Thailand

Constitutional MonarchyPop70.0MGDP (PPP)$1.6TCI35Beta CP−2.9↓Beta

Thailand

⌘K

Overview

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 communist insurgency and the rise of strongman leaders. Thailand became a US treaty ally in 1954 after sending troops to Korea and later fighting alongside the US in Vietnam. In the 21st century, Thailand has experienced additional turmoil, including a military coup in 2006 that ousted then Prime Minister THAKSIN Chinnawat and large-scale street protests led by competing political factions in 2008-2010. In 2011, THAKSIN's youngest sister, YINGLAK Chinnawat, led the Puea Thai Party to an electoral win and assumed control of the government.
In 2014, after months of major anti-government protests in Bangkok, the Constitutional Court removed YINGLAK from office, and the Army, led by Gen. PRAYUT Chan-ocha, then staged a coup against the caretaker government. The military-affiliated National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) ruled the country under PRAYUT for more than four years, drafting a new constitution that allowed the military to appoint the entire 250-member Senate and required a joint meeting of the House and Senate to select the prime minister -- which effectively gave the military a veto on the selection. King PHUMIPHON Adunyadet passed away in 2016 after 70 years on the throne; his only son, WACHIRALONGKON (aka King RAMA X), formally ascended the throne in 2019. The same year, a long-delayed election allowed PRAYUT to continue his premiership, although the results were disputed and widely viewed as skewed in favor of the party aligned with the military. The country again experienced major anti-government protests in 2020. The reformist Move Forward Party won the most seats in the 2023 election but was unable to form a government, and Srettha THRAVISIN from the Pheu Thai Party replaced PRAYUT as prime minister after forming a coalition of moderate and conservative parties.

Geography

Area

Land: 510,890 sq km
Water: 2,230 sq km
Total: 513,120 sq km

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
Terrain: central plain; Khorat Plateau in the east; mountains elsewhere

Land Use

Other: 17.2% (2023 est.)
Forest: 39% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: 43.8% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 31% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 11.2% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 1.6% (2023 est.)

Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma
Coastline: 3,219 km

Elevation

Lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m
Highest point: Doi Inthanon 2,565 m
Mean elevation: 287 m

Irrigated land: 64,150 sq km (2012)
Map references: Southeast Asia

Land Boundaries

Total: 5,673 km
Border countries: Burma 2,416 km; Cambodia 817 km; Laos 1,845 km; Malaysia 595 km

Maritime Claims

Territorial sea: 12 nm
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards: land subsidence in Bangkok area resulting from the depletion of the water table; droughts
Geography note: controls only land route from Asia to Malaysia and Singapore
Natural resources: tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite, arable land
Area comparative: about three times the size of Florida; slightly more than twice the size of Wyoming
Geographic coordinates: 15 00 N, 100 00 E
Population distribution: highest population density is found in and around Bangkok; significant population clusters throughout large parts of the country, particularly north and northeast of Bangkok and in the extreme southern region of the country

Major Lakes (Area Sq Km)

Salt water lake(s): Thalesap Songkhla - 1,290 sq km

Major Watersheds (Area Sq Km)

Indian ocean drainage: Salween (271,914 sq km)
Pacific ocean drainage: Mekong (805,604 sq km)

Major rivers (BY length in km): Mae Nam Khong (Mekong) (shared with China [s], Burma, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam [m]) - 4,350 km; Salween (shared with China [s] and Burma [m]) - 3,060 km; Mun - 1,162 km

note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

People & Society

Literacy

Male: 90.7% (2022 est.)
Female: 91.5% (2022 est.)
Total population: 91.1% (2022 est.)

Languages

Note: note: data represent population by language(s) spoken at home
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.

Religions: Buddhist 92.5%, Muslim 5.4%, Christian 1.2%, other 0.9% (includes animist, Confucian, Hindu, Jewish, Sikh, and Taoist) (2021 est.)

