Thailand

Internet country code

.th

Internet hosts

938,784 (2006)

Internet users

8.42 million (2005)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 204, FM 334, shortwave 6 (1999)

Telephone system

general assessment: high quality system, especially in urban areas like Bangkok; WTO requirement for privatization of telecom sector is planned to be complete by 2006 domestic: fixed line system provided by both a government owned and commercial provider; wireless service expanding rapidly and outpacing fixed lines international: country code - 66; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean); landing country for APCN submarine cable

Telephones - main lines in use

7.035 million (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular

27.379 million (2005)

Television broadcast stations

111 (2006)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $30.64 billion expenditures: $31.76 billion; including capital expenditures of $5 billion (2005 est.)

Currency (code)

baht (THB)

Current account balance

$-3.689 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external

$52.46 billion (2005 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

51.1 (2002)

Economic aid - recipient

$72 million (2002)

Economy - overview

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.

Electricity - consumption

107.3 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports

315 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports

980 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - production

114.7 billion kWh (2003)

Exchange rates

baht per US dollar - 40.22 (2005), 40.222 (2004), 41.485 (2003), 42.96 (2002), 44.432 (2001)

Exports

$105.8 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities

textiles and footwear, fishery products, rice, rubber, jewelry, automobiles, computers and electrical appliances

Exports - partners

US 15.5%, Japan 13.7%, China 8.3%, Singapore 6.8%, Hong Kong 5.6%, Malaysia 5.2% (2005)

Fiscal year

1 October - 30 September

GDP (official exchange rate)

$183.9 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$550.2 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 9.9% industry: 44.1% services: 46% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$8,600 (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

4.5% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 32.4% (1998)

Imports

$107 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities

capital goods, intermediate goods and raw materials, consumer goods, fuels

Imports - partners

Japan 22%, China 9.4%, US 7.4%, Malaysia 6.8%, UAE 4.8%, Singapore 4.5% (2005)

Industrial production growth rate

9.1% (2005 est.)

Industries

tourism, textiles and garments, agricultural processing, beverages, tobacco, cement, light manufacturing such as jewelry and electric appliances, computers and parts, integrated circuits, furniture, plastics, automobiles and automotive parts; world's second-largest tungsten producer and third-largest tin producer

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.5% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

29% of GDP (2005 est.)

Labor force

35.36 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 49% industry: 14% services: 37% (2000 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

29.15 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

5.2 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - production

22.28 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

377.7 billion cu m (November 2003)

Oil - consumption

851,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day

Oil - production

230,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

583 million bbl (November 2003)

Population below poverty line

10% (2004 est.)

Public debt

47.6% of GDP (2005 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$52.07 billion (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate

1.8% (2005 est.)

Area

total: 514,000 sq km land: 511,770 sq km water: 2,230 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly more than twice the size of Wyoming

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

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m highest point: Doi Inthanon 2,576 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: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geographic coordinates

15 00 N, 100 00 E

Geography - note

controls only land route from Asia to Malaysia and Singapore

Irrigated land

49,860 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

total: 4,863 km border countries: Burma 1,800 km, Cambodia 803 km, Laos 1,754 km, Malaysia 506 km

Land use

arable land: 27.54% permanent crops: 6.93% other: 65.53% (2005)

Location

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

Map references

Southeast Asia

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

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

Terrain

central plain; Khorat Plateau in the east; mountains elsewhere

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

Capital

name: Bangkok geographic coordinates: 13 45 N, 100 31 E time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

constitution signed by King PHUMIPHON on 11 October 1997; abrogated on 19 September 2006 after coup; interim constitution promulgated on 1 October 2006; junta has promised new constitution by October 2007

Country name

conventional long form: Kingdom of Thailand conventional short form: Thailand local long form: Ratcha Anachak Thai local short form: Prathet Thai former: Siam

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Ralph L. BOYCE embassy: 120-122 Wireless Road, Bangkok 10330 mailing address: APO AP 96546 telephone: [66] (2) 205-4000 FAX: [66] (2) 254-2990, 205-4131 consulate(s) general: Chiang Mai

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Virasakdi FUTRAKUL chancery: 1024 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 401, Washington, DC 20007-3681 telephone: [1] (202) 944-3600 FAX: [1] (202) 944-3611 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

Executive branch

chief of state: King PHUMIPHON Adunyadet (since 9 June 1946) head of government: Interim Prime Minister SURAYUT Chulanon (since 1 October 2006); Interim Deputy Prime Ministers KHOSIT Panpiamrat (since 9 October 2006); PRIDIYATHON Thewakun (since 9 October 2006) note: Prime Minister THAKSIN Chinnawat was overthrown on 19 September 2006 in a coup led by General SONTHI Boonyaratglin cabinet: Council of Ministers note: there is also a Privy Council elections: none; monarch is hereditary; according to 1997 constitution, prime minister was designated from among members of House of Representatives; following national elections for House of Representatives, leader of party that could organize a majority coalition usually was appointed prime minister by king

