Factbook dossier
Background
Two unified Thai kingdoms emerged in the mid-13th century. The Sukhothai Kingdom, located in the south-central plains, gained its independence from the Khmer Empire to the east. By the late 13th century, Sukhothai s territory extended into present-day Burma and Laos. Sukhothai lasted until the mid-15th century. The Thai Lan Na Kingdom was established in the north with its capital at Chang Mai; the Burmese conquered Lan Na in the 16th century. The Ayutthaya Kingdom (14th-18th centuries) succeeded the Sukhothai and would become known as the Siamese Kingdom. During the Ayutthaya period, the Thai/Siamese peoples consolidated their hold on what is present-day central and north-central Thailand. Following a military defeat at the hands of the Burmese in 1767, the Siamese Kingdom rose to new heights under the military ruler TAKSIN, who defeated the Burmese occupiers and expanded the kingdom s territory into modern-day northern Thailand (formerly the Lan Na Kingdom), Cambodia, Laos, and the Malay Peninsula. In the mid-1800s, Western pressure led to Siam signing trade treaties that reduced the country s sovereignty and independence. In the 1890s and 1900s, the British and French forced the kingdom to cede Cambodian, Laotian, and Malay territories that had been under Siamese control. Following a bloodless revolution in 1932 that led to the establishment of a constitutional monarchy, Thailand's political history was marked by a series of mostly bloodless coups with power concentrated among military and bureaucratic elites. Periods of civilian rule were unstable. The Cold War era saw a…
Location
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma
Area
total : 513,120 sq km land: 510,890 sq km water: 2,230 sq km
Natural resources
tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite, arable land
Natural hazards
land subsidence in Bangkok area resulting from the depletion of the water table; droughts
Population
total: 70,025,248 (2025 est.) male: 34,101,016 female: 35,924,232
Ethnic groups
Thai 97.5%, Burmese 1.3%, other 1.1%, unspecified 0.1% (2015 est.) note: data represent population by nationality
Languages
Thai (official) only 90.7%, Thai and other languages 6.4%, only other languages 2.9% (includes Malay, Burmese); English is a secondary language among the elite (2010 est.) major-language sample(s): สารานุกรมโลก - แหล่งข้อมูลพื้นฐานที่สำคัญ (Thai) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. note: data represent population by language(s) spoken at home
Religions
Buddhist 92.5%, Muslim 5.4%, Christian 1.2%, other 0.9% (includes animist, Confucian, Hindu, Jewish, Sikh, and Taoist) (2021 est.)
Environmental issues
air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from organic and factory wastes; water scarcity; deforestation; soil erosion; illegal hunting; hazardous waste disposal
Government type
constitutional monarchy
Capital
name: Bangkok geographic coordinates: 13 45 N, 100 31 E time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the name is from the Thai words bang (region) and kok (olive trees); the city's full ceremonial name holds the world record for longest place name, Krungthepmahanakhon amonrattanakosin mahintharayutthaya mahadilokphop noppharatratchathaniburirom udomratchaniwetmahasathan amonphimanawatansathit sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit, which means "City of angels, great city of immortals, magnificent city of the nine gems, seat of the king, city of royal palaces, home of gods incarnate, erected by Vishvakarman at Indra's behest"
Executive branch
chief of state: King WACHIRALONGKON; also spelled Vajiralongkorn (since 1 December 2016) head of government: Prime Minister ANUTIN Charnvirakul (since 5 Sep 2025) cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister, appointed by the king; a Privy Council advises the king election/appointment process: the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister candidate approved by House of Representatives and appointed by the king
Legislative branch
legislature name: National Assembly (Rathhasapha) legislative structure: bicameral
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$1.558 trillion (2024 est.) $1.519 trillion (2023 est.) $1.489 trillion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita
$21,700 (2024 est.) $21,200 (2023 est.) $20,800 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1.4% (2024 est.) 8.5% (2023 est.) -1.6% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Exports - partners
USA 18%, China 13%, Japan 7%, Australia 4%, Singapore 4% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Imports - partners
China 26%, Japan 11%, USA 7%, UAE 6%, Taiwan 5% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Military and security forces
Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTARF): Royal Thai Army (RTA), Royal Thai Navy (RTN; includes Royal Thai Marine Corps), Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) Office of the Prime Minister: Royal Thai Police (2025) note: official paramilitary forces in Thailand include the Thai Rangers (Thahan Phran or "Hunter Soldiers") under the Army; the Paramilitary Marines under the Navy; the Border Patrol Police (BPP) under the Royal Thai Police; the Volunteer Defense Corps (VDC or O So ) and National Defense Volunteers (NDV), both under the Ministry of Interior; there are also several government-backed volunteer militias created to provide village security against insurgents in the Deep South or to assist government security forces
Military expenditures
1.1% of GDP (2024 est.) 1.3% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.3% of GDP (2022 est.) 1.3% of GDP (2021 est.) 1.4% of GDP (2020 est.)