Sex Ratio

At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0 14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15 64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female

Birth rate: 9.82 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate: 8.08 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Median Age

Male: 40.2 years
Total: 41.9 years (2025 est.)
Female: 42.7 years

Population

Male: 34,101,016
Total: 70,025,248 (2025 est.)
Female: 35,924,232

Nationality

Noun: Thai (singular and plural)
Adjective: Thai

Tobacco Use

Male: 36.1% (2025 est.)
Total: 18.1% (2025 est.)
Female: 1.6% (2025 est.)

Urbanization

Urban population: 53.6% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Age Structure

0 14 years: 15.8% (male 5,669,592/female 5,394,398)
15 64 years: 69% (male 23,681,528/female 24,597,535)
65 years and over: 15.1% (2024 est.) (male 4,714,191/female 5,863,754)

Ethnic groups: Thai 97.5%, Burmese 1.3%, other 1.1%, unspecified <0.1% (2015 est.)

Child Marriage

Men married BY age 18: 5.8% (2022)
Women married BY age 15: 5.5% (2022)
Women married BY age 18: 17% (2022)

Dependency Ratios

Total dependency ratio: 45.9 (2025 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 22.9 (2025 est.)
Potential support ratio: 4.3 (2025 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 23.1 (2025 est.)

Physician density: 0.54 physicians/1,000 population (2021)

Health Expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP): 5.2% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 16.1% of national budget (2022 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Hospital bed density: 2.3 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.55 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Drinking Water Source

Improved: rural: rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: total: total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: urban: urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: rural: rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: urban: urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Education Expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP): 2.5% of GDP (2023 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget): 12.6% national budget (2025 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

Male: 6.9 deaths/1,000 live births
Total: 6.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
Female: 5.6 deaths/1,000 live births

Population growth rate: 0.13% (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate: 0.75 (2025 est.)
Population distribution: highest population density is found in and around Bangkok; significant population clusters throughout large parts of the country, particularly north and northeast of Bangkok and in the extreme southern region of the country

Life Expectancy at Birth

Male: 75.2 years
Female: 81.3 years
Total population: 78.2 years (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 34 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved: rural: rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: total: total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: urban: urban: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: rural: rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: urban: urban: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita

Beer: 1.85 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine: 0.23 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Total: 6.86 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits: 4.78 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Major urban areas population: 11.070 million BANGKOK (capital), 1.454 Chon Buri, 1.359 million Samut Prakan, 1.213 million Chiang Mai, 1.005 million Songkla, 1.001 million Nothaburi (2023)
Obesity adult prevalence rate: 10% (2016)
Mother's mean age at first birth: 23.3 years (2009 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15 49): 52.4% (2022 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 6.7% (2022 est.)

School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)

Male: 16 years (2023 est.)
Total: 16 years (2023 est.)
Female: 16 years (2023 est.)

Government

Civica · structure

How power is organised

ExecutiveLegislative

Flag: description: five horizontal bands of red (top), white, blue (double-width), white, and red

meaning: red stands for the nation and the blood of life, white for religion and the purity of Buddhism, and blue for the monarchy

Capital

Name: Bangkok
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"
Time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Geographic coordinates: 13 45 N, 100 31 E

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Citizenship

Citizenship BY birth: no
Citizenship BY descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Thailand
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Constitution

History: many previous; latest drafted and presented 29 March 2016, approved by referendum 7 August 2016, signed into law by the king on 6 April 2017
Amendment process: amendments require a majority vote in a joint session of the House and Senate and further require at least one fifth of opposition House members and one third of the Senate vote in favor; a national referendum is additionally required for certain amendments; all amendments require signature by the king

Country Name

Former: Siam
Etymology: the name means "Land of the Thai," referring to the local population; the people's name comes from the Thai word tha, meaning "to be free;" the former name of Siam comes from the Sanskrit word syama, meaning "dark"
Local long form: Ratcha Anachak Thai
Local short form: Prathet Thai
Conventional long form: Kingdom of Thailand
Conventional short form: Thailand

