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Communications

Broadband - fixed subscriptions [time series]

total: 8.208 million | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 12 (2017 est.)

Broadcast media [time series]

26 digital TV stations in Bangkok broadcast nationally, 6 terrestrial TV stations in Bangkok broadcast nationally via relay stations - 2 of the stations are owned by the military, the other 4 are government-owned or controlled, leased to private enterprise, and all are required to broadcast government-produced news programs twice a day; multi-channel satellite and cable TV subscription services are available; radio frequencies have been allotted for more than 500 government and commercial radio stations; many small community radio stations operate with low-power transmitters (2017)

Internet country code [time series]

.th

Internet users [time series]

total: 32,398,778 | percent of population: 47.5% (July 2016 est.)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

general assessment: high quality system, especially in urban areas like Bangkok; mobile and mobile broadband penetration are on the increase; Fibre-to-the-home (FttH) has seen strong growth in the major cities; 4G TD-LTE and moving to 5G trials; seven smart cities with the hope of 100 smart cities within its borders in the next two decades; one of the biggest e-commerce markets in Southeast Asia (2018) | domestic: fixed-line system provided by both a government-owned and commercial provider; wireless service expanding rapidly; fixed-line 4 per 100 and mobile-cellular 178 per 100 (2018) | international: country code - 66; landing points for the AAE-1, FEA, SeaMeWe-3,-4, APG, SJC2, TIS, MCT and AAG submarine cable systems providing links throughout Asia, Australia, Africa, Middle East, Europe, and US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 1 Pacific Ocean) (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines [time series]

total subscriptions: 2.91 million | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 4 (2017 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

total subscriptions: 121.53 million | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 178 (2017 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

rice, cassava (manioc, tapioca), rubber, corn, sugarcane, coconuts, palm oil, pineapple, livestock, fish products

Budget [time series]

revenues: 69.23 billion (2017 est.) | expenditures: 85.12 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) [time series]

-3.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central bank discount rate [time series]

1.5% (31 December 2016) | 1.5% (31 December 2015)

Commercial bank prime lending rate [time series]

4.42% (31 December 2017 est.) | 4.47% (31 December 2016 est.)

Current account balance [time series]

$51.08 billion (2017 est.) | $48.24 billion (2016 est.)

Debt - external [time series]

$132 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $130.6 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income (Distribution of family income - Gini index) [time series]

44.5 (2015) | 48.4 (2011)

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

With a relatively well-developed infrastructure, a free-enterprise economy, and generally pro-investment policies, Thailand is highly dependent on international trade, with exports accounting for about two thirds of GDP. Thailand’s exports include electronics, agricultural commodities, automobiles and parts, and processed foods. The industry and service sectors produce about 90% of GDP. The agricultural sector, comprised mostly of small-scale farms, contributes only 10% of GDP but employs about one third of the labor force. Thailand has attracted an estimated 3.0-4.5 million migrant workers, mostly from neighboring countries. Over the last few decades, Thailand has reduced poverty substantially. In 2013, the Thai Government implemented a nationwide 300 baht (roughly $10) per day minimum wage policy and deployed new tax reforms designed to lower rates on middle-income earners. Thailand’s economy is recovering from slow growth during the years since the 2014 coup. Thailand’s economic fundamentals are sound, with low inflation, low unemployment, and reasonable public and external debt levels. Tourism and government spending - mostly on infrastructure and short-term stimulus measures – have helped to boost the economy, and The Bank of Thailand has been supportive, with several interest rate reductions. Over the longer-term, household debt levels, political uncertainty, and an aging population pose risks to growth.

Exchange rates [time series]

baht per US dollar - | 34.34 (2017 est.) | 35.296 (2016 est.) | 35.296 (2015 est.) | 34.248 (2014 est.) | 32.48 (2013 est.)

Exports [time series]

$235.1 billion (2017 est.) | $214.3 billion (2016 est.)

