Two unified Thai kingdoms emerged in the mid-13th century. The Sukhothai, located in the south-central plains, gained its independence from the Khmer empire to the east. By the late 13th century, Sukhothai’s territory extended into present-day Burma and Laos. Sukhotai lasted until the mid-15th century. The Thai Lan Na kingdom was established in the north with its capital at Chang Mai. Lan Na was conquered by the Burmese in the 16th century. The Ayutthaya kingdom (14th-18th centuries) succeeded the Sukhothai and would become known as the Siamese Kingdom. During the Ayutthaya period, the Thai/Siamese peoples consolidated their hold on what is present-day central and north-central Thailand. Following a military defeat at the hands of the Burmese in 1767, the Siamese Kingdom rose to new heights under the military ruler TAKSIN, who defeated the Burmese occupiers and expanded the kingdom’s territory into modern-day northern Thailand (formerly the Lan Na kingdom), Cambodia, Laos, and the Malay Peninsula. The kingdom fought off additional Burmese invasions and raids in the late 1700s and early 1800s. In the mid-1800s, Western pressure led to Siam signing trade treaties that reduced the country’s sovereignty and independence. In the 1890s and 1900s, the British and French forced the kingdom to cede Cambodian, Laotian, and Malay territories that had been under Siamese control.
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. The military-affiliated National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), led by PRAYUT as the appointed minister, ruled the country for more than four years, during which time the NCPO drafted a new constitution guaranteeing military sway over Thai politics in future elections by allowing the military to appoint the entire 250 member Senate and requiring a joint meeting of the House and Senate to select the prime minister, effectively giving the military a veto over the top executive. King PHUMIPHON Adunyadet passed away in October 2016 after 70 years on the throne; his only son, WACHIRALONGKON Bodinthrathepphayawarangkun (aka King Rama X), ascended the throne in December 2016. He signed the new constitution in April 2017. A long-delayed election in March 2019, disputed and widely viewed as skewed in favor of the party aligned with the military, allowed PRAYUT to continue his premiership. The country experienced large-scale pro-democracy protests in 2020.
" } }, "Geography": { "Location": { "text": "Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma" }, "Geographic coordinates": { "text": "15 00 N, 100 00 E" }, "Map references": { "text": "Southeast Asia" }, "Area": { "total": { "text": "513,120 sq km" }, "land": { "text": "510,890 sq km" }, "water": { "text": "2,230 sq km" } }, "Area - comparative": { "text": "about three times the size of Florida; slightly more than twice the size of Wyoming" }, "Land boundaries": { "total": { "text": "5,673 km" }, "border countries": { "text": "Burma 2,416 km; Cambodia 817 km; Laos 1,845 km; Malaysia 595 km" } }, "Coastline": { "text": "3,219 km" }, "Maritime claims": { "territorial sea": { "text": "12 nm" }, "exclusive economic zone": { "text": "200 nm" }, "continental shelf": { "text": "200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation" } }, "Climate": { "text": "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": { "text": "central plain; Khorat Plateau in the east; mountains elsewhere" }, "Elevation": { "highest point": { "text": "Doi Inthanon 2,565 m" }, "lowest point": { "text": "Gulf of Thailand 0 m" }, "mean elevation": { "text": "287 m" } }, "Natural resources": { "text": "tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite, arable land" }, "Land use": { "agricultural land": { "text": "41.2% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: arable land": { "text": "arable land: 30.8% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent crops": { "text": "permanent crops: 8.8% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent pasture": { "text": "permanent pasture: 1.6% (2018 est.)" }, "forest": { "text": "37.2% (2018 est.)" }, "other": { "text": "21.6% (2018 est.)" } }, "Irrigated land": { "text": "64,150 sq km (2012)" }, "Major lakes (area sq km)": { "Salt water lake(s)": { "text": "Thalesap Songkhla - 1,290 sq km" } }, "Major rivers (by length in km)": { "text": "Mekong (shared with China [s], Burma, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam [m]) - 4,350 km; Salween (shared with China [s] and Burma [m]) - 3,060 km; Mun - 1,162 kmThailand has experienced a substantial fertility decline since the 1960s largely due to the nationwide success of its voluntary family planning program. In just one generation, the total fertility rate (TFR) shrank from 6.5 children per woman in 1960s to below the replacement level of 2.1 in the late 1980s. Reduced fertility occurred among all segments of the Thai population, despite disparities between urban and rural areas in terms of income, education, and access to public services. The country’s “reproductive revolution” gained momentum in the 1970s as a result of the government’s launch of an official population policy to reduce population growth, the introduction of new forms of birth control, and the assistance of foreign non-government organizations. Contraceptive use rapidly increased as new ways were developed to deliver family planning services to Thailand’s then overwhelmingly rural population. The contraceptive prevalence rate increased from just 14% in 1970 to 58% in 1981 and has remained about 80% since 2000.
