Thailand

[Country map of Thailand]

Map ©1996 NGS Cartographic Division. Developed in association with GeoSystems Global Corp. World Map

Geography

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

Map references: Southeast Asia

Area:
total area: 514,000 sq km
land area: 511,770 sq km
comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Wyoming

Land boundaries: total 4,863 km, Burma 1,800 km, Cambodia 803 km, Laos 1,754 km, Malaysia 506 km

Coastline: 3,219 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

Terrain: central plain; Khorat plateau in the east; mountains elsewhere

Natural resources: tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite

Land use:
arable land: 34%
permanent crops: 4%
meadows and pastures: 1%
forest and woodland: 30%
other: 31%

Irrigated land: 42,300 sq km (1989 est.)


People

Population: 60,271,300 (July 1995 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 29% (female 8,545,362; male 8,866,271)
15-64 years: 66% (female 19,733,773; male 20,185,392)
65 years and over: 5% (female 1,636,426; male 1,304,076) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.24% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 18.87 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 6.48 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 35.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 68.42 years
male: 64.94 years
female: 72.08 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.04 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Thai (singular and plural)
adjective: Thai

Ethnic divisions: 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 the secondary language of the elite, ethnic and regional dialects

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
total population: 93%
male: 96%
female: 91%

Labor force: 30.87 million
by occupation: agriculture 62%, industry 13%, commerce 11%, services (including government) 14% (1989 est.)


Government

Names:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Thailand
conventional short form: Thailand

Digraph: TH

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, 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 His Majesty the King, 5 December (1927)

Constitution: new constitution approved 7 December 1991; amended 10 June 1992

Legal system: based on civil law system, with influences of common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; martial law in effect since 23 February 1991 military coup

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal


Economy

Overview: Thailand's economy recovered rapidly from the political unrest in May 1992 to post an impressive 7.5% growth rate for the year, 7.8% in 1993, and 8% in 1994. One of the more advanced developing countries in Asia, Thailand depends on exports of manufactures and the development of the service sector to fuel the country's rapid growth. Much of Thailand's recent imports have been for capital equipment, suggesting that the export sector is poised for further growth. With foreign investment slowing, Bangkok is working to increase the generation of domestic capital. Prime Minister CHUAN's government - Thailand's fifth government in less than three years - is pledged to continue Bangkok's probusiness policies, and the return of a democratically elected government has improved business confidence. Even so, CHUAN must overcome divisions within his ruling coalition to complete much needed infrastructure development programs if Thailand is to remain an attractive place for business investment. Over the longer-term, Bangkok must produce more college graduates with technical training and upgrade workers' skills to continue its rapid economic development.

National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $355.2 billion (1994 est.)

National product real growth rate: 8% (1994 est.)

National product per capita: $5,970 (1994 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5% (1994 est.)

Unemployment rate: 3.2% (1993 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $28.4 billion
expenditures: $28.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $9.6 billion (FY94/95 est.)

Exports: $46 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
commodities: machinery and manufactures 83%, agricultural products and fisheries 16%, others 1% (1994 est.)
partners: US 22%, Japan 17%, Singapore 12%, Hong Kong 5%, Germany 4% (1993)

Imports: $52.6 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.)
commodities: capital goods 44%, intermediate goods and raw materials 37%, consumer goods 16%, other 3% (1994 est.)
partners: Japan 30%, US 12%, Singapore 6%, Germany 5%, Taiwan 5% (1993)

External debt: $64.3 billion (1994 est.)

Industrial production: growth rate 11.5% (1993 est.); accounts for about 26% of GDP

Electricity:
capacity: 12,810,000 kW
production: 56.8 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 909 kWh (1993)

Industries: tourism is the largest source of foreign exchange; textiles and garments, agricultural processing, beverages, tobacco, cement, light manufacturing, such as jewelry; electric appliances and components, integrated circuits, furniture, plastics; world's second-largest tungsten producer and third-largest tin producer

Agriculture: accounts for 11% of GDP and 62% of labor force; leading producer and exporter of rice and cassava (tapioca); other crops - rubber, corn, sugarcane, coconuts, soybeans; except for wheat, self-sufficient in food

Currency: 1 baht (B) = 100 satang

Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September


Transportation

Railroads:
total: 3,940 km
narrow gauge: 3,940 km 1.000-m gauge (99 km double track)

Highways:
total: 77,697 km
paved: 35,855 km (including 88 km of expressways)
unpaved: gravel, other stabilization 14,092 km; earth 27,750 km (1988)

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 shallow-draft native craft

Pipelines: petroleum products 67 km; natural gas 350 km

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

Merchant marine:
total: 229 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,231,172 GRT/1,931,117 DWT
ships by type: bulk 22, cargo 122, chemical tanker 3, combination bulk 1, container 15, liquefied gas tanker 9, oil tanker 45, passenger 1, refrigerated cargo 7, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 1

Airports:
total: 105
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 6
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 23
with paved runways under 914 m: 42
with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 1
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 14


Flag by Dream Maker Software, Inc.
Information obtained from CIA, The World Factbook 1995