Exports - commodities [time series]

automobiles and parts, computer and parts, jewelry and precious stones, polymers of ethylene in primary forms, refine fuels, electronic integrated circuits, chemical products, rice, fish products, rubber products, sugar, cassava, poultry, machinery and parts, iron and steel and their products

Exports - partners [time series]

China 12.4%, US 11.2%, Japan 9.5%, Hong Kong 5.2%, Vietnam 4.9%, Australia 4.5%, Malaysia 4.4% (2017)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 October - 30 September

GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]

$455.4 billion (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP (purchasing power parity)) [time series]

$1.236 trillion (2017 est.) | $1.19 trillion (2016 est.) | $1.152 trillion (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars

GDP - composition, by end use [time series]

household consumption: 48.8% (2017 est.) | government consumption: 16.4% (2017 est.) | investment in fixed capital: 23.2% (2017 est.) | investment in inventories: -0.4% (2017 est.) | exports of goods and services: 68.2% (2017 est.) | imports of goods and services: -54.6% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin [time series]

agriculture: 8.2% (2017 est.) | industry: 36.2% (2017 est.) | services: 55.6% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita (PPP)) [time series]

$17,900 (2017 est.) | $17,200 (2016 est.) | $16,700 (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]

3.9% (2017 est.) | 3.3% (2016 est.) | 3% (2015 est.)

Gross national saving [time series]

34.1% of GDP (2017 est.) | 32.8% of GDP (2016 est.) | 30.3% of GDP (2015 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: 2.8% | highest 10%: 31.5% (2009 est.)

Imports [time series]

$203.2 billion (2017 est.) | $177.7 billion (2016 est.)

Imports - commodities [time series]

machinery and parts, crude oil, electrical machinery and parts, chemicals, iron & steel and product, electronic integrated circuit, automobile’s parts, jewelry including silver bars and gold, computers and parts, electrical household appliances, soybean, soybean meal, wheat, cotton, dairy products

Imports - partners [time series]

China 20%, Japan 14.5%, US 6.8%, Malaysia 5.4% (2017)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

1.6% (2017 est.)

Industries [time series]

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, agricultural machinery, air conditioning and refrigeration, ceramics, aluminum, chemical, environmental management, glass, granite and marble, leather, machinery and metal work, petrochemical, petroleum refining, pharmaceuticals, printing, pulp and paper, rubber, sugar, rice, fishing, cassava, world's second-largest tungsten producer and third-largest tin producer

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

0.7% (2017 est.) | 0.2% (2016 est.)

Labor force [time series]

38.37 million (2017 est.)

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

agriculture: 31.8% | industry: 16.7% | services: 51.5% (2015 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares [time series]

$348.8 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $430.4 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $354.4 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Population below poverty line [time series]

7.2% (2015 est.)

Public debt [time series]

41.9% of GDP (2017 est.) | 41.8% of GDP (2016 est.) | note: data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are sold at public auctions

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold [time series]

$202.6 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $171.9 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of broad money [time series]

$62.39 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $52.03 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad [time series]

$117.4 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $96.27 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home [time series]

$227.8 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $193.5 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of domestic credit [time series]

$584.9 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $508.4 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of narrow money [time series]

$62.39 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $52.03 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Taxes and other revenues [time series]

15.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate [time series]

0.7% (2017 est.) | 0.8% (2016 est.)

Energy

Carbon dioxide emissions (Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy) [time series]

355 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude oil - exports [time series]

790 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - imports [time series]

875,400 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - production [time series]

228,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves [time series]

349.4 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption [time series]

187.7 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports [time series]

2.267 billion kWh (2015 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels [time series]

76% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants [time series]

8% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels [time series]

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources [time series]

16% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports [time series]

19.83 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity [time series]

44.89 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production [time series]

181.5 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity access [time series]

electrification - total population: 100% (2016)

Natural gas - consumption [time series]

52.64 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports [time series]

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports [time series]

14.41 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production [time series]

38.59 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves [time series]

193.4 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption [time series]

1.326 million bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports [time series]

278,300 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports [time series]

134,200 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production [time series]

1.328 million bbl/day (2015 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total: 513,120 sq km | land: 510,890 sq km | water: 2,230 sq km

Area - comparative [time series]

about three times the size of Florida; slightly more than twice the size of Wyoming | Area comparison map: The World Factbook Field Image Modal × East Asia/Southeast Asia :: Thailand Print Image Description about three times the size of Florida; slightly more than twice the size of Wyoming

Climate [time series]

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 [time series]