Independence: 1238 (traditional founding date; never colonized)
Legal system: civil law system with common law influences
Government type: constitutional monarchy

Judicial Branch

Highest court(s): Supreme Court of Justice (consists of the court president, 6 vice presidents, 60-70 judges, and organized into 10 divisions); Constitutional Court (consists of the court president and 8 judges); Supreme Administrative Court (number of judges determined by Judicial Commission of the Administrative Courts)
Subordinate courts: courts of first instance and appeals courts within both the judicial and administrative systems; military courts
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges selected by the Judicial Commission of the Courts of Justice and approved by the monarch; judge term determined by the monarch; Constitutional Court justices - 3 judges drawn from the Supreme Court, 2 judges drawn from the Administrative Court, and 4 judge candidates selected by the Selective Committee for Judges of the Constitutional Court, and confirmed by the Senate; judges appointed by the monarch serve single 9-year terms; Supreme Administrative Court judges selected by the Judicial Commission of the Administrative Courts and appointed by the monarch; judges serve for life

Executive Branch

Cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister, appointed by the king; a Privy Council advises the king
Chief of state: King WACHIRALONGKON; also spelled Vajiralongkorn (since 1 December 2016)
Head of government: Prime Minister ANUTIN Charnvirakul (since 5 Sep 2025)
Election/appointment process: the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister candidate approved by House of Representatives and appointed by the king

National holiday: Birthday of King WACHIRALONGKON, 28 July (1952)
National color(s): red, white, blue

National Heritage

Total world heritage sites: 8 (5 cultural, 3 natural)
Selected world heritage site locales: Historic City of Ayutthaya (c); Historic Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns (c); Thungyai-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries (n); Ban Chiang Archaeological Site (c); Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex (n); Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex (n); The Ancient Town of Si Thep and its Associated Dvaravati Monuments (n); Phu Phrabat, a testimony to the Sīma stone tradition of the Dvaravati period (c)

Political parties: Bhumjaithai Party or BJT (aka Phumchai Thai Party or PJT; aka Thai Pride Party)
Chat Thai Phatthana Party (Thai Nation Development Party) or CTP
Democrat Party
Move Forward Party or MFP (dissolved by order of the Constitutional Court, August 2024)
Palang Pracharat Party (People's State Power Party) or PPRP
Pheu (Puea) Thai Party (For Thais Party) or PTP
Prachachat Party or PCC
Prachathipat Party (Democrat Party) or DP
Thai Sang Thai Party
United Thai Nation (Ruam Thai Sang Chat) or UTN

Legislative Branch

Legislature name: National Assembly (Rathhasapha)
Legislative structure: bicameral

National Anthem(s)

Title: "Phleng Sanlasoen Phra Barami" (A Salute to the Monarch)
History: royal anthem, played in the presence of the royal family and during certain state ceremonies
Lyrics/music: Narisara  NUWATTIWONG and King VAJIRAVUDH/Pyotr SHCHUROVSKY

National symbol(s): garuda (mythical half-man, half-bird figure), elephant
National coat of arms: in 1911, King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) of Thailand officially adopted the Garuda as the national coat of arms and emblem; this mythological half-man, half-bird figure from the Hindu and Buddhist traditions is considered the vahana (vehicle) of the god Vishnu (Narayana) and was a symbol of royalty in Thailand for centuries
Administrative divisions: 76 provinces (changwat, singular and plural) and 1 municipality* (maha nakhon); Amnat Charoen, Ang Thong, Bueng Kan, Buri Ram, Chachoengsao, Chai Nat, Chaiyaphum, Chanthaburi, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Chon Buri, Chumphon, Kalasin, Kamphaeng Phet, Kanchanaburi, Khon Kaen, Krabi, Krung Thep* (Bangkok), Lampang, Lamphun, Loei, Lop Buri, Mae Hong Son, Maha Sarakham, Mukdahan, Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon Phanom, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon Sawan, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Nan, Narathiwat, Nong Bua Lamphu, Nong Khai, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Pattani, Phangnga, Phatthalung, Phayao, Phetchabun, Phetchaburi, Phichit, Phitsanulok, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Phrae, Phuket, Prachin Buri, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ranong, Ratchaburi, Rayong, Roi Et, Sa Kaeo, Sakon Nakhon, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram, Saraburi, Satun, Sing Buri, Si Sa Ket, Songkhla, Sukhothai, Suphan Buri, Surat Thani, Surin, Tak, Trang, Trat, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Uthai Thani, Uttaradit, Yala, Yasothon

