Thailand

constitutional monarchyIndependence 1238 (traditional founding date)

Thailand as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 74 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalBangkok
Area514,000 km2
1990

Every edition of Thailand

Populationas each edition published it
55.12 million July 1990 · 70.03m in 2025
Population growth% a year
Not in this edition 1.36% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 30.1 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
Not in this edition 68.28 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
2.1 children per woman 1990 · 1.55 in 2025
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
34 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 6.2 in 2025
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
Not in this edition $1,800 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
Not in this edition 7% in 1993

Geography

14 fields

Land useshare of 514,000 km2

arable land 34%permanent crops 4%meadows and pastures 1%forest and woodland 30%other 31%includes 7% irrigated
Total area
514,000km2
land area: 511,770 km2Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Wyoming
Coastline
3,219km
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Land boundaries
4,863km total
Burma 1,800 km, Cambodia 803 km, Laos 1,754 km, Malaysia 506 km

Continental shelf

not specific;

Disputes

boundary dispute with Laos

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;
  • eastern plateau (Khorat);
  • mountains elsewhere

Natural resources

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

Environment

air and water pollution; land subsidence in Bangkok area

Note

controls only land route from Asia to Malaysia and Singapore

People

14 fields
Population
55,115,683
(July 1990), growth rate 1.3% (1990)

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth
20Death
7Net migration
0

Ethnic divisions

Thai 75%Chinese 14%other 11%

Religion

Buddhist 95.5%Muslim 4%other 0.5%

Infant mortality rate

34 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth

64 years male, 70 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate

2.1 children born/woman (1990)

Nationality

noun--Thai (sing. and pl.); adjective--Thai

Language

  • Thai;
  • English is the secondary language of the elite;
  • ethnic and regional dialects

Labor force

26,000,000; 73% agriculture, 11% industry and commerce, 10% services, 6% government (1984)

Organized labor

300,000 union members (1986)

Government

Constitutional monarchy

17 fields

House of Representatives, 357 seats, elected 24 July 1988seats by party

TNP 96Solidarity 62SAP 54DP 48TCP 31People's Party (Ratsadon) 21People's Party (Prachachon) 17Force of Truth Party (Phalang Dharma) 14United Democracy Party 5Mass Party 5others 4

Percent of vote

TNP 27%SAP 15%DP 13%TCP 9%others 36%

Long-form name

Kingdom of Thailand

Type

constitutional monarchy

Capital

Bangkok

Administrative divisions

73 provinces (changwat, singular and plural); 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, Lampang, Lamphun, Loei, Lop Buri, Mae Hong Son, Maha Sarakham, Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon Phanom, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon Sawan, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Nan, Narathiwat, 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, 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

Independence

1238 (traditional founding date); never colonized

Constitution

22 December 1978

National holiday

Birthday of His Majesty the King, 5 December (1927)

Executive branch

monarch, prime minister, three deputy prime ministers, Council of Ministers (cabinet), Privy Council

Legislative branch

bicameral National Assembly (Ratha Satha) consists of an upper house or Senate (Woothi Satha) and a lower house or House of Representatives (Satha Poothan)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Sarn Dika) Chief of State--King BHUMIBOL ADULYADEJ (since 9 June 1946); Heir Apparent Crown Prince VAJIRALONGKORN (born 28 July 1952); Head of Government Prime Minister Maj. Gen. CHATCHAI CHUNHAWAN (since 9 August 1988); Deputy Prime Minister CHUAN LIKPHAI

Political parties and leaders

Democrat Party (DP), Social Action Party (SAP), Thai Nation Party (TNP), People's Party (Ratsadon), People's Party (Prachachon), Thai Citizens Party (TCP), United Democracy Party, Solidarity Party, Thai People's Party, Mass Party, Force of Truth Party (Phalang Dharma)

Suffrage

  • universal at age 21 House of Representatives--last held 24 July 1988 (next to be held within 90 days of July 1992);
  • results--TNP 27%, SAP 15%, DP 13%, TCP 9%, others 36%;
  • seats--(357 total) TNP 96, Solidarity 62, SAP 54, DP 48, TCP 31, People's Party (Ratsadon) 21, People's Party (Prachachon) 17, Force of Truth Party (Phalang Dharma) 14, United Democracy Party 5, Mass Party 5, others 4

Communists

illegal Communist party has 500 to 1,000 members (est.); armed Communist insurgents throughout Thailand total 300 to 500 (est.)

Member of

ADB, ANRPC, ASEAN, ASPAC, Association of Tin Producing Countries, CCC, Colombo Plan, GATT, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INRO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITC, ITU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation

  • Ambassador VITTHYA VEJJAJIVA;
  • Embassy at 2300 Kalorama Road NW, Washington DC 20008;
  • telephone (202) 483-7200;
  • there are Thai Consulates General in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York;
  • US--Ambassador Daniel O'DONAHUE;
  • Embassy at 95 Wireless Road, Bangkok (mailing address is APO San Francisco 96346);
  • telephone [66] (2) 252-5040;
  • there is a US Consulate General in Chiang Mai and Consulates in Songkhla and Udorn

Flag

five horizontal bands of red (top), white, blue (double width), white, and red

Economy

Thailand, one of the more advanced developing countries in Asia, enjoyed its second straight exceptionally prosperous year in 1989.

17 fields
Unemployment rate
6%
(1989 est.)
External debt
$18.5billion
(December 1989 est.)

