| General info about 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. A military coup in September 2006 ousted then Prime Minister THAKSIN Chinnawat. The military government held elections in December 2007 that saw the pro-THAKSIN People's Power Party (PPP) emerge at the head of a coalition government. The anti-THAKSIN People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) in March 2008 began street demonstrations against the new government, eventually occupying the prime minister's office. Clashes in October 2008 between PAD protesters blocking parliament and police resulted in the death of at least two people. The PAD occupied Bangkok's international airports and only ended their protests in early December 2008 following a court ruling that dissolved the ruling PPP and three other coalition parties. The Democrat Party then formed a new coalition government with the support of some of THAKSIN's former political allies. Thousands of people have been killed since separatists in Thailand's southern ethnic Malay-Muslim provinces increased the violence associated with their cause.
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| Disease threats |
| degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A
vec |
| Languages spoken |
| Thai, English (secondary language of the elite), ethnic and regional dialects |
| What about drugs? |
| 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 |
| Ethnic division |
| Thai 75%, Chinese 14%, other 11% |
| HIV/AIDS prevalence rate |
| 1.5% (2003 est.) |
| 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 |
| Resources |
| tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite, arable land |
| Economy |
| With a well-developed infrastructure, a free-enterprise economy, and generally pro-investment policies, Thailand was one of East Asia's best performers from 2002-04, averaging more than 6% annual real GDP growth. However, overall economic growth has fallen sharply - averaging 4.8% from 2005 to 2007 - as persistent political crisis stalled infrastructure mega-projects, eroded investor and consumer confidence, and damaged the country's international image. Exports were the key economic driver as foreign investment and consumer demand stalled. Export growth from January 2005 to May 2008 averaged 20% annually. Business uncertainty escalated, however, following the September 2006 coup when the military-installed government imposed capital controls and considered far-reaching changes to foreign investment rules and other business legislation. Although controversial capital controls have since been lifted and business rules largely remain unchanged, investor sentiment has not recovered. Moreover, the 2008 global financial crisis further darkened Thailand's economic horizon. Continued political uncertainty will hamper resumption of infrastructure mega-projects. |
| Environment |
| air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from organic and factory wastes; deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by illegal hunting |
