throughout Thailand total an estimated 9,000
Member of
ADB, ANRPC, ASEAN, ASPAC, Colombo Plan, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMCO, IMF, IPU, ITC, ITU, SEAMES, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO; negotiations underway for membership in GATT
Political parties
Social Action Party, Thai Nation Party, Thai People's Party, Thai Citizen Party, Democrat Party, Freedom and Justice Party, Nation and People Party, New Force Party, National Democracy Party; other small parties represented in parliament along with numerous independents
Economy
Agriculture
main crops — rice, sugar, corn, rubber, tapioca
Budget
(FY82) estimate of expenditures, $7.3 billion; Defense Ministry budget, $1.4 billion
Electric power
3,830,820 kW capacity (1980); 14.543 million kWh produced (1980), 330 kWh per capita
Exports
$6.5 billion (f.o.b., 1980); rice, sugar, corn, rubber, tin, tapioca, kenaf
Fiscal year
1 October-30 September
Fishing
catch 2.1 million metric tons (1979); major fishery export, shrimp, 18,628 metric tons, about $116 million (1979); total marine export, estimated $249 million (1978) ,
GNP
$32 billion (1980), $680 per capita; 6% real growth in 1980 (8.2% real growth, 1975-79)
Imports
$9.6 billion (c.i.f., 1980); machinery and transport equipment, fuels and lubricants, base metals, chemicals, and fertilizer
Major industries
agricultural processing, textiles, wood and wood products, cement, tin and tungsten ore mining; world's second largest tungsten producer and third largest tin producer
Major trade partners
exports — Japan, US, Singapore, Netherlands, Hong Kong, Malaysia; imports — Japan, US, West Germany, UK, Singapore, Saudi Arabia; about 1% or less trade with Communist countries
Monetary conversion rate
20.48 baht=US$l
Shortages
fuel sources, including coal, petroleum; scrap iron, and fertilizer
Communications
Airfields
162 total, 120 usable; 56 with permanentsurface runways; 13 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 27 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
25 major transport aircraft
Highways
27,498 km total; 21,742 km paved, 5,756 km crushed stone and soil aggregate
Inland 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 shallowdraft native craft
Military budget
for fiscal year ending 30 September 1982, $1,427 million; 19.5.% of central government budget
Military manpower
males 15-49, 12,323,000; 7,570,000 fit for military service; about 589,000 reach military age (18) annually
Ports
2 major, 16 minor
Railroads
3,830 km meter gauge (1.000 m), 97 km double track
Telecommunications
service to general public adequate; bulk of service to government activities provided by multichannel cable and radio-relay network; satellite ground station; domestic satellite system being developed; 451,409 telephones (1.0 per 100 popl.); approx. 150 AM, 15 FM, and 10 TV transmitters in government-controlled networks DEFENSE FORCES