Thailand’s receptiveness to family planning reflects the predominant faith, Theravada Buddhism, which emphasizes individualism, personal responsibility, and independent decision-making. Thai women have more independence and a higher status than women in many other developing countries and are not usually pressured by their husbands or other family members about family planning decisions. Thailand’s relatively egalitarian society also does not have the son preference found in a number of other Asian countries; most Thai ideally want one child of each sex.
Because of its low fertility rate, increasing life expectancy, and growing elderly population, Thailand has become an aging society that will face growing labor shortages. The proportion of the population under 15 years of age has shrunk dramatically, the proportion of working-age individuals has peaked and is starting to decrease, and the proportion of elderly is growing rapidly. In the short-term, Thailand will have to improve educational quality to increase the productivity of its workforce and to compete globally in skills-based industries. An increasing reliance on migrant workers will be necessary to mitigate labor shortfalls.
Thailand is a destination, transit, and source country for migrants. It has 3-4 million migrant workers as of 2017, mainly providing low-skilled labor in the construction, agriculture, manufacturing, services, and fishing and seafood processing sectors. Migrant workers from other Southeast Asian countries with lower wages – primarily Burma and, to a lesser extent, Laos and Cambodia – have been coming to Thailand for decades to work in labor-intensive industries. Many are undocumented and are vulnerable to human trafficking for forced labor, especially in the fisheries industry, or sexual exploitation. A July 2017 migrant worker law stiffening fines on undocumented workers and their employers, prompted tens of thousands of migrants to go home. Fearing a labor shortage, the Thai Government has postponed implementation of the law until January 2018 and is rapidly registering workers. Thailand has also hosted ethnic minority refugees from Burma for more than 30 years; as of 2016, approximately 105,000 mainly Karen refugees from Burma were living in nine camps along the Thailand-Burma border.
Thailand has a significant amount of internal migration, most often from rural areas to urban centers, where there are more job opportunities. Low- and semi-skilled Thais also go abroad to work, mainly in Asia and a smaller number in the Middle East and Africa, primarily to more economically developed countries where they can earn higher wages.
