2003 Edition

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 24.2% (male 7,955,597; female 7,604,652) 15-64 years: 68.8% (male 21,819,445; female 22,362,085) 65 years and over: 7% (male 2,081,768; female 2,441,729) (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products

rice, cassava (tapioca), rubber, corn, sugarcane, coconuts, soybeans

Airports

111 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 17

total

62

under 914 m

5 (2002) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 23

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

49 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 17

under 914 m

31 (2002)

Area

land

511,770 sq km

total

514,000 sq km

water

2,230 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly more than twice the size of Wyoming

Background

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. Geography Thailand

Birth rate

16.37 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$21 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)

revenues

$19 billion

Capital

Bangkok

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

Coastline

3,219 km

Constitution

new constitution signed by King PHUMIPHON on 11 October 1997

Country name

conventional long form

Kingdom of Thailand

conventional short form

Thailand

former

Siam

Currency

baht (THB)

Currency code

THB

Death rate

6.86 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Debt - external

$62.5 billion (2002 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Darryl N. JOHNSON

embassy

120/22 Wireless Road, Bangkok

mailing address

APO AP 96546

telephone

[66] (2) 205-4000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission

Ambassador SAKTHIP Krairiksh

consulate(s) general

Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York

Disputes - international

completion of boundary demarcation with Cambodia hampered by accusations of moving and destroying boundary markers, encroachments, initiating border incidents, and sealing off Preah Vihear temple ruins, awarded to Cambodia by ICJ decision in 1962; demarcation complete except for a 1 kilometer segment at the mouth of the Kolok River in dispute with Malaysia; demarcation with Laos complete except for certain Mekong River islets and complaints of Thai squatters; despite continuing border committee talks, significant differences remain with Burma over boundary alignment and the handling of ethnic rebels, refugees, and illegal cross-border activities

Distribution of family income - Gini index

41.4 (1998)

Economic aid - recipient

$131.5 million (1998 est.)

Economy - overview

Thailand has a free enterprise economy and welcomes foreign investment. Exports feature computers and electrical appliances. 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 then entered a recovery stage, expanding by 4.2% in 1999 and 4.4% in 2000, largely due to strong exports. An ailing financial sector and the slow pace of corporate debt restructuring, combined with a softening of global demand, slowed growth to 1.4% in 2001. Increased consumption and investment spending pushed GDP growth up to 5.2% in 2002 despite a sluggish global economy.

Electricity - consumption

90.91 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

200 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

350 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

97.6 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

91.3%

hydro

6.4%

nuclear

0%

other

2.4% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Doi Inthanon 2,576 m

lowest point

Gulf of Thailand 0 m

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, Desertification, 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

Ethnic groups

Thai 75%, Chinese 14%, other 11%

Exchange rates

baht per US dollar - 42.96 (2002), 44.43 (2001), 40.11 (2000), 37.81 (1999), 41.36 (1998)

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers

chief of state

King PHUMIPHON Adunyadet (since 9 June 1946)

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

head of government

Prime Minister THAKSIN Chinnawat (since 9 February 2001) and Deputy Prime Ministers Gen. (Ret.) CHAWALIT Yongchaiyut, KON Thappharansi, SUWIT Khunkitti, CHATURON Chaisaeng, VISHANU Krua-ngam, and PROMMIN Lertsuridej (since 18 February 2001)

note

there is also a Privy Council

Exports

$67.7 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities

computers, transistors, seafood, clothing, rice (2000)

Exports - partners

US 19.6%, Japan 14.5%, Singapore 8.1%, Hong Kong 5.4%, China 5.2%, Malaysia 4.1% (2002)

FAX

[1] (202) 944-3611

[66] (2) 254-2990, 205-4131

chancery

1024 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007

consulate(s) general

Chiang Mai

telephone

[1] (202) 944-3600

Fiscal year

1 October - 30 September Communications Thailand

Flag description

five horizontal bands of red (top), white, blue (double width), white, and red Economy Thailand

GDP

purchasing power parity - $445.8 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

11%

industry

40%

services

49% (2001)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $7,000 (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

5.3% (2002 est.)

Geographic coordinates

15 00 N, 100 00 E

Geography - note

controls only land route from Asia to Malaysia and Singapore People Thailand

Government type

constitutional monarchy

Heliports

2 (2002) Military Thailand

Highways

paved

62,985 km

total

64,600 km

unpaved

1,615 km (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

1.8% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

55,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

670,000 (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

32.4% (1998)

lowest 10%

2.8%

Illicit drugs

a minor producer of opium, heroin, and marijuana; 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 methamphetamine This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

Imports

$58.1 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities

capital goods, intermediate goods and raw materials, consumer goods, fuels (2000)

Imports - partners

Japan 23%, US 9.6%, China 7.6%, Malaysia 5.6%, Singapore 4.5%, Taiwan 4.4% (2002)

Independence

1238 (traditional founding date; never colonized)

Industrial production growth rate

3% (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

Infant mortality rate

female

20.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

male

23.17 deaths/1,000 live births

total

21.83 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

0.6% (2002 est.)

