THAILAND
Area:
total: 514,000 sq km
land: 511,770 sq km
water: 2,230 sq km
Area—comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Wyoming
Coastline: 3,219 km
Climate: tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March); southern isthmus always hot and humid
Terrain: central plain; Khorat Plateau in the east; mountains elsewhere
Natural resources: tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite
Environment—current issues: air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from organic and factory wastes; deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by illegal hunting
Age structure:
0-14 years: 24% (male 7,440,863; female 7,169,837)
15-64 years: 70% (male 20,605,197; female 21,210,697)
65 years and over: 6% (male 1,596,267; female 2,014,505) (July
1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.97% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 16.76 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 7.11 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 30.82 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69 years
male: 65.35 years
female: 72.83 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.84 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Ethnic groups: Thai 75%, Chinese 14%, other 11%
Religions: Buddhism 95%, Muslim 3.8%, Christianity 0.5%, Hinduism 0.1%, other 0.6% (1991)
Languages: Thai, English (secondary language of the elite), ethnic and regional dialects
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.8%
male: 96%
female: 91.6% (1995 est.)
Independence: 1238 (traditional founding date; never colonized)
National holiday: Birthday of His Majesty the King, 5 December (1927)
Constitution: new constitution signed by King PHUMIPHON on 11 October 1997
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Political parties and leaders: Thai Nation Party (TNP or Chat Thai Party), BANHAN Sinlapa-acha; Democratic Party (DP or Prachathipat Party), CHUAN Likphai; New Aspiration Party (NAP or Khwamwang Mai), Gen. CHAWALIT Yongchaiyut; National Development Party (NDP or Chat Phattana), leader NA; Phalang Dharma Party (PDP or Phalang Tham), SUDARAT Keyuraphan; Social Action Party (SAP or Kitsangkhom Party), MONTRI Phongphanit; Thai Citizen's Party (TCP or Prachakon Thai), SAMAK Sunthonwet; Liberal Democratic Party (LDP or Seri Tham), PHINIT Charusombat; Solidarity Party (SP or Ekkaphap Party), UTHAI Phimchaichon; Mass Party (MP or Muanchon), Pol. Cpt. CHALOEM Yubamrung
GDP—real growth rate: -0.4% (1997 est.)
GDP—composition by sector:
agriculture: 10%
industry: 28.7%
services: 61.3% (1997)
Agriculture—products: rice, cassava (tapioca), rubber, corn, sugarcane, coconuts, soybeans
Exports:
total value: $51.6 billion (f.o.b., 1997)
commodities: manufactures 82%, agricultural products and fisheries
14% (1997)
partners: US 19.6%, Japan 14.9%, Singapore 11%, Hong Kong 5.7%,
Malaysia 4.3%, UK 3.7% (1997)
Imports:
total value: $73.5 billion (c.i.f., 1996)
commodities: capital goods 50%, consumer goods 10.2%, fuels
8.7% (1997)
partners: Japan 25.6%, US 13.9%, Singapore 5%, Taiwan 4.6%,
Germany 4.5%, Malaysia 4.1% (1997)
Debt—external: $90 billion (1997)
Currency: 1 baht (B) = 100 satang
Military manpower—fit for military service:
males: 10,435,956 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures—dollar figure: $4 billion (FY95/96)
Military expenditures—percent of GDP: 2.5% (FY94/95)