Thailand

A unified Thai kingdom was established in the mid-14th century. Known as Siam until 1939, Thailand is the only Southeast Asian country never to have been taken over by a European power. A bloodless revolution in 1932 led to a constitutional monarchy. In alliance with Japan during World War II, Thailand became a US ally following the conflict.

• 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

• 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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

Biodiversity, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea

0-14 years:

23.3% (male 7,404,227; female 7,121,083)

15-64 years:

69.9% (male 21,469,186; female 22,090,520)

65 years and over:

6.8% (male 1,868,632; female 2,400,754) (2002 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:

0.78 male(s)/female

total population:

0.97 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

noun:

Thai (singular and plural)

adjective:

Thai

conventional long form:

Kingdom of Thailand

conventional short form:

Thailand

former:

Siam

chief of state:

King PHUMIPHON Adunyadet (since 9 June 1946)

note: there is also a Privy Council

head of government:

Prime Minister THAKSIN Chinnawat (since 9 February 2001) and Deputy Prime Ministers Gen. (Ret.) CHAWALIT Yongchaiyut, KON Thappharansi, SUWIT Khunkitti, CHATURON Chaisaeng, VISHANU Krua-ngam, and PROMMIN Lertsuridej (since 18 February 2001)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers

elections:

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

• Democratic Party or DP (Prachathipat Party) [CHUAN Likphai];
• Mass Party or MP [CHALERM Yoobamrung, SOPHON Petchsavang];
• National Development Party or NDP (Chat Phattana) [KORN Dabbaransi];
• Phalang Dharma Party or PDP (Phalang Tham) [CHAIWAT Sinsuwong];
• Solidarity Party or SP (Ekkaphap Party) [CHAIYOT Sasomsap];
• Thai Citizen's Party or TCP (Prachakon Thai) [SAMAK Sunthonwet];
• Thai Nation Party or TNP (Chat Thai Party) [BANHAN Sinlapa-acha];
• Thai Rak Thai Party or TRT [THAKSIN Chinnawat]

note: the Liberal Democratic Party or LDP (Seri Tham) and the New Aspiration Party or NAP (Khwamwang Mai) no longer exist as separate parties; elements of the two parties joined the Thai Rak Thai Party or TRT

chief of mission:

Ambassador SAKTHIP Krairiksh

chancery:

1024 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007

FAX:

[1] (202) 944-3611

consulate(s) general:

Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York

telephone:

[1] (202) 944-3600

chief of mission:

Ambassador Darryl N. JOHNSON

embassy:

120/22 Wireless Road, Bangkok

mailing address:

APO AP 96546

telephone:

[66] (2) 205-4000

FAX:

[66] (2) 254-1171

consulate(s) general:

Chiang Mai

lowest 10%:

3%

highest 10%:

32% (1998)

• 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

general assessment:

• service to general public adequate, but investment 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:

4,071 km

narrow gauge:

4,071 km 1.000-m gauge (`2001)

total:

64,600 km

paved:

62,985 km

unpaved:

1,615 km (1996)

• a one km stretch of Malaysia-Thailand territory at the mouth of the Kolok river remains in dispute, despite overall success in boundary redemarcation;
• Cambodia accuses Thailand of moving or destroying boundary markers and encroachment, of not respecting its claims, and of sealing off access to the Preah Vihear temple ruin awarded to Cambodia by the ICJ in 1962;
• demarcation of boundary with Laos is nearing completion, but Mekong River islets remain in dispute;
• Laos also protests Thai squatters;
• despite renewed border committee talks, significant differences remain with Burma over boundary alignment and the handling of ethnic guerrilla rebels, refugees, smuggling, and drug trafficking in cross-border region

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