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The '''Kingdom of Thailand''' is a country in southeast
Asia, bordering
Laos and
Cambodia to the east, the
Gulf of Thailand and
Malaysia to the south, and the
Andaman Sea and
Myanmar to the west. Thailand is also known as '''Siam''', which was the country's official name until
May 11,
1949. The word ''Thai'' (ไทย) means "free" in the
Thai language. It is also the name of the
Thai people - leading some inhabitants, particularly the sizeable Chinese minority, to still use the name ''Siam''.
== History ==
''Main article:
History of Thailand''
Thailand's origin is traditionally tied to the short-lived kingdom of
Sukhothai founded in
1238, after which the larger kingdom of
Ayutthaya was established in the mid-
14th century. Thai culture was greatly influenced by both
China and
India. Contact with various
European powers began in the
16th century but despite continued pressure Thailand is the only
Southeast Asian country never to have been taken over by a European power, though Western influence led to many reforms in the
19th century.
A mostly bloodless revolution in
1932 led to a
constitutional monarchy. Known previously as ''Siam'', the country first changed its name to Thailand in
1939, and definitively in
1949 after reverting to the old name post-
World War II. During that conflict Thailand was in a loose alliance with
Japan; following its conclusion Thailand became an ally of the
United States. Thailand then saw a series of military
coups d'tat, but progressed towards democracy from the
1980s onward.
== Politics ==
''Main article:
Politics of Thailand''
The king has little direct power under the
constitution but is the annointed protector of Thai Buddhism and a symbol of national identity and unity. The present monarch enjoys a great deal of popular respect and moral authority, which has on occasion been used to resolve political crises. The
head of government is the
Prime Minister, who is appointed by the king from among the members of the lower house of
parliament, usually the leader of the party that can organise a majority
coalition government.
The bicameral Thai parliament is the National Assembly or ''Rathasapha'' - รัฐสภา, which consists of a House of Representatives (the ''Sapha Phuthaen Ratsadon'' - สภาผู้แทนราษฎร) of 500 seats and a
Senate (the ''Wuthisapha'' - วุฒิสภา) of 200 seats. Members of both houses are elected by popular vote. Members of House of Representatives serve four-year terms, while Senators serve six-year terms. The highest
judicial body is the Supreme Court or ''Sandika'' - ศาลฎีกา, whose judges are appointed by the monarch. Thailand is an active member of the regional
Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
== Provinces ==
''Main article:
Provinces of Thailand''
Thailand is divided into 76 provinces (''changwat'', singular and plural), which are grouped into 5 groups of provinces. The name of each province is derived from its capital city.
Provinces are further subdivided into 795 districts (''
Amphoe''), 81 sub-districts (''King Amphoe'') and 50 districts of Bangkok (khet) (number are for
2000), and furthermore into 7,236 communes (''
Tambon''), 55,746 villages (''Muban''), 123 municipalities (''Tesaban''), and 729 sanitation districts (''Sukhaphiban'') (numbers are for
1984).
*''see also''
List of cities in Thailand
== Geography ==
''Main article:
Geography of Thailand''
Thailand is home to several distinct geographic regions, partly corresponding to the provincial groups. The north of the country is mountainous, with the highest point being the
Doi Inthanon at 2,576 m. The northeast consists of the
Khorat Plateau, bordered to the east by the
Mekong river. The centre of the country is dominated by the predominantly flat
Chao Phraya river valley, which runs into the
Gulf of Thailand. The south consists of the narrow
Kra Isthmus that widens into the
Malay Peninsula.
The local
climate is tropical and characterised by
monsoons. There is a rainy, warm, and cloudy southwest monsoon from mid-May to September, as well as a dry, cool northeast monsoon from November to mid-March. The southern isthmus is always hot and humid. Major cities beside the capital
Bangkok include
Nakhon Ratchasima,
Nakhon Sawan,
Chiang Mai, and
Songkhla.
See also:
List of islands of Thailand
== Economy ==
''Main article:
Economy of Thailand''
After enjoying the world's highest growth rate from
1985 to
1995 - averaging almost 9% annually - increased speculative pressure on Thailand's currency, the
baht, in
1997 led to a crisis that uncovered financial sector weaknesses and forced the government to float the currency. Long pegged at 25 to the
US dollar, the baht reached its lowest point of 56 to the US dollar in January
1998 and the economy contracted by 10.2% that same year. The crisis spread to the
Asian financial crisis.
Thailand entered a recovery stage in
1999, expanding 4.2% and grew 4.4% in
2000, largely due to strong exports - which increased about 20% in 2000. Growth was damped by softening of global economy in
2001, but picking up in the subsequent years due to strong growth in
China and various domestic stimulation programs along the Dual-Track Policies promoted by
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Growth in
2003 is estimated to be around 6.3%, and projected at 8% and 10% in
2004 and
2005.
== Demographics ==
''Main article:
Demographics of Thailand''
Thailand's population is dominated by ethnic Thai and Lao, who make up three quarters of the population. There is also a large community of
ethnic Chinese, who have historically played a disproportionately significant role in the economy. Other ethnic groups include
Malays in the south,
Mon,
Khmer and various indigenous
hill tribes.
Around 95% of Thais are
Buddhists of the
Theravada tradition, but small minorities of
Muslims,
Christians and
Hindus also exist. The
Thai language is Thailand's national language, written in its own
alphabet, but many ethnic and regional dialects exist and
English is widely taught in schools.
== Culture ==
''Main article:
Culture of Thailand''
Muay Thai, or Thai boxing, is the national sport in Thailand and its native
martial art. It reached popularity all over the world in the last decade.
The standard greeting in Thailand is a prayer-like gesture called the ''wai''. Taboos include touching someone's head or pointing with the feet, as the head is considered the highest and the foot the lowest part of the body.
Thai cuisine blends four fundamental tastes: sweet, spicy, sour and salty.
== Miscellaneous topics ==
*
Communications in Thailand
*
Historical parks of Thailand
*
Foreign relations of Thailand
*
List of Thailand-related topics
*
Military of Thailand
*
Music of Thailand
*
National parks (Thailand)
*
Public holidays in Thailand
*
Thai immigration to the United States
*
Transportation in Thailand
== External Links ==
*
Royal Thai Government - Official governmental site
*
Thai National Assembly - Official parliamentary site
*
Tourism Authority of Thailand - Official tourism site
{| align="center" id="toc" cellspacing="0"
|- bgcolor="#ccccff"
! align="center" |
Countries in
Southeast Asia
|-
| align="center" style="font-size: 90%;" |
Brunei |
Cambodia |
East Timor |
Indonesia |
Laos |
Malaysia |
Myanmar |
Philippines |
Singapore |
Thailand |
Vietnam
|}
af:Thailand
da:Thailand
de:Thailand
et:Tai
es:Tailandia
eo:Tajlando
fr:Thalande
hi:थाईलैंड
id:Thailand
he:תאילנד
ms:Thailand
minnan:Thi-kok
nl:Thailand
ja:タイ王国
no:Thailand
pl:Tajlandia
pt:Tailndia
ro:Thailanda
ru:Таиланд
sl:Tajska
fi:Thaimaa
sv:Thailand
th:ประเทศไทย
uk:Тайланд
zh-cn:泰国
zh-tw:泰國