" }, "Age structure": { "0-14 years": { "text": "16.45% (male 5,812,803/female 5,533,772)" }, "15-24 years": { "text": "13.02% (male 4,581,622/female 4,400,997)" }, "25-54 years": { "text": "45.69% (male 15,643,583/female 15,875,353)" }, "55-64 years": { "text": "13.01% (male 4,200,077/female 4,774,801)" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "11.82% (male 3,553,273/female 4,601,119) (2020 est.)" } }, "Dependency ratios": { "total dependency ratio": { "text": "41.9" }, "youth dependency ratio": { "text": "23.5" }, "elderly dependency ratio": { "text": "18.4" }, "potential support ratio": { "text": "5.4 (2020 est.)" } }, "Median age": { "total": { "text": "39 years" }, "male": { "text": "37.8 years" }, "female": { "text": "40.1 years (2020 est.)" } }, "Population growth rate": { "text": "0.26% (2021 est.)" }, "Birth rate": { "text": "10.14 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)" }, "Death rate": { "text": "7.76 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)" }, "Net migration rate": { "text": "-0.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)" }, "Population distribution": { "text": "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" }, "Urbanization": { "urban population": { "text": "52.9% of total population (2022)" }, "rate of urbanization": { "text": "1.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)" } }, "Major urban areas - population": { "text": "10.900 million BANGKOK (capital), 1.436 Chon Buri, 1.342 million Samut Prakan, 1.198 million Chiang Mai, 992,000 Songkla, 988,000 Nothaburi (2022)" }, "Sex ratio": { "at birth": { "text": "1.05 male(s)/female" }, "0-14 years": { "text": "1.05 male(s)/female" }, "15-24 years": { "text": "1.04 male(s)/female" }, "25-54 years": { "text": "0.99 male(s)/female" }, "55-64 years": { "text": "0.88 male(s)/female" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "0.77 male(s)/female" }, "total population": { "text": "0.96 male(s)/female (2020 est.)" } }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "23.3 years (2009 est.)" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "37 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" }, "Infant mortality rate": { "total": { "text": "6.58 deaths/1,000 live births" }, "male": { "text": "7.2 deaths/1,000 live births" }, "female": { "text": "5.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)" } }, "Life expectancy at birth": { "total population": { "text": "77.41 years" }, "male": { "text": "74.39 years" }, "female": { "text": "80.6 years (2021 est.)" } }, "Total fertility rate": { "text": "1.54 children born/woman (2021 est.)" }, "Contraceptive prevalence rate": { "text": "73% (2019)" }, "Drinking water source": { "improved: urban": { "text": "urban: 100% of population" }, "improved: rural": { "text": "rural: 100% of population" }, "improved: total": { "text": "total: 100% of population" }, "unimproved: urban": { "text": "urban: 0% of population" }, "unimproved: rural": { "text": "rural: 0% of population" }, "unimproved: total": { "text": "total: 0% of population (2020 est.)" } }, "Current Health Expenditure": { "text": "3.8% (2019)" }, "Physicians density": { "text": "0.81 physicians/1,000 population (2018)" }, "Sanitation facility access": { "improved: urban": { "text": "urban: 99.9% of population" }, "improved: rural": { "text": "rural: 100% of population" }, "improved: total": { "text": "total: 100% of population" }, "unimproved: urban": { "text": "urban: 0.1% of population" }, "unimproved: rural": { "text": "rural: 0% of population" }, "unimproved: total": { "text": "total: 0% of population (2020 est.)" } }, "HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate": { "text": "1% (2020 est.)" }, "HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS": { "text": "500,000 (2020 est.)" }, "HIV/AIDS - deaths": { "text": "12,000 (2020 est.)" }, "Major infectious diseases": { "degree of risk": { "text": "very high (2020)" }, "food or waterborne diseases": { "text": "bacterial diarrhea" }, "vectorborne diseases": { "text": "dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, and malaria" } }, "Obesity - adult prevalence rate": { "text": "10% (2016)" }, "Children under the age of 5 years underweight": { "text": "7.7% (2019)" }, "Education expenditures": { "text": "3% of GDP (2019)" }, "Literacy": { "definition": { "text": "age 15 and over can read and write" }, "total population": { "text": "93.8%" }, "male": { "text": "95.2%" }, "female": { "text": "92.4% (2018)" } }, "School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)": { "total": { "text": "15 years" }, "male": { "text": "15 years" }, "female": { "text": "16 years (2016)" } }, "Unemployment, youth