International organization participation

APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC (observer), OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMISET, UNU, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Internet country code

.th

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

15 (2000)

Internet users

1.2 million (2001) Transportation Thailand

Irrigated land

47,490 sq km (1998 est.)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court or Sandika (judges appointed by the monarch)

Labor force

33.4 million (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 54%, industry 15%, services 31% (1996 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

Burma 1,800 km, Cambodia 803 km, Laos 1,754 km, Malaysia 506 km

total

4,863 km

Land use

arable land

32.88%

other

60.12% (1998 est.)

permanent crops

7%

Languages

Thai, English (secondary language of the elite), ethnic and regional dialects

Legal system

based on civil law system, with influences of common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

bicameral National Assembly or Rathasapha consists of the Senate or Wuthisapha (200 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Sapha Phuthaen Ratsadon (500 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

election results

Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - TRT 248, DP 128, TNP 41, NDP 29, other 54

elections

Senate - last held 4 March, 29 April, 4 June, 9 July, and 22 July 2000 (next to be held NA March 2004); House of Representatives - last held 6 January 2001 (next to be held NA January 2005)

Life expectancy at birth

female

73.53 years (2003 est.)

male

69.07 years

total population

71.24 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

94.6% (2003 est.) Government Thailand

male

97.5%

total population

96%

Location

Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma

Map references

Southeast Asia

Maritime claims

continental shelf

200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

exclusive economic zone

200 NM

territorial sea

12 NM

Median age

female

30.8 years (2002)

male

29.4 years

total

30.1 years

Merchant marine

convenience

Germany 1, Greece 1, Indonesia 1, Japan 1, Norway 24, Panama 1, Singapore 1 (2002 est.)

note

includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of

ships by type

bulk 33, cargo 136, chemical tanker 5, combination bulk 1, combination ore/oil 1, container 17, liquefied gas 21, multi-functional large-load carrier 2, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 74, refrigerated cargo 17, roll on/roll off 2, short-sea passenger 2, specialized tanker 4, vehicle carrier 1

total

317 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,744,103 GRT/2,657,666 DWT

Military branches

Royal Thai Army, Royal Thai Navy (includes Royal Thai Marine Corps), Royal Thai Air Force, paramilitary forces (includes the Border Patrol Police [including Police Aerial Reinforcement Unit], Thahan Phran, Special Action Forces, Police Aviation Division, Thai Marine Police, and the Volunteer Defense Corps)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$1.775 billion (FY00)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.4% (FY00) Transnational Issues Thailand

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49

17,904,298 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49

10,724,565 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

520,472 (2003 est.)

National holiday

Birthday of King PHUMIPHON, 5 December (1927)

Nationality

adjective

Thai

noun

Thai (singular and plural)

Natural gas - consumption

23.93 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

5.2 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - production

18.73 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

368.2 billion cu m (37257)

Natural hazards

land subsidence in Bangkok area resulting from the depletion of the water table; droughts

Natural resources

tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite, arable land

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

785,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

173,800 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

551.5 million bbl (37257)

Pipelines

gas 3,066 km; refined products 265 km (2003)

Political parties and leaders

Democratic Party or DP (Prachathipat Party) [BANTADTAN Banyat]; National Development Party or NDP (Chat Phattana) [KORN Dabbaransi]; Thai Nation Party or TNP (Chat Thai Party) [BANHAN Sinlapa-acha]; Thai Rak Thai Party or TRT [THAKSIN Chinnawat]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Population

64,265,276

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 2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

12.5% (1998 est.)

Population growth rate

0.95% (2003 est.)

Ports and harbors

Bangkok, Laem Chabang, Pattani, Phuket, Sattahip, Si Racha, Songkhla

Radio broadcast stations

AM 204, FM 334, shortwave 6 (1999)

Radios

13.96 million (1997)

Railways

narrow gauge

4,071 km 1.000-m gauge (2002)

total

4,071 km

Religions

Buddhism 95%, Muslim 3.8%, Christianity 0.5%, Hinduism 0.1%, other 0.6% (1991)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

under 15 years

1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Telephone system

domestic

microwave radio relay and multichannel cable; domestic satellite system being developed

general assessment

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

international

satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

5.6 million (2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular

3.1 million (2002)

Television broadcast stations

5 (all in Bangkok; plus 131 repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

15.19 million (1997)

Terrain

central plain; Khorat Plateau in the east; mountains elsewhere

Total fertility rate

1.91 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate

2.9% (2002 est.)

Waterways

4,000 km

note

3,701 km are navigable throughout the year by boats with drafts up to 0.9 meters; numerous minor waterways serve shallow-draft native craft