Exports $19.9 billion (f.o.b., 1989)commodities, where a share is given

textiles
12%fishery products
12%rice
8%tapioca
8%jewelry
6%
also manufactured gas, corn, tin; partners--US 18%, Japan 14%, Singapore 9%, Netherlands, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China (1988)

Imports $25.1 billion (c.i.f., 1989)

machinery and parts
23%petroleum products
13%chemicals
11%
also iron and steel, electrical appliances; partners--Japan 26%, US 14%, Singapore 7%, FRG, Malaysia, UK (1987)

Budget

Revenues
$12.1 billionExpenditures
$9.7 billion
expenditures, including capital expenditures of NA (FY89)

Overview

Thailand, one of the more advanced developing countries in Asia, enjoyed its second straight exceptionally prosperous year in 1989. Real output again rose about 11%. The increasingly sophisticated manufacturing sector benefited from export-oriented investment, and agriculture grew by 4.0% because of improved weather.

The trade deficit of $5.2 billion was more than offset by earnings from tourism ($3.9 billion), remittances, and net capital inflows. The government has followed a fairly sound fiscal and monetary policy, aided by increased tax receipts from the fast-moving economy. In 1989 the government approved new projects--roads, ports, electric power, communications--needed to refurbish the now overtaxed infrastructure.

Although growth in 1990-91 must necessarily fall below the 1988-89 pace, Thailand's immediate economic outlook is good, assuming the continuation of prudent government policies in the context of a private-sector-oriented development strategy.

GNP

$64.5 billion, per capita $1,160; real growth rate 10.8% (1989 est.)

Industrial production

growth rate 12.5% (1989)

Electricity

7,100,000 kW capacity; 28,000 million kWh produced, 500 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

  • tourism is the largest source of foreign exchange;
  • textiles and garments, agricultural processing, beverages, tobacco, cement, other light manufacturing, such as jewelry;
  • electric appliances and components, integrated circuits, furniture, plastics;
  • world's second-largest tungsten producer and third-largest tin producer

Agriculture

  • accounts for 16% of GNP and 73% of labor force;
  • leading producer and exporter of rice and cassava (tapioca);
  • other crops--rubber, corn, sugarcane, coconuts, soybeans;
  • except for wheat, self-sufficient in food;
  • fish catch of 2.2 million tons (1987)

Illicit drugs

  • a minor producer, major illicit trafficker of heroin, particularly from Burma and Laos, and cannabis for the international drug market;
  • eradication efforts have reduced the area of cannabis cultivation and shifted some production to neighboring countries;
  • opium poppy cultivation has been affected by eradication efforts, but unusually good weather boosted output in 1989

Aid

  • US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $828 million;
  • Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $7.0 billion;
  • OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $19 million

Currency

baht (plural--baht); 1 baht (B) = 100 satang

Exchange rates

baht (B) per US$1--25.726 (January 1990), 25.699 (1989), 25.294 (1988), 25.723 (1987), 26.299 (1986), 27.159 (1985)

Fiscal year

1 October-30 September

Communications

9 fields

Merchant marine, 122 ships by type

short-sea passenger 2cargo 70container 8petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker 27liquefied gas 8chemical tanker 1bulk 3refrigerated cargo 1roll-on/roll-off 1combination bulk 1122 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 483,688 GRT/730,750 DWT

Airports, 127 total, 103 usable

permanent-surface runways
56runways over 3,659 m
1runways 2,440-3,659 m
13runways 1,220-2,439 m
26

Networkskm

Highways
44,534Railroads
3,940Inland waterways
3,999
Highways: ; 28,016 km paved, 5,132 km earth surface, 11,386 km under development · Railroads: , 99 km double track · Inland waterways: ; 3,701 km with navigable depths of 0.9 m or more throughout the year; numerous minor waterways navigable by shallow-draft native craft

Railroads

3,940 km 1.000-meter gauge, 99 km double track

Highways

44,534 km total; 28,016 km paved, 5,132 km earth surface, 11,386 km under development

Inland waterways

  • 3,999 km principal waterways;
  • 3,701 km with navigable depths of 0.9 m or more throughout the year;
  • numerous minor waterways navigable by shallow-draft native craft

Pipelines

natural gas, 350 km; refined products, 67 km

Ports

Bangkok, Pattani, Phuket, Sattahip, Si Racha

Civil air

41 (plus 2 leased) major transport aircraft

Telecommunications

  • service to general public adequate;
  • bulk of service to government activities provided by multichannel cable and radio relay network;
  • 739,500 telephones (1987);
  • stations--over 200 AM, 100 FM, and 11 TV in government-controlled networks;
  • satellite earth stations--1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT;
  • domestic satellite system being developed

Defense Forces

Royal Thai Army, Royal Thai Navy (includes Royal Thai Marine Corps), Royal Thai Air Force; paramilitary forces include Border Patrol Police, Thahan Phran (irregular soldiers), Village Defense Forces

3 fields

Military manpower

males 15-49
15,617,486fit for military service
9,543,119reach military age (18) annually
610,410
Defense expenditures
2.9%of GNP
or $1.9 billion (1989 est.)

Branches

  • Royal Thai Army, Royal Thai Navy (includes Royal Thai Marine Corps), Royal Thai Air Force;
  • paramilitary forces include
    • Border Patrol Police,
    • Thahan Phran (irregular soldiers),
    • Village Defense Forces

Central Intelligence Agency. “Thailand.” The World Factbook 1990. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/thailand/1990.

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