Careers, Jobs and Education Resources for: Thailand

Economic Overview

With a well-developed infrastructure, a free-enterprise economy, and generally pro-investment policies, thailand appears to have fully recovered from the 1997-98 asian financial crisis. the country was one of east asia's best performers from 2002-04. boosted by strong export growth, the thai economy grew 4.5% in 2007. bangkok has pursued preferential trade agreements with a variety of partners in an effort to boost exports and to maintain high growth. by 2007, the tourism sector had largely recovered from the major 2004 tsunami. following the military coup in september 2006, investment and consumer confidence stagnated due to the uncertain political climate that lasted through the december 2007 elections. foreign investor sentiment was further tempered by a 30% reserve requirement on capital inflows instituted in december 2006, and discussion of amending thailand's rules governing foreign-owned businesses. economic growth in 2007 was due almost entirely to robust export performance - despite the pressure of an appreciating currency. exports have performed at record levels, rising nearly 17% in 2006 and 12% in 2007. export-oriented manufacturing - in particular automobile production - and farm output are driving these gains.

Environmental Issues

Air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from organic and factory wastes; deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by illegal hunting

Government Type

Constitutional monarchy

Population

65,493,296 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to aids; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (july 2008 est.)

Location

Southeastern asia, bordering the andaman sea and the gulf of thailand, southeast of burma

Area

Total: 514,000 sq km land: 511,770 sq km water: 2,230 sq km

Slightly more than twice the size of wyoming

Country Aliases

Conventional long form: kingdom of thailand conventional short form: thailand local long form: ratcha anachak thai local short form: prathet thai former: siam

Capital

Name: bangkok geographic coordinates: 13 45 n, 100 31 e time difference: utc+7 (12 hours ahead of washington, dc during standard time)

Military Service

21 years of age for compulsory military service; 18 years of age for voluntary military service; males are registered at 18 years of age; 2-year conscript service obligation (2006)

International Disputes

Separatist violence in thailand's predominantly muslim southern provinces prompt border closures and controls with malaysia to stem terrorist activities; southeast asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check the spread of avian flu; talks continue on completion of demarcation with laos but disputes remain over several islands in the mekong river; despite continuing border committee talks, thailand must deal with karen and other ethnic rebels, refugees, and illegal cross-border activities, and as of 2006, over 116,000 karen, hmong, and other refugees and asylum seekers from burma; cambodia and thailand dispute sections of historic boundary with missing boundary markers; cambodia claims thai encroachments into cambodian territory and obstructing access to preah vihear temple ruins awarded to cambodia by icj decision in 1962; thailand is studying the feasibility of jointly constructing the hatgyi dam on the salween river near the border with burma; in 2004, international environmentalist pressure prompted china to halt construction of 13 dams on the salween river that flows through china, burma, and thailand