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General Details |
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| President |
King PHUMIPHON Adunyadet |
| Prime Minister |
CHUAN Likphai |
| Capital |
Bangkok |
| Location |
Southeast Asia |
| Area |
198, 456 Sq. m. (513, 993 Sq. Km.) |
| Main Cities |
Bangkok, Chaing mai, Nakhon Ratchasima, had
Yai |
| Climate |
Seasons
Cool (December - February)
Hot (March - June)
Rainy ( July - November) |
| Natural Resources |
Tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten,
tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite |
| Irrigated land |
44,000 sq km (approx.) |
| Natural hazards |
Land subsidence in Bangkok area resulting
from the depletion of the water table; droughts |
| Environment-international agreements |
party to: Climate Change, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test
Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber
94
signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Law of the Sea |
| Population |
60.3 Million (Approx.) |
| Population Growth Rate |
1.3 % |
| Birth rate |
16.46 births/1,000 population (approx.) |
| Death rate |
7.16 deaths/1,000 population (approx.) |
| Net migration rate |
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (approx.) |
| Sex ratio |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (approx.) |
| Life expectancy at birth |
total population: 69.21 years
male: 65.58 years
female: 73.01 years (approx.) |
| Legislative Body |
Bicameral National Assembly or Rathasapha
consists of the Senate or Wuthisapha |
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| Literacy |
definition: age 15 and over can read and
write
total population: 93.8%
male: 96%
female: 91.6% |
| Religon |
Buddist (95 %), Muslim (4 %), Christian,
Hindu, Sikh & others (1 %) |
| Language |
Thai, English |
| Ethnic Makeup |
Thai (84 %), Chinese (12 %), Malay &
Minorities (4 %) |
| Labor Force |
34.5 Million (Approx.) |
| Unemployment rate |
3.4 % (Approx.) |
| Education |
4 Levels of education
- One to Three Years for pre- school education
- Six Years for primary education
- Six Years for Secondary education
- Four Years for Higher education |
| Compulsory Education |
9 Years |
| Currency |
1 baht (B) = 100 satang |
| Legal System |
Based on civil law system, with influences
of common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| GDP: Purchasing Power Parity |
-$369 billion (approx.) |
| GDP - real growth rate |
-8.5% (approx.) |
| GDP - per capita |
purchasing power parity-$6,100 (approx.) |
| GDP - Composition by sector |
agriculture: 12%
industry:v 39%
services: 49% (approx.) |
| Population below poverty line |
13.1% (approx.) |
| Household income |
lowest 10%: 2.5%
highest 10%: 37.1% (approx.) |
| Economic
Overview |
After months of speculative pressure on the
Thai baht, the government decided to float the currency in July
1997, the symbolic beginning of the country's current economic
crisis. The crisis-which began in the country's financial
sector-has spread throughout the economy. After years of rapid
economic growth averaging 9% earlier this decade, the Thai
economy contracted 0.4% in 1997 and shrunk another 8.5% in 1998.
In the years before the crisis, Thailand ran persistent current
account deficits. With the depreciation of the Thai baht and the
collapse of domestic demand, however, imports have fallen off
sharply-by more than 33%-and Thailand posted a trade surplus of
approximately $12 billion in 1998. Foreign investment for new
projects, the long-time catalyst of Thailand's economic growth,
has also slowed. The CHUAN government has closely adhered to the
economic recovery program prescribed by the IMF. The cooperation
afforded Thailand stability in the value of its currency in the
second half of 1998 and helped replenish foreign reserves. Tough
measures-including passage of adequate bankruptcy and
foreclosure legislation as well as privatization of state-owned
companies and recapitalization of the financial sector-remain
undone. Bangkok is also trying to establish a social safety net
for those displaced by the current economic crisis and is
working to increase the quality of Thailand's labor force. |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) |
4.3%
(approx.)  |
| Industries |
Tourism; textiles and garments,
agricultural processing, beverages, tobacco, cement, light
manufacturing, such as jewelry; electric appliances and
components, computers and parts, integrated circuits, furniture,
plastics; world's second-largest tungsten producer and
third-largest tin producer |
| Industrial growth rate |
-10% (approx.) |
| Agriculture Products |
Rice, cassava (tapioca), rubber, corn,
sugarcane, coconuts, soybeans |
| Exports |
$51.6 billion (approx.) |
| Exports-commodities |
Manufactures 82% (computers and parts 16%),
agricultural products and fisheries 14% |
| Exports-partners |
US 19.6%, Japan 14.9%, Singapore 11%, Hong
Kong 5.7%, Malaysia 4.3%, UK 3.7% (approx.) |
| Imports |
$73.5 billion (approx.) |
| Imports-commodities |
Capital goods 50%, intermediate goods and
raw materials 22%, consumer goods 10.2%, fuels 8.7% (approx.) |
| Imports-partners |
Japan 25.6%, US 13.9%, Singapore 5%, Taiwan
4.6%, Germany 4.5%, Malaysia 4.1% (approx.) |
| Communication |
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| Telephones Systems |
Service to general public adequate, but
investments in technological upgrades reduced by recession; bulk
of service to government activities provided by multichannel
cable and microwave radio relay network
domestic: microwave radio relay and multichannel cable; domestic
satellite system being developed
international: satellite earth stations-2 Intelsat (1 Indian
Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) |
| Radio Broadcast stations |
AM 200 (in government-controlled network),
FM 100 (in government-controlled network), shortwave 0 |
| Radios |
10.75 million(approx.) |
| Television broadcast station |
5 (all in Bangkok; in addition, there are
131 repeaters)(approx.) |
| Televisions |
3.3 million (approx.) |
| Transportation |
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| Railroads |
total: 4,623 km
narrow gauge: 4,623 km 1.000-m gauge (99 km double track) |
| Highways |
total: 64,600 km
paved: 62,985 km
unpaved: 1,615 km (approx)
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| Waterways |
3,999 km principal waterways; 3,701 km with
navigable depths of 0.9 m or more throughout the year; numerous
minor waterways navigable by shallow-draft native craft |
| Pipelines |
Petroleum products 67 km; natural gas 350
km |
| Ports and Harbours |
Bangkok, Laem Chabang, Pattani, Phuket,
Sattahip, Si Racha, Songkhla |
| Airports |
107 (approx.) |
| GOVERNMENT |
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The kingdom of Thailand is a constitution
monarch with a parliament consisting of the Senate appointed by
the house of Representatives, elected by the people for a four
year term. The overall policy of the Thai government since the
early 1960's has been laid out in the series of five- year
plans. The eighth National economic & social Development
plan is presently being implemented covering the period 1997 -
2001. |
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(i) Economic
Situation
(ii)Trade Regulation
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| DOING BUSINESS IN THAILAND |
(i) Typical Business hours are
- For Banks and Financial institutions, Monday to
Friday - 9.30 AM to 3.30 PM
- Government offices Monday to Friday - 8.30 AM to
4.30 PM [Closed noon - 1 PM]
- Private Business Monday to Friday - 8.30 AM
to 5.30 PM |
| STOCK EXCHANGE |
The Stock exchange of Thailand (SET) is a
well- developed financial institution which welcomes foreign
investment. |
| Tax Structure |
Tax Structure |
| International
Membership |
APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO,
G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU,
NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH,
UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
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General Section
