]! ^! 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. 
]" ^" Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma ^# 15 00 N, 100 00 E ^$ Southeast Asia ^% `! 514,000 sq km `" 511,770 sq km `# 2,230 sq km ^& slightly more than twice the size of Wyoming ^' `! 4,863 km `U Burma 1,800 km, Cambodia 803 km, Laos 1,754 km, Malaysia 506 km ^( 3,219 km ^) `$ 12 nm `I 200 nm `J 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation ^* tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March); southern isthmus always hot and humid ^+ central plain; Khorat Plateau in the east; mountains elsewhere ^, `% Gulf of Thailand 0 m `& Doi Inthanon 2,576 m ^- tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite, arable land ^. `' 29.36% `( 6.46% `) 64.18% (2001) ^/ 47,490 sq km (1998 est.) ^0 land subsidence in Bangkok area resulting from the depletion of the water table; droughts ^1 air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from organic and factory wastes; deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by illegal hunting _J `K 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 `L Law of the Sea ^2 controls only land route from Asia to Malaysia and Singapore 
]# ^3 65,444,371 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 2005 est.) ^4 `* 23.9% (male 7,988,529/female 7,633,405) `+ 68.6% (male 22,195,625/female 22,731,767) `, 7.5% (male 2,251,112/female 2,643,933) (2005 est.) ^5 `! 30.88 years `- 30.11 years `. 31.66 years (2005 est.) ^6 0.87% (2005 est.) ^7 15.7 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) ^8 7.02 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) ^9 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) ^: `/ 1.05 male(s)/female `0 1.05 male(s)/female `+ 0.98 male(s)/female `, 0.85 male(s)/female `1 0.98 male(s)/female (2005 est.) ^; `! 20.48 deaths/1,000 live births `- 21.83 deaths/1,000 live births `. 19.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) ^< `1 71.95 years `- 69.65 years `. 74.37 years (2005 est.) ^= 1.88 children born/woman (2005 est.) ^> 1.5% (2003 est.) ^? 570,000 (2003 est.) ^@ 58,000 (2003 est.) __ 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 (2004) ^A `2 Thai (singular and plural) `3 Thai ^B Thai 75%, Chinese 14%, other 11% ^C Buddhist 94.6%, Muslim 4.6%, Christian 0.7%, other 0.1% (2000 census) ^D Thai, English (secondary language of the elite), ethnic and regional dialects ^E `M age 15 and over can read and write `1 92.6% `- 94.9% `. 90.5% (2002) 
]$ ^F `4 Kingdom of Thailand `5 Thailand `X Siam ^H constitutional monarchy ^I Bangkok ^J 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 ^K 1238 (traditional founding date; never colonized) ^L Birthday of King PHUMIPHON, 5 December (1927) ^M new constitution signed by King PHUMIPHON on 11 October 1997 ^N based on civil law system, with influences of common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction ^O 18 years of age; universal and compulsory ^P `6 King PHUMIPHON Adunyadet (since 9 June 1946) `7 Prime Minister THAKSIN Chinnawat (since 9 February 2001) and Deputy Prime Ministers CHITCHAI Wannasathi (since 11 March 2005), PHINIT Charusombat (since 6 October 2004), SOMKHIT Chatusiphithak (since 11 March 2005), SURAKIAT Sathianthai (since 11 March 2005); SURIYA Chungrungruankit (since 3 August 2005), SUWAT Liptapanlop (since 3 August 2005), WISANU Kruangam (since 8 November 2003) `8 Council of Ministers note: there is also a Privy Council `9 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 ^Q bicameral National Assembly or Rathasapha consists 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) `9 Senate - last held 4 March, 29 April, 4 June, 9 July, and 22 July 2000 (next to be held by March 2006); House of Representatives - last held 6 February 2005 (next to be held in February 2009) `: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - TRT 376, DP 97, TNP 25, PP 2 ^R Supreme Court or Sandika (judges appointed by the monarch) ^S 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 [THAKSIN Chinnawat] ^T NA ^U APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, CP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC (observer), OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO ^V `N KASIT Piromya `O 1024 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 401, Washington, DC 20007-3681 `P [1] (202) 944-3600 `Q [1] (202) 944-3611 `R Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York ^W `N Ambassador Ralph L. BOYCE `Z 120/22 Wireless Road, Bangkok `[ APO AP 96546 `P [66] (2) 205-4000 `Q [66] (2) 254-2990, 205-4131 `R Chiang Mai ^X five horizontal bands of red (top), white, blue (double width), white, and red 