3,219 km

Elevation [time series]

mean elevation: 287 m | lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m | highest point: Doi Inthanon 2,565 m

Environment - current issues [time series]

air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from organic and factory wastes; water scarcity; deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by illegal hunting; hazardous waste disposal

International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]

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 [time series]

15 00 N, 100 00 E

Geography - note [time series]

controls only land route from Asia to Malaysia and Singapore; ideas for the construction of a canal across the Kra Isthmus that would create a bypass to the Strait of Malacca and shorten shipping times around Asia continue to be discussed

Irrigated land [time series]

64,150 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 5,673 km | border countries (4): Burma 2416 km, Cambodia 817 km, Laos 1845 km, Malaysia 595 km

Land use [time series]

agricultural land: 41.2% (2011 est.) | arable land: 30.8% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 8.8% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 1.6% (2011 est.) | forest: 37.2% (2011 est.) | other: 21.6% (2011 est.)

Location [time series]

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

Map references [time series]

Southeast Asia

Maritime claims [time series]

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

Natural hazards [time series]

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

Natural resources [time series]

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

Population distribution [time series]

highest population density is found in and around Bangkok; significant population clusters found througout large parts of the country, particularly north and northeast of Bangkok and in the extreme southern region of the country

Terrain [time series]

central plain; Khorat Plateau in the east; mountains elsewhere

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

76 provinces (changwat, singular and plural) and 1 municipality* (maha nakhon); Amnat Charoen, Ang Thong, Bueng Kan, Buri Ram, Chachoengsao, Chai Nat, Chaiyaphum, Chanthaburi, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Chon Buri, Chumphon, Kalasin, Kamphaeng Phet, Kanchanaburi, Khon Kaen, Krabi, Krung Thep* (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, Saraburi, Satun, Sing Buri, Si Sa Ket, Songkhla, Sukhothai, Suphan Buri, Surat Thani, Surin, Tak, Trang, Trat, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Uthai Thani, Uttaradit, Yala, Yasothon

Capital [time series]

name: Bangkok | geographic coordinates: 13 45 N, 100 31 E | time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) | etymology: Bangkok was likely originally a colloquial name, but one that was widely adopted by foreign visitors; the name may derive from "bang ko," where "bang" is the Thai word for "village on a stream" and "ko" means "island," both referencing the area's landscape, which was carved by rivers and canals; alternatively, the name may come from "bang makok," where "makok" is the name of the Java plum, a plant bearing olive-like fruit; this possibility is supported by the former name of Wat Arun, a historic temple in the area, that used to be called Wat Makok; Krung Thep, the city's Thai name, means "City of the Deity" and is a shortening of the full ceremonial name: Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphimanawatansathit Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit; translated the meaning is: City of angels, great city of immortals, magnificent city of the nine gems, seat of the king, city of royal palaces, home of gods incarnate, erected by Vishvakarman at Indra's behest; it holds the world's record as the longest place name (168 letters)

Citizenship [time series]

citizenship by birth: no | citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Thailand | dual citizenship recognized: no | residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Constitution [time series]

history: many previous; latest drafted and presented 29 March 2016, approved by referendum 7 August 2016, signed into law by the king 6 April 2017 | amendments: proposed as a joint resolution by the Council of Ministers and the National Council for Peace and Order (the junta that has ruled Thailand since the 2014 coup) and submitted as a draft to the National Legislative Assembly; passage requires majority vote of the existing Assembly members and presentation to the monarch for assent and countersignature of the prime minister (2017)

Country name [time series]

conventional long form: Kingdom of Thailand | conventional short form: Thailand | local long form: Ratcha Anachak Thai | local short form: Prathet Thai | former: Siam | etymology: Land of the Tai [People]"; the meaning of "tai" is uncertain, but may originally have meant "human beings," "people," or "free people

