Thailand
Thailand (/ˈtaɪlænd/ TY-land or /ˈtaɪlənd/ TY-lənd;[8] Thai: ประเทศไทย, RTGS: Prathet Thai), officially the Kingdom of Thailand (Thai: ราชอาณาจักรไทย, RTGS: Ratcha Anachak Thai; IPA: [râːt.tɕʰā ʔāːnāːtɕàk tʰāj] (
listen)), is a country in Southeast Asia. Its neighbours are Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Myanmar. Its name was Siam until June 1939[9] and between 1945 and May 11 1949. The word Thai (ไทย) comes from the ethnic group in the center of Thailand.
Kingdom of Thailand | |
|---|---|
.svg.png.webp) Emblem
| |
| Anthem: Phleng Chat Thai (English: "Thai National Anthem") | |
![Location of Thailand (green)in ASEAN (dark grey) — [Legend]](../I/Location_Thailand_ASEAN.svg.png.webp) | |
| Capital and largest city | Bangkok (Thai: Krung Thep)1 13°45′N 100°29′E |
| Official languages | Thai |
| Other languages | List
|
| Official scripts | Thai alphabet |
| Ethnic groups | Thai (75%) • Northeastern Thai (Isan) (34.2%) |
| Demonym(s) | Thai |
| Government | Unitary parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy |
• Monarch | Maha Vajiralongkorn |
| Srettha Thavisin | |
| Legislature | National Assembly |
| Senate | |
| House of Representatives | |
| Formation | |
• Sukhothai Kingdom | 1238–1448 |
| 1351–1767 | |
• Thonburi Kingdom | 1768–1782 |
• Rattanakosin Kingdom | 6 April 1782 |
• Constitutional monarchy | 24 June 1932 |
• 2007 Constitution | 24 August 2007 |
| Area | |
• Total | 513,120 km2 (198,120 sq mi) (51st) |
• Water (%) | 0.4 (2,230 km2) |
| Population | |
• 2011 estimate | 66,720,1532[3] (20th) |
• 2010 census | 65,479,453[4] |
• Density | 132.1/km2 (342.1/sq mi) (88th) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2011 estimate |
• Total | $616.783 billion[5] (24th) |
• Per capita | $9,598[5] (84th) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2011 estimate |
• Total | $332.47 billion[5] (30th) |
• Per capita | $5,174[5] (89th) |
| Gini (2009) | 42.5[6] medium |
| HDI (2011) |  0.682[7]medium · 103rd |
| Currency | Baht (฿) (THB) |
| Time zone | UTC+7 |
| Driving side | left |
| Calling code | +66 |
| ISO 3166 code | TH |
| Internet TLD | .th, .ไทย |
| |
.svg.png.webp)
Thailand is a constitutional monarchy. It has a King as a head of state, who is Vajiralongkorn at the moment.
Most people here (95 percent) follow the philosophy called Buddhism. Smaller number of people (4.4%), mostly to the south, follow Islam. Other religions in Thailand are Christianity, Hinduism, and Sikhism. Some Muslims in the south have begun fighting the government because they want to be more independent.
Population: the total fertility rate was 1.3 (in 2019).[10]
History
A Buddhist kingdom named Sukhothai was founded here in 1238.
A century later, a bigger kingdom named Ayuthaya appeared south of Sukhothai. Later Sukhothai became a part of Ayuthaya. Ayuthaya existed for more than 400 years before its fall by the attack of a Burmese kingdom.
A soldier of Chinese origin then founded a new capital city at Thonburi, and became King Tāksin.
The current era, Rattanakosin, started on founding Bangkok as the capital city by King Rama I of Chakri Dynasty.
Before 1932, Thailand was an absolute monarchy. On June 24, 1932, a group of people did a coup and changed Thailand to a constitutional monarchy. It was not until 1973 that Thai people voted for a Prime Minister in an election. There were coups both before and after this year.
In 1951, there was a failed coup - the Manhattan Rebellion.[11] On September 19, 2006, the army did a coup d'état and took control from Thaksin Shinawatra's government.
In May 2014, a new military coup d'état removed another government.
In October 2016, Rama X become the new king.
Between 1932 and 2014, Thailand had 12 coup d'etats.