Legislative Branch Lower Chamber

Chamber name: House of Representatives (Saphaphuthan Ratsadon)
Term in office: 4 years
Number of seats: 500 (all directly elected)
Electoral system: mixed system
Scope of elections: full renewal
Most recent election date: 5/14/2023 (House of Representatives dissolved on 12 December 2025)
Expected date of next election: 8 February 2026
Percentage of women in chamber: 19.6%
Parties elected and seats per party: Move Forward (151); Pheu Thai (141); Bhumjaithai (71); Palang Pracharath (40); United Thai Nation (36); Democrat Party (25); Other (36)

Legislative Branch Upper Chamber

Note: note: Senate members are indirectly elected from 20 eligible groups of professions, including agriculture, artists or athletes, business owners, education, employees or workers, independent professionals, industrialists, law and justice, mass communication, public health, science and technology, tourism-related professions, women, and elderly, disabled, or ethnic groups
Chamber name: Senate (Wuthisapha)
Term in office: 5 years
Number of seats: 200 (all indirectly elected)
Scope of elections: full renewal
Most recent election date: 6/9/2024 to 6/26/2024
Expected date of next election: June 2029
Percentage of women in chamber: 22.5%

Diplomatic Representation in the US

Fax: [1] (202) 944-3611
Chancery: 1024 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 401, Washington, DC 20007
Telephone: [1] (202) 944-3600
Chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. SURIYA Chindawongse (since 17 June 2024)
Consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
Email address and website: thai.wsn@thaiembdc.org

https://washingtondc.thaiembassy.org/en/index

Diplomatic Representation from the US

Fax: [66] 2-205-4103
Embassy: 95 Wireless Road, Bangkok 10330
Telephone: [66] 2-205-4000
Mailing address: 7200 Bangkok Place, Washington DC  20521-7200
Chief of mission: Ambassador-designate Sean O'NEILL (since 16 December 2025)
Consulate(s) general: Chiang Mai
Email address and website: acsbkk@state.gov

https://th.usembassy.gov/

International organisations: ADB, APEC, ARF, ASEAN, BIMSTEC, BIS, CD, CICA, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, PIF (partner), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNOOSA, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Legislature

THAILAND · LOWER HOUSE

House of Representatives

500 seats · hover a seat for the party

Total seats

500

Majority line

251

Largest party

Bhumjaithai Party

Parties

All political parties9 parties · 500 seats · click to dim in hemicycle

Upper house

THAILAND · UPPER HOUSE

Senate

200 seats · hover a seat for the party

Total seats

200

Majority line

101

Largest party

Elected members

Parties

All political parties1 party · 200 seats · click to dim in hemicycle

Leaders

Current

V
Vajiralongkorn
- Head of StateSince 2016
PS
Paetongtarn Shinawatra
- Head of GovernmentSince 2024

Past

PW
Phumtham Wechayachai
- Head of GovernmentSince 2025

Economy

Budget

Note: note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
Revenues: $102.84 billion (2023 est.)
Expenditures: $114.521 billion (2023 est.)

Exports

Civica canonical (reconciled): $368.8B

Note: note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Exports 2022: $324.111 billion (2022 est.)
Exports 2023: $337.45 billion (2023 est.)
Exports 2024: $369.191 billion (2024 est.)

Imports

Civica canonical (reconciled): $351.2B

Note: note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Imports 2022: $334.44 billion (2022 est.)
Imports 2023: $327.008 billion (2023 est.)
Imports 2024: $351.419 billion (2024 est.)