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

Ambassador Wirachai PLASAI (since 22 June 2018) | chancery: 1024 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 401, Washington, DC 20007 | telephone: [1] (202) 944-3600 | FAX: [1] (202) 944-3611 | consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: King WACHIRALONGKON Bodinthrathepphayawarangkun, also spelled Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun, (since 1 December 2016); note - King PHUMIPHON Adunyadet, also spelled BHUMIBOL Adulyadej (since 9 June 1946) died 13 October 2016 | head of government: Prime Minister PRAYUT Chan-ocha (since 25 August 2014); Deputy Prime Ministers PRAWIT Wongsuwan (since 31 August 2014), WISSANU Kruea-ngam (since 31 August 2014), SOMKHIT Chatusiphithak (since 20 August 2015), CHURIN Laksanawisit (since November 2019), ANUTHIN Chanwirakun (since November 2019) | cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister, appointed by the king; a Privy Council advises the king | elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; the House of Representatives and Senate approves a person for Prime Minister who must then be appointed by the King (as stated in the transitory provision of the 2017 constitution); the office of prime minister can be held for up to a total of 8 years | note: PRAYUT Chan-ocha was appointed interim prime minister in August 2014, three months after he staged the coup that removed the previously elected government of Prime Minister YINGLAK Chinnawat; on 5 June 2019 PRAYUT (independent) was approved as prime minister by the parliament - 498 votes to 244 for THANATHON Chuengrungrueangkit (FFP)

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

five horizontal bands of red (top), white, blue (double width), white, and red; the red color symbolizes the nation and the blood of life, white represents religion and the purity of Buddhism, and blue stands for the monarchy | note: similar to the flag of Costa Rica but with the blue and red colors reversed

Government type [time series]

constitutional monarchy

Independence [time series]

1238 (traditional founding date; never colonized)

International law organization participation [time series]

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation [time series]

ADB, APEC, ARF, ASEAN, BIMSTEC, BIS, CD, CICA, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, PIF (partner), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch [time series]

highest courts: Supreme Court of Justice (consists of the court president, 6 vice presidents, 60-70 judges, and organized into 10 divisions); Constitutional Court (consists of the court president and 8 judges); Supreme Administrative Court (number of judges determined by Judicial Commission of the Administrative Courts) | judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges selected by the Judicial Commission of the Courts of Justice and approved by the monarch; judge term determined by the monarch; Constitutional Court justices - 3 judges drawn from the Supreme Court, 2 judges drawn from the Administrative Court, and 4 judge candidates selected by the Selective Committee for Judges of the Constitutional Court, and confirmed by the Senate; judges appointed by the monarch serve single 9-year terms; Supreme Administrative Court judges selected by the Judicial Commission of the Administrative Courts and appointed by the monarch; judges serve for life | subordinate courts: courts of first instance and appeals courts within both the judicial and administrative systems; military courts

Legal system [time series]

civil law system with common law influences

Legislative branch [time series]

description: bicameral National Assembly or Rathhasapha consists of: Senate or Wuthissapha (250 seats; members appointed by the Royal Thai Army to serve 5-year terms) House of Representatives or Saphaphuthan Ratsadon (500 seats; 375 members elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 150 members elected in a single nationwide constituency by party-list proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms) | elections: Senate - last held on 14 May 2019 (next to be held in 2024) House of Representatives - last held on 24 March 2019 (next to be held in 2023) | election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 224, women 26, percent of women 10.4% House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PPRP 23.7%, PTP 22.2%, FFP 17.8%, DP 11.1%, PJT 10.5%, TLP 2.3%, CTP 2.2%, NEP 1.4%, PCC 1.4%, ACT 1.2%, PCP 1.2%, other 5.1%; seats by party - PTP 136, PPRP 116, FFP 81, DP 53, PJT 51, CTP 10, TLP 10, PCC 7, PCP 5, NEP 6, ACT 5, other 20; composition - men 421, women 79, percent of women 15.8%; note - total National Assembly percent of women 14%

National anthem(s) (National anthem) [time series]

name: "Phleng Chat Thai" (National Anthem of Thailand) | lyrics/music: Luang SARANUPRAPAN/Phra JENDURIYANG | note: music adopted 1932, lyrics adopted 1939; by law, people are required to stand for the national anthem at 0800 and 1800 every day; the anthem is played in schools, offices, theaters, and on television and radio during this time; "Phleng Sanlasoen Phra Barami" (A Salute to the Monarch) serves as the royal anthem and is played in the presence of the royal family and during certain state ceremonies

National holiday [time series]

Birthday of King WACHIRALONGKON, 28 July (1952)

National symbol(s) [time series]

garuda (mythical half-man, half-bird figure), elephant; national colors: red, white, blue