Provinces
Thailand is made up of 76 provinces (จังหวัด, changwat), put into 5 groups. There are 2 specially governed districts: the capital Bangkok and Pattaya. The 76 provinces including Bangkok are as follows:
Central
- Ang Thong
- Bangkok (Krung Thep Maha Nakhon), Special Governed District of
- Chai Nat
- Kanchanaburi
- Lopburi
- Nakhon Nayok
- Nakhon Pathom
- Nonthaburi
- Pathum Thani
- Phetchaburi
- Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya
- Prachuap Khiri Khan
- Ratchaburi
- Samut Prakan
- Samut Sakhon
- Samut Songkhram
- Saraburi
- Sing Buri
- Suphan Buri
East
- Chachoengsao
- Chanthaburi
- Chonburi
- Prachinburi
- Rayong
- Sa Kaeo
- Trat
North
- Chiang Mai
- Chiang Rai
- Kamphaeng Phet
- Lampang
- Lamphun
- Mae Hong Son
- Nakhon Sawan
- Nan
- Phayao
- Phetchabun
- Phichit
- Phitsanulok
- Phrae
- Sukhothai
- Tak
- Uthai Thani
- Uttaradit
Northeast (Isan)
- Amnat Charoen
- Bueng Kan
- Buri Ram
- Chaiyaphum
- Kalasin
- Khon Kaen
- Loei
- Maha Sarakham
- Mukdahan
- Nakhon Phanom
- Nakhon Ratchasima
- Nong Bua Lamphu
- Nong Khai
- Roi Et
- Sakon Nakhon
- Si Sa Ket
- Surin
- Ubon Ratchathani
- Udon Thani
- Yasothon
Economy
The economy of Thailand "is based on trade and investment in the agricultural and tourism sectors, according to media.[12] In 2022, the country with investors that invested the most in Thailand, was Japan; Chinese investors had the second place.[12]
Industry had a contribution to the GDP, of 43.9 percent (in 2007), and 14 percent of the workforce are in that sector (of the economy). Within that sector, manufacturing was the biggest part, and it had a contribution (to the GDP), with 34.5 (in 2004).
In 2014, Credit Suisse reported that Thailand was the world's third most unequal country, behind Russia and India.[13] The top 10% richest held 79% of the country's assets.[13] The top 1% held 58% of the assets.[13]
References
Footnotes
- Thailand, CIA World Factbook.
- West, Barbara A. (2009), Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Asia and Oceania, Facts on File, p. 794
- . 16 July 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110716001724/http://203.113.86.149/stat/pk/pk53/pk_53.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-16.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - National Statistics Office. "100th anniversary of population censuses in Thailand: Population and housing census 2010: 11th census of Thailand" (in Thai), online accessible at: Archived 2012-07-12 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved on 30 January 2012.
- "Report for Thailand". World Economic Outlook Database. International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
- "Human Development Report". UNDP. 2009. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
- "Human Development Report 2011 – Human development statistical annex" (PDF). HDRO (Human Development Report Office) United Nations Development Programme. pp. 127–130. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
- "Merriam-Webster Online". Merriam-webster.com. 25 April 2007. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- Thailand (Siam) History, CSMngt-Thai.
- https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2264075/low-birth-rate-worries-experts. Retrieved 15 Februar 2022
- Limited, Bangkok Post Public Company. "Shifting Thai alliances in the 21st century". Bangkok Post.
- https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2599545/horns-of-a-dilemma. Bangkok Post. Retrieved 2023-06-26
- พงศ์พิพัฒน์ บัญชานนท์ (18 June 2017). ยิ่งนานยิ่งถ่าง ช่องว่างทางรายได้ ปัญหาใหญ่ที่รอ คสช. แก้. BBC Thailand (in Thai). Archived from the original on 14 May 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
Further reading
- The United States CIA website Archived 2005-06-12 at the Wayback Machine
Other websites
- Thaigov.go.th Royal Government of Thailand
- Tourism Authority of Thailand Official tourism website
- Thai National Assembly Archived 2008-05-13 at the Wayback Machine Official Thai Parliament website
- Mfa.go.th Thailand Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Birdwatching in Thailand
- Learn Thai Culture.com
- CIA - The World Factbook - Thailand Archived 2010-12-29 at the Wayback Machine
- Thailand Country Fact Sheet from the Common Language Project
- Longdo Map Thailand On-line Thailand map
- Holidays Thailand Archived 2008-04-11 at the Wayback Machine Holidays In Thailand