Industries: 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, agricultural machinery, air conditioning and refrigeration, ceramics, aluminum, chemical, environmental management, glass, granite and marble, leather, machinery and metal work, petrochemical, petroleum refining, pharmaceuticals, printing, pulp and paper, rubber, sugar, rice, fishing, cassava, world's second-largest tungsten producer and third-largest tin producer
Labor force: 40.623 million (2024 est.)

Public Debt

Civica canonical (reconciled): 62.2%

Note: note: central government debt as a % of GDP
Public debt 2023: 61.1% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances

Note: note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Remittances 2022: 1.8% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2023: 1.9% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances 2024: 1.8% of GDP (2024 est.)

Exchange Rates

Currency: baht per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2020: 31.294 (2020 est.)
Exchange rates 2021: 31.977 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2022: 35.061 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2023: 34.802 (2023 est.)
Exchange rates 2024: 35.294 (2024 est.)

Debt External

Note: note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
Debt external 2023: $37.065 billion (2023 est.)

Economic overview: upper middle-income Southeast Asian economy; substantial infrastructure; major electronics, food, and automobile parts exporter; globally used currency; extremely low unemployment; ongoing Thailand 4.0 economic development

Unemployment Rate

Civica canonical (reconciled): 0.8%

Note: note: % of labor force seeking employment
Unemployment rate 2022: 1% (2022 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023: 0.8% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2024: 0.7% (2024 est.)

Exports partners: USA 18%, China 13%, Japan 7%, Australia 4%, Singapore 4% (2023)
Imports partners: China 26%, Japan 11%, USA 7%, UAE 6%, Taiwan 5% (2023)

Real GDP Per Capita

Civica canonical (reconciled): $24,712

Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita 2022: $20,800 (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $21,200 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2024: $21,700 (2024 est.)

Real GDP Growth Rate

Civica canonical (reconciled): 2.5%

Note: note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 2.6% (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 2% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2024: 2.5% (2024 est.)

Agricultural products: sugarcane, rice, cassava, oil palm fruit, maize, rubber, tropical fruits, chicken, mangoes/guavas, fruits (2023)
Exports commodities: machine parts, integrated circuits, trucks, cars, broadcasting equipment (2023)
Imports commodities: crude petroleum, integrated circuits, natural gas, gold, vehicle parts/accessories (2023)

Current Account Balance

Civica canonical (reconciled): $11.6B

Note: note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Current account balance 2022: -$17.162 billion (2022 est.)
Current account balance 2023: $7.412 billion (2023 est.)
Current account balance 2024: $11.089 billion (2024 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 15.4% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $526.411 billion (2024 est.)

GDP Composition, BY End Use

Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
Household consumption: 58.2% (2024 est.)
Government consumption: 16.7% (2024 est.)
Investment in inventories: -0.6% (2024 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 22.2% (2024 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 70.1% (2024 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -66.7% (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line: 5.4% (2022 est.)

Average Household Expenditures

On food: 25.9% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
On alcohol and tobacco: 3% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)

Civica canonical (reconciled): 1.4%

Note: note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: -1.6% (2022 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 8.5% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024: 1.4% (2024 est.)

Industrial production growth rate: 0.9% (2024 est.)

Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Civica canonical (reconciled): $1.558 trillion (2024 est.)

Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $1.489 trillion (2022 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $1.519 trillion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $1.558 trillion (2024 est.)

Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)

Male: 3.1% (2024 est.)
Note: note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
Total: 4.3% (2024 est.)
Female: 6% (2024 est.)

Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold

Note: note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $216.501 billion (2022 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023: $224.47 billion (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024: $236.934 billion (2024 est.)

GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin

Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
Industry: 32.1% (2024 est.)
Services: 59.2% (2024 est.)
Agriculture: 8.7% (2024 est.)

Note: note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
Lowest 10%: 3.4% (2023 est.)
Highest 10%: 26.1% (2023 est.)

Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income

Note: note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
Gini index coefficient distribution of family income 2023: 33.5 (2023 est.)

Energy

Coal

Exports: 65,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Imports: 29.757 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Production: 12.812 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Consumption: 42.371 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 1.063 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum

Total petroleum production: 386,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 252.75 million barrels (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 1.397 million bbl/day (2023 est.)

Electricity

Exports: 2.256 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Imports: 35.805 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Consumption: 215.281 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 55.971 million kW (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 14.44 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Natural Gas

Imports: 22.738 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Production: 29.614 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Consumption: 52.351 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 138.243 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Electricity Access

Electrification rural areas: 100%
Electrification urban areas: 100%
Electrification total population: 99.9% (2022 est.)

Energy Consumption Per Capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 80.602 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Electricity Generation Sources

Wind: 1.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Solar: 2.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Fossil fuels: 81.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Hydroelectricity: 3.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Biomass and waste: 10.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Communications

Internet Users

Percent of population: 90% (2023 est.)

Broadcast media: 26 digital TV stations and 6 terrestrial TV stations broadcast nationally via relay stations, with 2 of the terrestrial stations military-owned and the other 4 state-owned or state-controlled; some leased to private enterprise; all required to broadcast government-produced news; multi-channel satellite and cable TV subscriptions available; radio frequencies allotted for over 500 government and commercial radio stations; many small community radio stations operate with low-power transmitters (2017)
Internet country code: .th

Telephones Fixed Lines

Total subscriptions: 4.087 million (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 6 (2023 est.)

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Total subscriptions: 115 million (2024 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 161 (2024 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Total: 11.5 million (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 16 (2023 est.)

Transport

Ports

Large: 1
Small: 3
Medium: 2
Key ports: Bangkok, Laem Chabang, Pattani, Phuket, Sattahip, Si Racha
Very small: 15
Total ports: 21 (2024)
Ports with oil terminals: 14

Airports: 105 (2025)

Railways

Total: 4,127 km (2017)
Narrow gauge: 4,043 km (2017) 1.000-m gauge
Standard gauge: 84 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge (84 km electrified)

Heliports: 5 (2025)

Merchant Marine

Total: 884 (2023)
BY type: bulk carrier 28, container ship 28, general cargo 88, oil tanker 251, other 489

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: HS

Environment

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

Geoparks

Global geoparks and regional networks: Khorat; Satun (2023)
Total global geoparks and regional networks: 2

Land Use

Other: 17.2% (2023 est.)
Forest: 39% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: 43.8% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 31% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 11.2% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 1.6% (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Urban population: 53.6% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Methane Emissions

Other: 57.9 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Waste: 635.8 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Energy: 708.8 kt (2022-2024 est.)
Agriculture: 2,109.9 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Waste and Recycling

Municipal solid waste generated annually: 26.853 million tons (2024 est.)
Percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 40% (2022 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

Total Water Withdrawal

Municipal: 2.739 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Industrial: 2.777 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Agricultural: 51.79 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Total emissions: 336.693 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 95.834 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 79.928 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 160.931 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions: 26.3 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 438.61 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

International Environmental Agreements

Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands
Signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Military & Security

Military note: the missions of the Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTARF) include defending the country’s territory and sovereignty, protecting the monarchy, ensuring internal security, and responding to natural disasters; key areas of emphasis are disputed international borders and a low-level insurgency in the country's south; the military has historically had a large role in domestic politics and has attempted as many as 20 coups since the fall of absolute monarchy in 1932, the most recent being in 2014

in July 2025, following months of rising tensions, the RTARF and Cambodian military forces clashed in multiple locations along their disputed border; both sides blamed the other for provoking the five-day conflict, which included cross-border artillery shelling by both sides and air attacks by RTARF fighter aircraft and drones; since 2004, the RTARF and Thai paramilitary forces have combated a separatist insurgency in the southern Thailand provinces of Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat, as well as parts of Songkhla; the insurgency is rooted in ethnic Malay nationalist resistance to Thai rule that followed the extension of Siamese sovereignty over the Patani Sultanate in the 18th century; the insurgency consists of several armed groups, the largest of which is the Barisan Revolusi Nasional-Koordinasi (BRN-C): insurgent attacks have largely involved bombings; since 2020, Thai officials have been negotiating with BRN, and has parallel talks with an umbrella organization, MARA Pattani, that claims to represent the insurgency groups (2025)
Military deployments: 280 South Sudan (UNMISS) (2025)