ages 15-24": { "total": { "text": "5.2%" }, "male": { "text": "4.6%" }, "female": { "text": "5.9% (2020 est.)" } } }, "Environment": { "Environment - current issues": { "text": "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" }, "Environment - international agreements": { "party to": { "text": "Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands" }, "signed, but not ratified": { "text": "none of the selected agreements" } }, "Air pollutants": { "particulate matter emissions": { "text": "26.23 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)" }, "carbon dioxide emissions": { "text": "283.76 megatons (2016 est.)" }, "methane emissions": { "text": "86.98 megatons (2020 est.)" } }, "Climate": { "text": "tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March); southern isthmus always hot and humid" }, "Land use": { "agricultural land": { "text": "41.2% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: arable land": { "text": "arable land: 30.8% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent crops": { "text": "permanent crops: 8.8% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent pasture": { "text": "permanent pasture: 1.6% (2018 est.)" }, "forest": { "text": "37.2% (2018 est.)" }, "other": { "text": "21.6% (2018 est.)" } }, "Urbanization": { "urban population": { "text": "52.9% of total population (2022)" }, "rate of urbanization": { "text": "1.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)" } }, "Revenue from forest resources": { "forest revenues": { "text": "0.34% of GDP (2018 est.)" } }, "Revenue from coal": { "coal revenues": { "text": "0.03% of GDP (2018 est.)" } }, "Major infectious diseases": { "degree of risk": { "text": "very high (2020)" }, "food or waterborne diseases": { "text": "bacterial diarrhea" }, "vectorborne diseases": { "text": "dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, and malaria" } }, "Waste and recycling": { "municipal solid waste generated annually": { "text": "26,853,366 tons (2015 est.)" }, "municipal solid waste recycled annually": { "text": "5,128,993 tons (2012 est.)" }, "percent of municipal solid waste recycled": { "text": "19.1% (2012 est.)" } }, "Major lakes (area sq km)": { "Salt water lake(s)": { "text": "Thalesap Songkhla - 1,290 sq km" } }, "Major rivers (by length in km)": { "text": "Mekong (shared with China [s], Burma, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam [m]) - 4,350 km; Salween (shared with China [s] and Burma [m]) - 3,060 km; Mun - 1,162 kmWith 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.
" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020": { "text": "$1,206,620,000,000 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019": { "text": "$1,284,830,000,000 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018": { "text": "$1,256,360,000,000 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)" }, "note": "note: data are in 2010 dollars" }, "Real GDP growth rate": { "Real GDP growth rate 2019": { "text": "2.62% (2019 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2018": { "text": "4.31% (2018 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2017": { "text": "4.26% (2017 est.)" } }, "Real GDP per capita": { "Real GDP per capita 2020": { "text": "$17,300 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2019": { "text": "$18,500 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2018": { "text": "$18,100 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)" }, "note": "note: data are in 2010 dollars" }, "GDP (official exchange rate)": { "text": "$543.798 billion (2019 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices)": { "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019": { "text": "0.7% (2019 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018": { "text": "1% (2018 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017": { "text": "0.6% (2017 est.)" } }, "Credit ratings": { "Fitch rating": { "text": "BBB+ (2013)" }, "Moody's rating": { "text": "Baa1 (2003)" }, "Standard & Poors rating": { "text": "BBB+ (2004)" } }, "GDP - composition, by sector of origin": { "agriculture": { "text": "8.2% (2017 est.)" }, "industry": { "text": "36.2% (2017 est.)" }, "services": { "text": "55.6% (2017 est.)" } }, "GDP - composition, by end use": { "household consumption": { "text": "48.8% (2017 est.)" }, "government consumption": { "text": "16.4% (2017 est.)" }, "investment in fixed capital": { "text": "23.2% (2017 est.)" }, "investment in inventories": { "text": "-0.4% (2017 est.)" }, "exports of goods and services": { "text": "68.2% (2017 est.)" }, "imports of goods and services": { "text": "-54.6% (2017 est.)" } }, "Agricultural