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. Thailand is currently facing armed violence in its three Muslim-majority southernmost provinces.

• 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:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

Law of the Sea

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.85 male(s)/female

total population:

0.98 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

degree of risk:

high

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A

vectorborne diseases:

dengue fever, malaria, Japanese encephalitis, and plague are high risks in some locations

animal contact disease:

rabies

water contact disease:

leptospirosis (2004)

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)

head of government:

• Prime Minister THAKSIN Chinnawat (since 9 February 2001) and Deputy Prime Ministers CHITCHAI Wannasathi (since 11 March 2005), PHINIT Charusombat (since 6 October 2004), SOMKHIT Chatusiphithak (since 11 March 2005), SURAKIAT Sathianthai (since 11 March 2005);
• SURIYA Chungrungruankit (since 3 August 2005), SUWAT Liptapanlop (since 3 August 2005), WISANU Kruangam (since 8 November 2003)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers

note: there is also a Privy Council

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

• Democrat Party or DP (Prachathipat Party) [ABHISIT Wetchachiwa];
• People's Party or PP (Mahachon Party) [ANEK Laothamatas];
• Thai Nation Party or TNP (Chat Thai Party) [BARNHARN SILPA-ARCHA];
• Thai Rak Thai Party or TRT [THAKSIN Chinnawat]

chief of mission:

KASIT Piromya

chancery:

1024 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 401, Washington, DC 20007-3681

telephone:

[1] (202) 944-3600

FAX:

[1] (202) 944-3611

consulate(s) general:

Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador Ralph L. BOYCE

embassy:

120/22 Wireless Road, Bangkok

mailing address:

APO AP 96546

telephone:

[66] (2) 205-4000

FAX:

[66] (2) 254-2990, 205-4131

consulate(s) general:

Chiang Mai

lowest 10%:

2.8%

highest 10%:

32.4% (1998)

general assessment:

high quality system, especially in urban areas like Bangkok; WTO requirement for privatization of telecom sector is planned to be complete by 2006

domestic:

fixed line system provided by both a government owned and commercial provider; wireless service expanding rapidly and outpacing fixed lines

international:

• country code - 66;
• satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean);
• landing country for APCN submarine cable

total:

4,071 km

narrow gauge:

4,071 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)

total:

57,403 km

paved:

56,542 km

unpaved:

861 km (2000 est.)

total:

386 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,038,597 GRT/3,104,712 DWT

by type:

bulk carrier 57, cargo 142, chemical tanker 12, combination ore/oil 1, container 21, liquefied gas 25, passenger 3, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 89, refrigerated cargo 30, roll on/roll off 1, specialized tanker 1

foreign-owned:

55 (Indonesia 1, Japan 3, Norway 45, Singapore 6)

registered in other countries:

35 (2005)

• 21 years of age for compulsory military service;
• males are registered at 18 years of age;
• conscript service obliation - 2 years;
• 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2004)

• separatist violence in Thailand's predominantly Muslim southern provinces prompt border closures and controls with Malaysia to stem terrorist activities;
• southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check the spread of avian flu;
• Laos and Thailand pledge to complete demarcation of their boundary in 2005;
• despite continuing border committee talks, significant differences remain with Burma over boundary alignment and the handling of ethnic rebels, refugees, and illegal cross-border activities;
• Cambodia and Thailand dispute sections of boundary with missing boundary markers;
• Cambodia claims Thai encroachments into Cambodian territory and obstructing access to Preah Vihear temple ruins awarded to Cambodia by ICJ decision in 1962;
• ethnic Karens from Burma flee into Thailand to escape fighting between Karen rebels and Burmese troops resulting in Thailand sheltering about 118,000 Burmese refugees in 2004;
• Karens also protest Thai support for a Burmese hydroelectric dam construction on the Salween River near the border;
• environmentalists in Burma and Thailand remain concerned about China's construction of hydroelectric dams upstream on the Nujiang/Salween River in Yunnan Province

• 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