Military Expenditures

Civica canonical (reconciled): 1.1%

Military expenditures 2020: 1.4% of GDP (2020 est.)
Military expenditures 2021: 1.3% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military expenditures 2022: 1.3% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military expenditures 2023: 1.3% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military expenditures 2024: 1.1% of GDP (2024 est.)

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)
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; all men register at 17 years of age and are subject to selective compulsory military service at 21; volunteer service obligation may be as short as 6-18 months, depending on educational qualifications; conscript service obligation also varies by educational qualifications, but is typically 24 months (2025)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions: the RTARF has a diverse array of foreign-supplied armaments, as well as some domestically produced items; its imported weapons and equipment are from a variety of suppliers, including China, several European countries, Israel, Russia, South Korea, and the US; Thailand's domestic defense industry produces such items as armored vehicles, artillery systems, naval vessels, unmanned aerial vehicles, and other military technologies (2025)
Military and security service personnel strengths: estimated 350,000 active-duty Armed Forces (250,000 Army; 70,000 Navy; 30,000 Air Force) (2025)

Space

Space launch site(s): none; in 2023, announced intentions to build a spaceport with South Korean assistance (2025)
Space agency/agencies: Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA; created in 2000 from the Thailand Remote Sensing Center that was established in 1979); National Space Policy Committee (NSPC) (2025)
Space program overview: has an ambitious national space program focused on the acquisition, production, and operation of satellites, as well as research and development of related infrastructure, sciences, and technologies; operates communications and remote sensing (RS) satellites; manufactures scientific/research/testing cube satellites and is developing the capabilities to produce RS satellites (has historically built satellites with foreign assistance); works with a range of foreign space agencies and industries, including those of China, France, India, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Russia, South Korea, and the US; founding member of the China-led Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO); has a commercial space industry, including Southeast Asia’s first dedicated satellite manufacturing facility, which opened in 2021 (2025)
Key space program milestones: 1982 - established first satellite ground station

1993 - first foreign-built commercial communications satellite (Thaicom-1) launched on European rocket

2008 - first remote sensing satellite (Theos-1; aka Thaichote) co-developed with France and launched by Russia

2018 - first domestically produced scientific/research satellite (KNACKSAT) launched by US

2024 - signed memorandum of understanding with China for cooperation on Beijing's lunar research station project and space exploration; signed US-led Artemis Accords

Transnational Issues

Illicit Drugs

Usg identification: major precursor-chemical producer (2025)

Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons

Idps: 19 (2023 est.)
Refugees: 87,025 (2024 est.)
Stateless persons: 612,524 (2024 est.)

Scores & Rankings

ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of

Civica Index35.0 / 100as of 2024-Q4125 / 190−11.02024-Q4

Civica Pulse−2.9as of 2026-05-06—2026-05-06

V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.29as of 2024-Q499 / 170+0.032024-Q4

Freedom House StatusNot Free (33/100)as of 2024-Q4—−5.02024-Q4

Press Freedom (RSF)Restricted press (44/100)as of 2024—2024

Human Development Index0.803as of 2022—2022

Corruption Perceptions Index35 / 100as of 2023108 / 1802023

Cite this page

Cite this pageAPA · BibTeX · Chicago · JSON

Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Thailand — vintage 2026-Q1: Thailand factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/thailand

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Sources: FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), OECD.Stat, UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, V-Dem, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata

Thailand

Area

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Vajiralongkorn

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Coal

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