products": { "text": "sugar cane, cassava, rice, oil palm fruit, rubber, maize, tropical fruit, poultry, pineapples, mangoes/guavas" }, "Industries": { "text": "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" }, "Industrial production growth rate": { "text": "1.6% (2017 est.)" }, "Labor force": { "text": "37.546 million (2020 est.)" }, "Labor force - by occupation": { "agriculture": { "text": "31.8%" }, "industry": { "text": "16.7%" }, "services": { "text": "51.5% (2015 est.)" } }, "Unemployment rate": { "Unemployment rate 2019": { "text": "0.99% (2019 est.)" }, "Unemployment rate 2018": { "text": "1.06% (2018 est.)" } }, "Unemployment, youth ages 15-24": { "total": { "text": "5.2%" }, "male": { "text": "4.6%" }, "female": { "text": "5.9% (2020 est.)" } }, "Population below poverty line": { "text": "9.9% (2018 est.)" }, "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income": { "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2018": { "text": "36.4 (2018 est.)" }, "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2011": { "text": "48.4 (2011)" } }, "Household income or consumption by percentage share": { "lowest 10%": { "text": "2.8%" }, "highest 10%": { "text": "31.5% (2009 est.)" } }, "Budget": { "revenues": { "text": "69.23 billion (2017 est.)" }, "expenditures": { "text": "85.12 billion (2017 est.)" } }, "Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)": { "text": "-3.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)" }, "Public debt": { "Public debt 2017": { "text": "41.9% of GDP (2017 est.)" }, "Public debt 2016": { "text": "41.8% of GDP (2016 est.)" }, "note": "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" }, "Taxes and other revenues": { "text": "15.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)" }, "Fiscal year": { "text": "1 October - 30 September" }, "Current account balance": { "Current account balance 2019": { "text": "$37.033 billion (2019 est.)" }, "Current account balance 2018": { "text": "$28.423 billion (2018 est.)" } }, "Exports": { "Exports 2020": { "text": "$258.42 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)" }, "Exports 2019": { "text": "$323.88 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)" }, "Exports 2018": { "text": "$328.58 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)" } }, "Exports - partners": { "text": "United States 13%, China 12%, Japan 10%, Vietnam 5% (2019)" }, "Exports - commodities": { "text": "office machinery/parts, cars and vehicle parts, integrated circuits, delivery trucks, gold (2019)" }, "Imports": { "Imports 2020": { "text": "$233.75 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)" }, "Imports 2019": { "text": "$272.83 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)" }, "Imports 2018": { "text": "$283.66 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)" } }, "Imports - partners": { "text": "China 22%, Japan 14%, United States 7%, Malaysia 6% (2019)" }, "Imports - commodities": { "text": "crude petroleum, integrated circuits, natural gas, vehicle parts, gold (2019)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold": { "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017": { "text": "$202.6 billion (31 December 2017 est.)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016": { "text": "$171.9 billion (31 December 2016 est.)" } }, "Debt - external": { "Debt - external 2019": { "text": "$167.89 billion (2019 est.)" }, "Debt - external 2018": { "text": "$158.964 billion (2018 est.)" } }, "Exchange rates": { "currency": { "text": "baht per US dollar -" }, "Exchange rates 2020": { "text": "30.03 (2020 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2019": { "text": "30.29749 (2019 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2018": { "text": "32.8075 (2018 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2014": { "text": "34.248 (2014 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2013": { "text": "32.48 (2013 est.)" } } }, "Energy": { "Electricity access": { "electrification - total population": { "text": "100% (2020)" } }, "Electricity - production": { "text": "181.5 billion kWh (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - consumption": { "text": "187.7 billion kWh (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - exports": { "text": "2.267 billion kWh (2015 est.)" }, "Electricity - imports": { "text": "19.83 billion kWh (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - installed generating capacity": { "text": "44.89 million kW (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - from fossil fuels": { "text": "76% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - from nuclear