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

total:

82.75 cu km/yr (2%/2%/95%)

per capita:

1,288 cu m/yr (2000)

• 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

noun:

Thai (singular and plural)

adjective:

Thai

at birth:

1.054 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.82 male(s)/female

total population:

0.98 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

degree of risk:

high

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial diarrhea

vectorborne diseases:

dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, and malaria

animal contact disease:

rabies

water contact disease:

leptospirosis

note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)

conventional long form:

Kingdom of Thailand

conventional short form:

Thailand

local long form:

Ratcha Anachak Thai

local short form:

Prathet Thai

former:

Siam

name:

Bangkok

geographic coordinates:

13 45 N, 100 31 E

time difference:

UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

chief of state:

King PHUMIPHON Adunyadet, also spelled BHUMIBOL Adulyadej (since 9 June 1946)

head of government:

• Prime Minister YINGLAK Chinnawat, also spelled YINGLUCK Shinawatra (since 8 August 2011);
• Deputy Prime Minister CHALERM Yubamrung (since 10 August 2011);
• Deputy Prime Minister CHUMPHON Sinlapa-acha, also spelled CHUMPOL SILPA-archa (since 10 August 2011);
• Deputy Prime Minister KITTIRAT Na Ranong (since 10 August 2011);
• Deputy Prime Minister KOWIT Wattana (since 10 August 2011);
• Deputy Prime Minister YONGYUT Wichaidit (10 August 2011)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)

note: there is also a Privy Council advising the king

elections:

• the monarchy is hereditary;
• according to 2007 constitution, the prime minister is elected from among members of House of Representatives;
• following national elections for House of Representatives, the leader of the party positioned to organize a majority coalition usually becomes prime minister by appointment by the king;
• the prime minister is limited to two four-year terms

• Constitutional Court, Supreme Court of Justice, and Supreme Administrative Court;
• all judges are appointed by the king;
• the king's appointments to the Constitutional Courtare made upon the advice of the Senate;
• the nine Constitutional Court judges are drawn from the Supreme Court of Justice and Supreme Administrative Court as well as from among substantive experts in law and social sciences outside the judiciary

Chat Pattana Party or CPN (Nation Development Party [WANNARAT Channukun]; Chat Thai Phattana Party or CTP (Thai Nation Development Party) [CHUMPON Silpa-archa]; Phalang Chon Party (Chonburi Power Party) [CHAO Manivong]; Phumjai (Bhumjai) Thai Party or PJT (Thai Pride) [CHAWARAT Chanvirakun]; Prachathipat Party or DP (Democrat Party) [ABHISIT Wechachiwa, also spelled ABHISIT Vejjajiva]; Puea Thai Party (For Thais Party) or PTP [YONGYUTH Wichaidit]; Rak Prathet Thai Party (Love Thailand Party) [YONGYUTH Wichaidit]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Kittiphong Na RANONG

chancery:

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

telephone:

[1] (202) 944-3600

FAX:

[1] (202) 944-3611

consulate(s) general:

Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador Kristie A. KENNEY

embassy:

120-122 Wireless Road, Bangkok 10330

mailing address:

APO AP 96546

telephone:

[66] (2) 205-4000

FAX:

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

consulate(s) general:

Chiang Mai

• five horizontal bands of red (top), white, blue (double width), white, and red;
• the red color symbolizes the nation and the blood of life;
• white represents religion and the purity of Buddhism;
• blue stands for the monarchy

note: similar to the flag of Costa Rica but with the blue and red colors reversed

agriculture:

42.4%

industry:

19.7%

services:

37.9% (2008 est.)

lowest 10%:

1.6%

highest 10%:

42.6% (2009)

• tourism, textiles and garments, agricultural processing, beverages, tobacco, cement, light manufacturing such as jewelry and electric appliances, computers and parts, integrated circuits, furniture, plastics, automobiles and automotive parts;
• world's second-largest tungsten producer and third-largest tin producer

general assessment:

high quality system, especially in urban areas like Bangkok

domestic:

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

international:

• country code - 66;
• connected to major submarine cable systems providing links throughout Asia, Australia, Middle East, Europe, and US;
• satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 1 Pacific Ocean)

• 6 terrestrial TV stations in Bangkok broadcast nationally via relay stations - 2 of the networks are owned by the military, the other 4 are government-owned or controlled, leased to private enterprise, and are all required to broadcast government-produced news programs twice a day;
• multi-channel satellite and cable TV subscription services are available;
• radio frequencies have been allotted for more than 500 government and commercial radio stations;
• many small community radio stations operate with low-power transmitters (2008)

total:

4,071 km

country comparison to the world: 42

standard gauge:

29 km 1.435-m gauge (29 km electrified)

narrow gauge:

4,042 km 1.000-m gauge (2010)

• 21 years of age for compulsory military service;
• 18 years of age for voluntary military service;
• males register at 18 years of age;
• 2-year conscript service obligation (2009)

males age 16-49:

17,689,921

females age 16-49:

17,754,795 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49:

13,308,372

females age 16-49:

14,182,567 (2010 est.)

male:

533,424

female:

509,780 (2010 est.)

• 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;
• talks continue on completion of demarcation with Laos but disputes remain over several islands in the Mekong River;
• despite continuing border committee talks, Thailand must deal with Karen and other ethnic rebels, refugees, and illegal cross-border activities, and as of 2006, over 116,000 Karen, Hmong, and other refugees and asylum seekers from Burma;
• Cambodia and Thailand dispute sections of boundary;
• in 2011 Thailand and Cambodia resorted to arms in the dispute over the location of the boundary on the precipice surmounted by Preah Vihear temple ruins, awarded to Cambodia by ICJ decision in 1962 and part of a planned UN World Heritage site;
• Thailand is studying the feasibility of jointly constructing the Hatgyi Dam on the Salween river near the border with Burma;
• in 2004, international environmentalist pressure prompted China to halt construction of 13 dams on the Salween River that flows through China, Burma, and Thailand;
• 140,000 mostly Karen refugees fleeing civil strife, political upheaval and economic stagnation in Burma live in remote camps in Thailand near the border

current situation:

• Thailand is a source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children who are subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking;
• the majority of the trafficking victims identified within Thailand are migrants from Thailand's neighboring countries who are forced, coerced, or defrauded into labor or commercial sexual exploitation;
• trafficking victims within Thailand were found employed in maritime fishing, seafood processing, low-end garment production, and domestic work

tier rating:

• Tier 2 Watch List - the government continued implementation of its human trafficking law, conducted awareness-raising activities on human trafficking, and continued work on its implementation of regulations that will allow trafficking victims to temporarily live and work within Thailand, though victims generally continue to be detained in government shelters;
• however, the government has not shown sufficient evidence of increasing efforts to address human trafficking, particularly in the areas of prosecuting and convicting both sex and labor trafficking offenders, combating the trafficking complicity of public officials, and sheltering trafficking victims (2011)

• a minor producer of opium, heroin, and marijuana;
• transit point for illicit 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 methamphetamine production for regional consumption;
• major consumer of methamphetamine since the 1990s despite a series of government crackdowns