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Action Coalition of Thailand Party or ACT [CHATUMONGKHON Sonakun] Anakhot Mai Party (Future Forward Party) or FFP [THANATHON Chuengrungrueangkit] Chat Phatthana Party (National Development Party) [THEWAN Liptaphanlop] Chat Thai Phatthana Party (Thai Nation Development Party) or CTP [KANCHANA Sinlapa-acha] New Economics Party or NEP [MINGKHWAN Sangsuwan] Phalang Pracharat Party or PPP [UTTAMA Sawanayon] Phumchai Thai Party (Thai Pride Party) or PJT [ANUTHIN Chanwirakun] Prachachat Party of PCC [WAN Muhamad NOOR Matha] Prachathipat Party (Democrat Party) or DP [CHURIN Laksanawisit] Puea Chat Party (For Nation Party) or PCP [SONGKHRAM Kitletpairot] Puea Thai Party (For Thais Party) or PTP [WIROT Paoin] Puea Tham Party (For Dharma Party) [NALINI Thawisin] Seri Ruam Thai Party (Thai Liberal Party) or TLP [SERIPHISUT Temiyawet] Thai Forest Conservation Party or TFCP [DAMRONG Phidet] Thai Local Power Party or TLP [collective leadership] Thai Raksa Chat Party (Thai National Preservation Party) [PRICHAPHON Phongpanit] | note: as of 5 April 2018, 98 new parties applied to be registered with the Election Commission in accordance with the provisions of the new organic law on political parties

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Introduction

Background [time series]

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 colonized by a European power. A bloodless revolution in 1932 led to the establishment of a constitutional monarchy. After the Japanese invaded Thailand in 1941, the government split into a pro-Japan faction and a pro-Ally faction backed by the King. Following the war, Thailand became a US treaty ally in 1954 after sending troops to Korea and later fighting alongside the US in Vietnam. Thailand since 2005 has experienced several rounds of political turmoil including a military coup in 2006 that ousted then Prime Minister THAKSIN Chinnawat, followed by large-scale street protests by competing political factions in 2008, 2009, and 2010. THAKSIN's youngest sister, YINGLAK Chinnawat, in 2011 led the Puea Thai Party to an electoral win and assumed control of the government. In early May 2014, after months of large-scale anti-government protests in Bangkok beginning in November 2013, YINGLAK was removed from office by the Constitutional Court and in late May 2014 the Royal Thai Army, led by Royal Thai Army Gen. PRAYUT Chan-ocha, staged a coup against the caretaker government. PRAYUT was appointed prime minister in August 2014. PRAYUT also serves as the head of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), a military-affiliated body that oversees the interim government. This body created several interim institutions to promote reform and draft a new constitution, which was passed in a national referendum in August 2016. In late 2017, PRAYUT announced elections would be held by November 2018; he has subsequently suggested they might occur in February 2019. As of mid-December 2018, a previoulsy held ban on campaigning and political activity has been lifted and per parliamentary laws, an election must be held within 150 days. King PHUMIPHON Adunyadet passed away in October 2016 after 70 years on the throne; his only son, WACHIRALONGKON Bodinthrathepphayawarangkun, ascended the throne in December 2016. He signed the new constitution in April 2017. Thailand has also experienced violence associated with the ethno-nationalist insurgency in its southern Malay-Muslim majority provinces. Since January 2004, thousands have been killed and wounded in the insurgency.

Military and Security

Military and security forces [time series]

Royal Thai Armed Forces (Kongthap Thai, RTARF): Royal Thai Army (Kongthap Bok Thai, RTA, includes paramilitary Thai Rangers (Thahan Phrahan)), Royal Thai Navy (Kongthap Ruea Thai, RTN, includes Royal Thai Marine Corps), Royal Thai Air Force (Kongthap Akaat Thai, RTAF); Interior Ministry paramilitary forces: Volunteer Defense Corps (2018)

Military expenditures [time series]

1.33% of GDP (2018) | 1.37% of GDP (2017) | 1.44% of GDP (2016) | 1.43% of GDP (2015) | 1.41% of GDP (2014)

Military service age and obligation [time series]

