Thailand

• tropical;
• rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September);
• dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March);
• southern isthmus always hot and humid

• central plain;
• Khorat Plateau in the east;
• mountains elsewhere

• 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

Indian Ocean drainage:

Salween (271,914 sq km)

Pacific Ocean drainage:

Mekong (805,604 sq km)

• 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

noun:

Thai (singular and plural)

adjective:

Thai

• 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

total:

41.9 years (2025 est.)

male:

40.2 years

female:

42.7 years

• 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

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.96 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.8 male(s)/female

total population:

0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

6.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

male:

6.9 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

5.6 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

78.2 years (2024 est.)

male:

75.2 years

female:

81.3 years

total:

6.86 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

1.85 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

0.23 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

4.78 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

18.1% (2025 est.)

male:

36.1% (2025 est.)

female:

1.6% (2025 est.)

women married by age 15:

5.5% (2022)

women married by age 18:

17% (2022)

men married by age 18:

5.8% (2022)

• air pollution from vehicle emissions;
• water pollution from organic and factory wastes;
• water scarcity;
• deforestation;
• soil erosion;
• illegal hunting;
• hazardous waste disposal

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

• tropical;
• rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September);
• dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March);
• southern isthmus always hot and humid

urban population:

53.6% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

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

energy:

708.8 kt (2022-2024 est.)

agriculture:

2,109.9 kt (2019-2021 est.)

waste:

635.8 kt (2019-2021 est.)

other:

57.9 kt (2019-2021 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

26.853 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

40% (2022 est.)

municipal:

2.739 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial:

2.777 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

agricultural:

51.79 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

total global geoparks and regional networks:

2

global geoparks and regional networks:

Khorat; Satun (2023)

conventional long form:

Kingdom of Thailand

conventional short form:

Thailand

local long form:

Ratcha Anachak Thai

local short form:

Prathet Thai

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"

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"

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

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

legislature name:

National Assembly (Rathhasapha)

legislative structure:

bicameral

chamber name:

House of Representatives (Saphaphuthan Ratsadon)

number of seats:

500 (all directly elected)

electoral system:

mixed system

scope of elections:

full renewal

term in office:

4 years

most recent election date:

5/14/2023 (House of Representatives dissolved on 12 December 2025)

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)

percentage of women in chamber:

19.6%

expected date of next election:

8 February 2026

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)

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

subordinate courts:

courts of first instance and appeals courts within both the judicial and administrative systems; military courts

• 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

note: more than 50 parties have registered for the February 2026 general election

chief of mission:

Ambassador Dr. SURIYA Chindawongse (since 17 June 2024)

chancery:

1024 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 401, Washington, DC 20007

telephone:

[1] (202) 944-3600

FAX:

[1] (202) 944-3611

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://washingtondc.thaiembassy.org/en/index

consulate(s) general:

Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador-designate Sean O'NEILL (since 16 December 2025)

embassy:

95 Wireless Road, Bangkok 10330

mailing address:

7200 Bangkok Place, Washington DC 20521-7200

telephone:

[66] 2-205-4000

FAX:

[66] 2-205-4103

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://th.usembassy.gov/

consulate(s) general:

Chiang Mai

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

note: similar to the flag of Costa Rica, but with the blue and red colors reversed

• 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

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)

• 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

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

total:

4.3% (2024 est.)

male:

3.1% (2024 est.)

female:

6% (2024 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

on food:

25.9% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on alcohol and tobacco:

3% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

lowest 10%:

3.4% (2023 est.)

highest 10%:

26.1% (2023 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

production:

12.812 million metric tons (2023 est.)

consumption:

42.371 million metric tons (2023 est.)

exports:

65,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports:

29.757 million metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves:

1.063 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

total petroleum production:

386,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption:

1.397 million bbl/day (2023 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves:

252.75 million barrels (2021 est.)

production:

29.614 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

consumption:

52.351 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

imports:

22.738 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

proven reserves:

138.243 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

• 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)

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

total ports:

21 (2024)

large:

1

medium:

2

small:

3

very small:

15

ports with oil terminals:

14

key ports:

Bangkok, Laem Chabang, Pattani, Phuket, Sattahip, Si Racha

• 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)