fuels": { "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)" }, "Electricity - from hydroelectric plants": { "text": "8% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)" }, "Electricity - from other renewable sources": { "text": "16% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)" }, "Crude oil - production": { "text": "228,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)" }, "Crude oil - exports": { "text": "790 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Crude oil - imports": { "text": "875,400 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Crude oil - proved reserves": { "text": "349.4 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - production": { "text": "1.328 million bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - consumption": { "text": "1.326 million bbl/day (2016 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - exports": { "text": "278,300 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - imports": { "text": "134,200 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Natural gas - production": { "text": "38.59 billion cu m (2017 est.)" }, "Natural gas - consumption": { "text": "52.64 billion cu m (2017 est.)" }, "Natural gas - exports": { "text": "0 cu m (2017 est.)" }, "Natural gas - imports": { "text": "14.41 billion cu m (2017 est.)" }, "Natural gas - proved reserves": { "text": "193.4 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)" } }, "Communications": { "Telephones - fixed lines": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "5.003 million (2020)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "7.17 (2020 est.)" } }, "Telephones - mobile cellular": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "116.294 million (2020)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "166.6 (2020 est.)" } }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { "text": "high-quality system, especially in urban areas; mobile and mobile broadband penetration are on the increase; FttH has strong growth in cities; 4G-LTE available with adoption of 5G services; seven smart cities with aim for 100 smart cities by 2024; one of the biggest e-commerce markets in Southeast Asia; fixed-broadband and mobile marketplace on par with other developed Asian markets; development of Asian data center underway; Internet connectivity supported by international bandwidth to Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong, and terrestrial cables with neighboring countries; two more submarine cables under construction with anticipated landings in 2022; government restricts Internet and freedom of press, with additional constraints in response to pandemic-related criticism in 2020; importer of broadcasting equipment and integrated circuits from China and export of same to neighboring countries in Asia (2020)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line system provided by both a government-owned and commercial provider; wireless service expanding; fixed-line over 7 per 100 and mobile-cellular nearly 167 per 100 (2020)" }, "international": { "text": "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)" }, "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "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": { "text": ".th" }, "Internet users": { "total": { "text": "48.59 million (2021 est.)" }, "percent of population": { "text": "77.84% (2020 est.)" } }, "Broadband - fixed subscriptions": { "total": { "text": "11,599,513 (2020)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "16.62 (2020 est.)" } } }, "Transportation": { "National air transport system": { "number of registered air carriers": { "text": "15 (2020)" }, "inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers": { "text": "283" }, "annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers": { "text": "76,053,042 (2018)" }, "annual freight traffic on registered air carriers": { "text": "2,666,260,000 mt-km (2018)" } }, "Civil aircraft registration country code prefix": { "text": "HS" }, "Airports": { "total": { "text": "101 (2013)" } }, "Airports - with paved runways": { "total": { "text": "63" }, "over 3,047 m": { "text": "8" }, "2,438 to 3,047 m": { "text": "12" }, "1,524 to 2,437 m": { "text": "23" }, "914 to 1,523 m": { "text": "14" }, "under 914 m": { "text": "6 (2013)" } }, "Airports - with unpaved runways": { "total": { "text": "38" }, "2,438 to 3,047 m": { "text": "1" }, "1,524 to 2,437 m": { "text": "1" }, "914 to 1,523 m": { "text": "10" }, "under 914 m": { "text": "26 (2013)" } }, "Heliports": { "text": "7 (2013)" }, "Pipelines": { "text": "2 km condensate, 5900 km gas, 85 km liquid petroleum gas, 1 km oil, 1097 km refined products (2013)" }, "Railways": { "total": { "text": "4,127 