Capital

Thailand

name: Bangkok

geographic coordinates: 13 45 N, 100 31 E

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

etymology: Bangkok was likely originally a colloquial name, but one that was widely adopted by foreign visitors; the name may derive from bang ko, where bang is the Thai word for "village on a stream" and ko means "island," both referencing the area's landscape, which was carved by rivers and canals; alternatively, the name may come from bang makok, where makok is the name of the Java plum, a plant bearing olive-like fruit; this possibility is supported by the former name of Wat Arun, a historic temple in the area, that used to be called Wat Makok;

Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, the city's Thai name, means "City of Angels, Great City" or simply "Great City of Angels" and is a shortening of the full ceremonial name: Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphimanawatansathit Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit; translated the meaning is: "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"; it holds the world's record as the longest place name (169 letters); Krung Thep is used colloquially

Citizenship

Thailand

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

Legal system

Thailand

civil law system with common law influences

Suffrage

Thailand

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Area

Thailand

total: 513,120 sq km

land: 510,890 sq km

water: 2,230 sq km

Land use

Thailand

agricultural land: 41.2% (2018 est.)

arable land: 30.8% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 8.8% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 1.6% (2018 est.)

forest: 37.2% (2018 est.)

other: 21.6% (2018 est.)

Location

Thailand

Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma

Age structure

Thailand

0-14 years: 16% (male 5,720,842/female 5,443,981)

15-64 years: 69.53% (male 23,797,302/female 24,734,505)

65 years and over: 14.47% (2023 est.) (male 4,500,808/female 5,597,559)

Birth rate

Thailand

10 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Thailand

7.9 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Thailand

Thai (official) only 90.7%, Thai and other languages 6.4%, only other languages 2.9% (includes Malay, Burmese); note - data represent population by language(s) spoken at home; English is a secondary language of the elite (2010 est.)

major-language sample(s):
สารานุกรมโลก - แหล่งข้อมูลพื้นฐานที่สำคัญ (Thai)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

Thailand

total population: 77.9 years (2023 est.)

male: 74.9 years

female: 81.1 years

Major urban areas - population

Thailand

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)

Median age

Thailand

total: 41 years (2023 est.)

male: 39.8 years

female: 42.2 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

Thailand

23.3 years (2009 est.)

Net migration rate

Thailand

-0.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Thailand

highest population density is found in and around Bangkok; significant population clusters found througout large parts of the country, particularly north and northeast of Bangkok and in the extreme southern region of the country

Population growth rate

Thailand

0.2% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Thailand

1.54 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Thailand

urban population: 53.6% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 1.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Education expenditures

Thailand

3.2% of GDP (2020 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Thailand

total: 15 years

male: 15 years

female: 16 years (2016)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Thailand

-3.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Thailand

3.34% (2021 est.)

Labor force

Thailand

40.213 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

Thailand

9.9% (2018 est.)

Unemployment rate

Thailand

1.42% (2021 est.)

1.1% (2020 est.)

0.72% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Thailand

50.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

40.13% of GDP (2019 est.)

39.25% of GDP (2018 est.)

note: data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are sold at public auctions

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Thailand

1.23% (2021 est.)

-0.85% (2020 est.)

0.71% (2019 est.)

Exports

Thailand

$296.002 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$257.981 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$323.878 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - partners

Thailand

United States 16%, China 13%, Japan 9%, Vietnam 4%, Australia 4% (2021)

Imports

Thailand

$295.78 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$232.039 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$272.831 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - partners

Thailand

China 28%, Japan 12%, Malaysia 5%, United States 5%, United Arab Emirates 4% (2021)

Airports

Thailand

101 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Thailand

total: 11,478,265 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 16 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Thailand

total: 61.2 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 85% (2021 est.)

Railways

Thailand

total: 4,127 km (2017)

standard gauge: 84 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge (84 km electrified)

narrow gauge: 4,043 km (2017) 1.000-m gauge

Roadways

Thailand

total: 180,053 km (2006) (includes 450 km of expressways)

Telephones - fixed lines

Thailand

total subscriptions: 4.6 million (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 7 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Thailand

total subscriptions: 120 million (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 170 (2021 est.)

Waterways

Thailand

4,000 km (2011) (3,701 km navigable by boats with drafts up to 0.9 m)

Disputes - international

Thailand

Thailand-Burma: in 2016, Thailand expressed its interest in investing in Burma’s Hatgyi Dam project on the Salween River near the Thai-Burma border; the dam has the potential to supply electricity and water during the drought season; approximately 100,000 mostly Karen refugees fleeing civil strife, political upheaval, and economic stagnation in Burma live in nine remote camps in Thailand near the border

Thailand-Cambodia: Cambodia and Thailand dispute sections of their border; 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; in 2013, the International Court of Justice ruled that the land with the temple was Cambodian territory but that a nearby hill belonged to Thailand

Thailand-Laos: talks continue on completion of demarcation with Laos but disputes remain over several islands in the Mekong River

Thailand-Malaysia: separatist violence in Thailand's predominantly Malay-Muslim southern provinces prompt border closures and controls with Malaysia to stem insurgent activities; disputed areas are the Bukit Jeli area at the headwaters of the Golok River and the continental shelf boundary in the Gulf of Thailand