]% ^Y Thailand has a well developed infrastructure, a free-enterprise economy, and welcomes foreign investment. Thailand has fully recovered from the 1997-98 Asian Financial Crisis and was one of East Asia's best performers in 2002-04. Increased consumption and investment spending and strong export growth pushed GDP growth up to 6.9% in 2003 and 6.1% in 2004 despite a sluggish global economy. The highly popular government's expansionist policy, including major support of village economic development, has raised concerns about fiscal discipline and the health of financial institutions. Bangkok has pursued preferential trade agreements with a variety of partners in an effort to boost exports and maintain high growth, and in 2004 began negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement with the US. 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. ^Z $524.8 billion (2004 est.) ^[ 6.1% (2004 est.) ^\ purchasing power parity - $8,100 (2004 est.) ^] `; 9% `< 44.3% `= 46.7% (2004 est.) ^^ 36.43 million (November 2004 est.) ^_ agriculture 49%, industry 14%, services 37% (2000 est.) ^` 1.5% (November 2004 est.) ^a 10% (2004 est.) _! `> 2.8% `? 32.4% (1998) _d 51.1 (2002) _" 2.8% (2004 est.) _P 22.5% of GDP (Jan - Sep 2004 est.) _# `@ $30.86 billion `A $31.94 billion, including capital expenditures of $5 billion (2004 est.) _Q 47.6% of GDP (November 2004 est.) _$ rice, cassava (tapioca), rubber, corn, sugarcane, coconuts, soybeans _% 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 _& 8.5% (2004 est.) _' 118.9 billion kWh (2003) _( 106.1 billion kWh (2003) _) 188 million kWh (2002) _* 600 million kWh (2002) _+ 225,000 bbl/day (2004 est.) _, 785,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) _- NA _. NA _R 600 million bbl (1 January 2003) _S 18.73 billion cu m (2001 est.) _T 23.93 billion cu m (2001 est.) _U 0 cu m (2001 est.) _V 5.2 billion cu m (2001 est.) _W 368.2 billion cu m (1 January 2003) _X $6.736 billion (2004 est.) _/ $87.91 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) _0 textiles and footwear, fishery products, rice, rubber, jewelry, automobiles, computers and electrical appliances _1 US 15.9%, Japan 13.9%, China 7.3%, Singapore 7.2%, Malaysia 5.4%, Hong Kong 5.1% (2004) _2 $80.84 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) _3 capital goods, intermediate goods and raw materials, consumer goods, fuels _4 Japan 23.6%, China 8.6%, US 7.6%, Malaysia 5.8%, Singapore 4.4%, Taiwan 4.1% (2004) _Y $48.3 billion (2004) _5 $50.59 billion (2004 est.) _6 $72 million (2002) _7 baht (THB) _8 baht per US dollar - 40.222 (2004), 41.485 (2003), 42.96 (2002), 44.432 (2001), 40.112 (2000) _9 1 October - 30 September 
]& _: 6,617,400 (2003) _; 26.5 million (2005) _< `B high quality system, especially in urban areas like Bangkok; WTO requirement for privatization of telecom sector is planned to be complete by 2006 `C fixed line system provided by both a government owned and commercial provider; wireless service expanding rapidly and outpacing fixed lines `D country code - 66; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean); landing country for APCN submarine cable _= AM 204, FM 334, shortwave 6 (1999) _> 5 (all in Bangkok; plus 131 repeaters) (1997) _? .th _@ 103,700 (2003) _A 6,971,500 (2003) 
]' _e `! 4,071 km `c 4,071 km 1.000-m gauge (2004) _B `! 57,403 km `E 56,542 km `F 861 km (2000 est.) _b 4,000 km note: 3,701 km navigable by boats with drafts up to 0.9 m (2003) _[ gas 3,112 km; refined products 265 km (2004) _C Bangkok, Laem Chabang, Prachuap Port, Si Racha _K `! 386 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,038,597 GRT/3,104,712 DWT by type: bulk carrier 57, cargo 142, chemical tanker 12, combination ore/oil 1, container 21, liquefied gas 25, passenger 3, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 89, refrigerated cargo 30, roll on/roll off 1, specialized tanker 1 `S 55 (Indonesia 1, Japan 3, Norway 45, Singapore 6) `\ 35 (2005) _D 109 (2004 est.) _E `! 65 `] 7 `G 10 `^ 23 `_ 19 `T 6 (2004 est.) _L `! 44 `^ 1 `_ 15 `T 28 (2004 est.) _\ 3 (2004 est.) 
]( _F Royal Thai Army, Royal Thai Navy (includes Royal Thai Marine Corps), Royal Thai Air Force _M 21 years of age for compulsory military service; males are registered at 18 years of age; conscript service obliation - 2 years; 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2004) _] males age 21-49: 14.984 million (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 21-49: 10,342,337 (2005 est.) _^ `` 530,493 (2005 est.) _N $1.775 billion (FY00) _O 1.8% (2003) 
]) _H 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; Laos and Thailand pledge to complete demarcation of their boundary in 2005; 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 118,000 Burmese refugees in 2004; 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 _c `d 118,407 (Burma) (2004) _I 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 