|
Name: |
Kingdom of Thailand |
|
Climate: |
Tropical |
|
Location: |
South-East Asia, between
6° and 20° 30’ northern latitude and 97° 30’ and 105° 45’ eastern longitude |
|
Area: |
513,115 sq km |
|
Capital: |
Bangkok, in Thai - phonetically
- Krung Thep (City of Angels) and other names,
approx. 5.68 million inhabitants |
|
Population: |
Approx. 63.8 million,
the vast majority are ethnic Thais (approx. 15% of Chinese origin)
Malays: approx. 2 million
Chinese: approx. 223,000
Hill tribes, whose numbers vary between 0.6 and 6.5 million,
plus Khmer, Vietnamese, Indians, Burmese, Nepalese
Germans: between 10,000 and 15,000 (no obligation to register) |
|
Language: |
Thai |
|
Religions: |
Buddhist (approx. 95%);
Islamic (approx. 4%);
Christian; Hindu; animist |
|
National Day: |
5 December (King’s
birthday) |
|
System of government: |
Constitutional monarchy |
|
Head of State: |
King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Regent since 9 June 1946
Crowned 5 May 1950 |
|
Deputy: |
Queen Sirikit |
Head of Government:
Party membership: |
Pol. Lt. Col. Dr.
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thai rak Thai
since 9 February 2001 |
|
Foreign Minister: |
Dr. Surakiart Sathirathai
Thai rak Thai
since 16 February 2001 |
|
Parliament: |
Bi-cameral National
Assembly consisting of the Senate (200 seats; last elections
4 March 2000; six-year term) and the House of Representatives
(500 seats; last elections 6 January 2001;
four-year term) |
|
Governing parties: |
Thai rak Thai
(TrT), only founded in late 1998, won around 50% of the
seats in parliament from scratch in 2001. Together with
its coalition partners, Chart Thai and Chart Pattana, it
has a two-thirds majority in parliament. Neither the government
nor the opposition parties are motivated by ideology, being
under the formative influence of dominant personalities. |
|
Opposition: |
Prachathipat
(Democratic Party), the oldest party in the country (founded
over 50 years ago) |
|
Trade unions: |
Some 900 trade
unions in the private sector (over 200,000 members) grouped
in central organizations |
|
Administrative
structure: |
Central government,
76 provinces |
|
Principal media: |
Daily newspapers:
Thai: Thai Rath, Daily News, Matichon, Thai Post, Kom Chud
Luk, Post Today
English: Bangkok Post, The Nation
Television stations:
Thai: Channel 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, ITV
English: none, but foreign stations broadcasting in English
can be picked up via UBC cable television |
|
GDP: |
Approx. USD
139 billion (2003) |
|
Per-capita
GDP: |
Approx. USD
2,178 (2003) |
|
National
currency: |
Baht |