21 years of age for compulsory military service; 18 years of age for voluntary military service; males register at 18 years of age; 2-year conscript service obligation based on lottery (2018)

People and Society

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 16.73% (male 5,880,026 /female 5,598,611) | 15-24 years: 13.83% (male 4,840,303 /female 4,649,589) | 25-54 years: 46.12% (male 15,670,881 /female 15,972,254) | 55-64 years: 12.35% (male 3,970,979 /female 4,503,647) | 65 years and over: 10.97% (male 3,289,576 /female 4,239,992) (2018 est.) | population pyramid: The World Factbook Field Image Modal × East Asia/Southeast Asia :: Thailand Print Image Description This is the population pyramid for Thailand. A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends. For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page under the References tab.

Birth rate [time series]

11 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight [time series]

6.7% (2016)

Contraceptive prevalence rate [time series]

78.4% (2015/16)

Current health expenditure (Current Health Expenditure) [time series]

3.7% (2016)

Death rate [time series]

8.1 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Dependency ratios [time series]

total dependency ratio: 40 (2015 est.) | youth dependency ratio: 25.2 (2015 est.) | elderly dependency ratio: 14.8 (2015 est.) | potential support ratio: 6.8 (2015 est.)

Drinking water source [time series]

Education expenditure (Education expenditures) [time series]

4.1% of GDP (2013)

Ethnic groups [time series]

Thai 97.5%, Burmese 1.3%, other 1.1%, unspecified <.1% (2015 est.) | note: data represent population by nationality

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

1.1% (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

18,000 (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]

480,000 (2018 est.)

Hospital bed density [time series]

2.1 beds/1,000 population (2010)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

total: 9 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.) | male: 9.9 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 8 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages [time series]

Thai (official) only 90.7%, Thai and other languages 6.4%, only other languages (includes Malay, Burmese) (2010 est.) | note: data represent population by language(s) spoken at home; English is a secondary language of the elite

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 75.1 years (2018 est.) | male: 71.9 years | female: 78.5 years

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 92.9% | male: 94.7% | female: 91.2% (2015)

Major infectious diseases [time series]

degree of risk: very high (2016) | food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea (2016) | vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, and malaria (2016)

Major urban areas - population [time series]

10.35 million BANGKOK (capital), 1.289 million Samut Prakan, 1.151 million Chiang Mai, 954,000 Songkla, 950,000 Nothaburi, 901,000 Pathum Thani (2019)

Maternal mortality ratio (Maternal mortality rate) [time series]

37 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age [time series]

total: 38.1 years (2018 est.) | male: 37 years | female: 39.2 years

Mother's mean age at first birth [time series]

23.3 years (2009 est.)

Nationality [time series]

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

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate [time series]

10% (2016)

Physician density (Physicians density) [time series]

0.81 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Population [time series]

68,615,858 (July 2018 est.)

Population distribution [time series]

Population growth rate [time series]

0.29% (2018 est.)

Religions [time series]

Buddhist 94.6%, Muslim 4.3%, Christian 1%, other (2015 est.)

Sanitation facility access [time series]

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) [time series]

total: 15 years | male: 15 years | female: 16 years (2016)

Sex ratio [time series]

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.52 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) (Unemployment, youth ages 15-24) [time series]

total: 3.7% | male: 3% | female: 4.7% (2016 est.)

Urbanization [time series]

urban population: 50.7% of total population (2019) | rate of urbanization: 1.73% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international [time series]

separatist violence in Thailand's predominantly Malay-Muslim southern provinces prompt border closures and controls with Malaysia to stem insurgent activities; Southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check the spread of avian flu; talks continue on completion of demarcation with Laos but disputes remain over several islands in the Mekong River; despite continuing border committee talks, Thailand must deal with Karen and other ethnic rebels, refugees, and illegal cross-border activities; Cambodia and Thailand dispute sections of boundary; in 2011, Thailand and Cambodia resorted to arms in the dispute over the location of the boundary on the precipice surmounted by Preah Vihear temple ruins, awarded to Cambodia by ICJ decision in 1962 and part of a planned UN World Heritage site; Thailand is studying the feasibility of jointly constructing the Hatgyi Dam on the Salween river near the border with Burma; in 2004, international environmentalist pressure prompted China to halt construction of 13 dams on the Salween River that flows through China, Burma, and Thailand; approximately 100,000 mostly Karen refugees fleeing civil strife, political upheaval and economic stagnation in Burma live in remote camps in Thailand near the border