Flag description

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

Government type

constitutional monarchy

Independence

1238 (traditional founding date; never colonized)

International organization participation

APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIMSTEC, BIS, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC (observer), ONUB, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court or Sandika (judges appointed by the monarch)

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 consisted 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); after coup in September 2006, junta appointed an interim National Assembly with 250 members to act as Senate and House of Representatives; body has no vote on government matters elections: Senate - last held 19 April 2006; House of Representatives - last held 6 February 2005; junta scheduled next general election by October 2007 election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; House of Representatives - (2005 election) percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - TRT 376, DP 97, TNP 25, PP 2

National holiday

Birthday of King PHUMIPHON, 5 December (1927)

Political parties and leaders

Democrat Party or DP (Prachathipat Party) [ABHISIT Wetchachiwa]; People's Party or PP (Mahachon Party) [ANEK Laothamatas]; Thai Nation Party or TNP (Chat Thai Party) [BARNHARN SILPA-ARCHA]; Thai Rak Thai Party or TRT [CHATURON Chaisang]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

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. Thailand is currently facing armed violence in its three Muslim-majority southernmost provinces.

Manpower available for military service

males age 21-49: 14,903,855 females age 21-49: 15,265,854 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 21-49: 10,396,032 females age 21-49: 11,487,690 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually

males age 18-49: 526,276 females age 21-49: 514,396 (2005 est.)

Military branches

Royal Thai Army (RTA), Royal Thai Navy (RTN, includes Royal Thai Marine Corps), Royal Thai Air Force (Knogtap Agard Thai, RTAF) (2006)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.8% (2003)

Military service age and obligation

21 years of age for compulsory military service; males are registered at 18 years of age; conscript service obligation - two years; 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2004)

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) (2006 est.)

Birth rate

13.87 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate

7.04 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups

Thai 75%, Chinese 14%, other 11%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

1.5% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

58,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

570,000 (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 19.49 deaths/1,000 live births male: 20.77 deaths/1,000 live births female: 18.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 72.25 years male: 69.95 years female: 74.68 years (2006 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 92.6% male: 94.9% female: 90.5% (2002)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, Japanese encephalitis, and plague are high risks in some locations animal contact disease: rabies water contact disease: leptospirosis note: at present, H5N1 avian influenza poses a minimal risk; during outbreaks among birds, rare cases could occur among US personnel who have close contact with infected birds or poultry (2005)

Median age

total: 31.9 years male: 31.1 years female: 32.8 years (2006 est.)

Nationality

noun: Thai (singular and plural) adjective: Thai

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Population

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.)

Population growth rate

0.68% (2006 est.)

Religions

Buddhist 94.6%, Muslim 4.6%, Christian 0.7%, other 0.1% (2000 census)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.64 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Disputes - international

separatist violence in Thailand's predominantly Muslim southern provinces prompt border closures and controls with Malaysia to stem terrorist activities; southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check the spread of avian flu; talks continue on completion of demarcation with Thailand but disputes remain over several areas along Mekong River and 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; Cambodia and Thailand dispute sections of boundary with missing boundary markers; Cambodia claims Thai encroachments into Cambodian territory and obstructing access to Preah Vihear temple ruins awarded to Cambodia by ICJ decision in 1962; ethnic Karens from Burma flee into Thailand - to escape fighting between Karen rebels and Burmese troops - resulting in Thailand sheltering about 120,000 Burmese refugees in 2005; Karens also protest Thai support for a Burmese hydroelectric dam construction on the Salween River near the border; environmentalists in Burma and Thailand remain concerned about China's construction of hydroelectric dams upstream on the Nujiang/Salween River in Yunnan Province

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 methamphetamine production for regional consumption; major consumer of methamphetamine since the 1990s

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 120,814 (Burma) IDPs: 6,000 (26 December 2004 tsunami) (2005)

Airports

108 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 66 over 3,047 m: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 11 1,524 to 2,437 m: 22 914 to 1,523 m: 20 under 914 m: 5 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 42 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 26 (2006)

Heliports

3 (2006)

Merchant marine

total: 400 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,808,509 GRT/4,317,320 DWT by type: bulk carrier 60, cargo 145, chemical tanker 14, container 21, liquefied gas 29, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 91, refrigerated cargo 32, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 45 (China 1, Egypt 1, Indonesia 1, Japan 4, Norway 30, Singapore 6, UK 2) registered in other countries: 34 (Bahamas 1, Mongolia 1, Panama 9, Singapore 22, Tuvalu 1) (2006)

Pipelines

gas 3,760 km; refined products 379 km (2006)

Ports and terminals

Bangkok, Laem Chabang, Prachuap Port, Si Racha

Railways

total: 4,071 km narrow gauge: 4,071 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)

Roadways

total: 57,403 km paved: 56,542 km unpaved: 861 km (2000)

Waterways

4,000 km note: 3,701 km navigable by boats with drafts up to 0.9 m (2005)