Thailand

• 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

arable land:

34%

permanent crops:

6%

permanent pastures:

2%

forests and woodland:

26%

other:

32% (1993 est.)

• air pollution from vehicle emissions;
• water pollution from organic and factory wastes;
• deforestation;
• soil erosion;
• wildlife populations threatened by illegal hunting

party to:

Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94

signed, but not ratified:

Biodiversity, Law of the Sea

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.)

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.79 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

noun:

Thai (singular and plural)

adjective:

Thai

conventional long form:

Kingdom of Thailand

conventional short form:

Thailand

chief of state:

King PHUMIPHON Adunyadet (since 9 June 1946)

head of government:

Prime Minister CHUAN Likphai (since 15 November 1997)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers

note: there is also a Privy Council

elections:

• none;
• the king is a constitutional monarch;
• prime minister designated from among the members of the House of Representatives;
• following a national election for the House of Representatives, the leader of the party that can organize a majority coalition usually becomes prime minister

chief of mission:

Ambassador NIT Phibunsongkhram

chancery:

1024 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007

telephone:

[1] (202) 944-3600

chief of mission:

Ambassador William H. ITOH

embassy:

120-122 Wireless Road, Bangkok

mailing address:

APO AP 96546

telephone:

[66] (2) 205-4000

total:

32.6 million (1997 est.)

by occupation:

agriculture 54%, industry 15%, services (including government) 31% (1996 est.)

• 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

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)

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)

• service to general public adequate, but investments in technological upgrades reduced by recession;
• bulk of service to government activities provided by multichannel cable and microwave radio relay network

domestic:

microwave radio relay and multichannel cable; domestic satellite system being developed

international:

satellite earth stations-2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean)

total:

4,623 km

narrow gauge:

4,623 km 1.000-m gauge (99 km double track)

total:

64,600 km

paved:

62,985 km

unpaved:

1,615 km (1996 est.)

• 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

• parts of the border with Laos are indefinite;
• maritime boundary with Vietnam resolved, August 1997;
• parts of border with Cambodia are indefinite;
• maritime boundary with Cambodia not clearly defined

• a minor producer of opium, heroin, and marijuana;
• major 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;
• role in amphetamine production for regional consumption;
• increasing indigenous abuse of methamphetamines and heroin TOGO