Illicit drugs [time series]

a minor producer of opium, heroin, and marijuana; transit point for illicit 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 despite a series of government crackdowns

Refugees and internally displaced persons [time series]

refugees (country of origin): 97,603 (Burma) (2018) | stateless persons: 478,883 (2018) (estimate represents stateless persons registered with the Thai Government; actual number may be as high as 3.5 million); note - about half of Thailand's northern hill tribe people do not have citizenship and make up the bulk of Thailand's stateless population; most lack documentation showing they or one of their parents were born in Thailand; children born to Burmese refugees are not eligible for Burmese or Thai citizenship and are stateless; most Chao Lay, maritime nomadic peoples, who travel from island to island in the Andaman Sea west of Thailand are also stateless; stateless Rohingya refugees from Burma are considered illegal migrants by Thai authorities and are detained in inhumane conditions or expelled; stateless persons are denied access to voting, property, education, employment, healthcare, and driving | note: Thai nationality was granted to more than 23,000 stateless persons between 2012 and 2016; in 2016, the Government of Thailand approved changes to its citizenship laws that could make 80,000 stateless persons eligible for citizenship, as part of its effort to achieve zero statelessness by 2024 (2018)

Trafficking in persons [time series]

current situation: Thailand is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; victims from Burma, Cambodia, Laos, China, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, and India, migrate to Thailand in search of jobs but are forced, coerced, or defrauded into labor in commercial fishing, fishing-related industries, factories, domestic work, street begging, or the sex trade; some Thai, Burmese, Cambodian, and Indonesian men forced to work on fishing boats are kept at sea for years; sex trafficking of adults and children from Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Burma remains a significant problem; Thailand is a transit country for victims from China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Burma subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor in Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Russia, South Korea, the US, and countries in Western Europe; Thai victims are also trafficked in North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East | tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Thailand does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, and is not making significant efforts to do so; in 2014, authorities investigated, prosecuted, and convicted fewer traffickers and identified fewer victims; some cases of official complicity were investigated and prosecuted, but trafficking-related corruption continues to hinder progress in combatting trafficking; authorities’ efforts to screen for victims among vulnerable populations remained inadequate due to a poor understanding of trafficking indicators, a failure to recognize non-physical forms of coercion, and a shortage of language interpreters; the government passed new labor laws increasing the minimum age in the fishing industry to 18 years old, guaranteeing the minimum wage, and requiring work contracts, but weak law enforcement and poor coordination among regulatory agencies enabled exploitive labor practices to continue; the government increased efforts to raise public awareness to the dangers of human trafficking and to deny entry to foreign sex tourists (2015)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

101 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 63 (2013) | over 3,047 m: 8 (2013) | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 12 (2013) | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 23 (2013) | 914 to 1,523 m: 14 (2013) | under 914 m: 6 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 38 (2013) | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2013) | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2013) | 914 to 1,523 m: 10 (2013) | under 914 m: 26 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix [time series]

HS (2016)

Heliports [time series]

7 (2013)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 807 | by type: bulk carrier 27, container ship 25, general cargo 91, oil tanker 241, other 423 (2018)

National air transport system [time series]

number of registered air carriers: 19 (2015) | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 276 (2015) | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 54,259,629 (2015) | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 2,134,149,001 mt-km (2015)

Pipelines [time series]

2 km condensate, 5900 km gas, 85 km liquid petroleum gas, 1 km oil, 1097 km refined products (2013)

Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]

major seaport(s): Bangkok, Laem Chabang, Map Ta Phut, Prachuap Port, Si Racha | container port(s) (TEUs): Laem Chabang (7,227,431) (2017) | LNG terminal(s) (import): Map Ta Phut

Railways [time series]

total: 4,127 km (2017) | standard gauge: 84 km 1.435-m gauge (84 km electrified) (2017) | narrow gauge: 4,043 km 1.000-m gauge (2017)

Roadways [time series]

total: 180,053 km (includes 450 km of expressways) (2006)

Waterways [time series]

4,000 km (3,701 km navigable by boats with drafts up to 0.9 m) (2011)