km (2017)" }, "standard gauge": { "text": "84 km 1.435-m gauge (84 km electrified) (2017)" }, "narrow gauge": { "text": "4,043 km 1.000-m gauge (2017)" } }, "Roadways": { "total": { "text": "180,053 km (includes 450 km of expressways) (2006)" } }, "Waterways": { "text": "4,000 km (3,701 km navigable by boats with drafts up to 0.9 m) (2011)" }, "Merchant marine": { "total": { "text": "839" }, "by type": { "text": "bulk carrier 26, container ship 27, general cargo 94, oil tanker 251, other 441 (2021)" } }, "Ports and terminals": { "major seaport(s)": { "text": "Bangkok, Laem Chabang, Map Ta Phut, Prachuap Port, Si Racha" }, "container port(s) (TEUs)": { "text": "Laem Chabang (8,106,928) (2019)" }, "LNG terminal(s) (import)": { "text": "Map Ta Phut" } } }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { "text": "Royal Thai Armed Forces (Kongthap Thai, RTARF): Royal Thai Army (Kongthap Bok Thai, RTA), Royal Thai Navy (Kongthap Ruea Thai, RTN; includes Royal Thai Marine Corps), Royal Thai Air Force (Kongthap Akaat Thai, RTAF); Office of the Prime Minister: Royal Thai Police; Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC; oversees counter-insurgency operations, as well as countering terrorism, narcotics and weapons trafficking, and other internal security duties; primarily run by the Army) (2021)", "note": "note(s) - official paramilitary forces in Thailand include the Thai Rangers (Thahan Phran or \"Hunter Soldiers\") under the Army; the Paramilitary Marines under the Navy; the Border Patrol Police (BPP) under the Royal Thai Police; the Volunteer Defense Corps (VDC or O So) and National Defense Volunteers (NDV), both under the Ministry of Interior; there are also several government-backed volunteer militias created to provide village security against insurgents in the deep south or to assist the ISOC" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2021": { "text": "1.3% of GDP (2021 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2020": { "text": "1.4% of GDP (2020)" }, "Military Expenditures 2019": { "text": "1.3% of GDP (2019)" }, "Military Expenditures 2018": { "text": "1.3% of GDP (2018)" }, "Military Expenditures 2017": { "text": "1.4% of GDP (2017)" } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { "text": "estimates vary widely; approximately 300,000 active duty personnel (200,000 Army; 70,000 Navy; 30,000 Air Force); est. 20,000 Thai Rangers; est. 5,000 Internal Security Operations Command (2021)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the RTARF has a diverse array of foreign-supplied weapons systems, including a large amount of obsolescent or second-hand US equipment; since 2010, Thailand has received military equipment from nearly 20 countries with China, South Korea, Sweden, Ukraine, and the US as the leading suppliers (2021)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "18 years of age for voluntary military service (men and women); 21 years of age for compulsory military service (men only); males register at 18 years of age; 2-year conscript service obligation varies by educational qualifications (2021)", "note": "note(s) - information varies, but conscripts reportedly comprise as much as 50% of the RTARF; around 100,000 males are drafted each year; as of 2020, women comprised about 8% of active military personnel" }, "Military deployments": { "text": "275 South Sudan (UNMISS) (Dec 2021)" }, "Military - note": { "text": "including the most recent in 2014, the military has attempted more than 20 coups since the fall of absolute monarchy in 1932Thailand has Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with the US; MNNA is a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation; while MNNA status provides military and economic privileges, it does not entail any security commitments
" } }, "Transnational Issues": { "Disputes - international": { "text": "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
" }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { "text": "91,479 (Burma) (2021)" }, "IDPs": { "text": "41,000" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "554,103 (mid-year 2021) (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": "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)" }, "Illicit drugs": { "text": "a minor producer of opium, heroin, and cannabis products; major part of the illegal drug market for the Southeast Asia region and the interconnected markets in East Asia and Oceania; transit point for illicit heroin en route to the international drug market from Burma and Laos; . “Yaba,” a tablet containing methamphetamine, caffeine, and other stimulants, is the most widely abused drug in Thailand" } } }