Background Notes: Thailand
PA/PC
Source: Office of Public Communication, Bureau of Public
Affairs
Date: Nov 28, 199111/28/91
Category: Country Data
Region: Southeast Asia
Country: Thailand
Subject: Military Affairs, Cultural Exchange, Travel,
History, International Organizations,
Trade/Economics
[TEXT]
Official Name: Kingdom of Thailand
Geography
Area: 513,115 sq. km. (198,114 sq. mi.): about the size of Texas.
Cities: Capital--Bangkok (pop. 6 million). Other cities--Chiang Mai
(159,279), Hat Yai (142,166), Nakon Ratchasima (193,121). Terrain:
Four general regions--a densely populated central plain watered by
the Chao Phraya River system; a northeastern plateau bordered on
the east by the Mekong River; a mountain range spanning the country
in the west and separating the plain and plateau in east-central
Thailand; and the southern isthmus joining the land mass with
Malaysia. Climate: Tropical monsoon.
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Thai(s). Population (1990): 57
million. Annual growth rate (1990): less than 1.6%. Ethnic groups:
Thai 84%, Chinese 12%. Religions: Buddhist 95%, Muslim 3%.
Languages: Thai, regional dialects. Education: Years compulsory--6.
Attendance--96%. Literacy--89%. Health: Infant mortality rate--
34/1,000. Life expectancy--64 years. Work force: 31 million.
Agriculture--59%. Industry, commerce, services--26%.
Government--8%.
Government
Type: Constitutional monarchy. Constitution: Interim constitution.
Independence: Never colonized.
Branches: Executive--king (chief of state), prime minister (head of
government). Legislative--interim National Legislative Assembly.
Judicial--three levels of courts.
Administrative subdivisions: 73 provinces subdivided into 602
districts.
Political parties: Multiparty system; Communist Party is prohibited.
Suffrage: Universal over 20.
Central government budget: About $12 billion.
Defense: 3% of GNP.
Flag: Two red stripes at top and bottom, two white inner stripes,
and wider blue band in middle.
Economy
GNP (1990): $79 billion. Annual growth rate: 10%. Per capita
income: $1,400. Avg. inflation rate: 6%.
Natural resources: Fisheries products, rubber, tin, natural gas,
timber, lignite, zinc.
Agriculture (12% of GNP): Products--rice, tapioca, corn, sugarcane,
pineapple.
Industries: Petroleum products, cement, textiles, integrated
circuits, processed food, ball bearings, footwear.
Trade: Exports--$23 billion: textiles, fisheries products, rubber,
rice, jewelry and precious stones, tapioca, integrated circuits,
sugar, footwear, canned pineapple. Major markets--US, Japan, EC,
Singapore, Hong Kong. Imports--$33 billion: machinery and parts,
petroleum, iron and steel, chemicals, vehicles and parts, jewelry,
fish preparations, electrical appliances, fertilizers, and pesticides.
Major suppliers--Japan, US, EC, Singapore, Taiwan, China, South
Korea.
Net services and unrequited transfers: Tourism expenditures--$5
billion; remittances from Thai workers abroad--$969 million.
Exchange rate (1991): 25.5 baht=US$1.
International Affiliations
UN and some of its specialized agencies, including the World Bank
group; General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT); Association
of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN); Asian Development Bank;
INTELSAT.
PEOPLE
Thailand's population is relatively homogeneous. More than
85% of the people speak a dialect of Thai and share a common
culture. This core population includes the Central Thai (36% of the
population), Thai-Lao (32%), Northern (8%), and Southern Thai (8%).
The language of the Central Thai population is the language
taught in schools and used in government. Several other small Thai-
speaking groups include the Shan, Lue, and Phutai.
The largest minorities are the Chinese (about 12% of the
population) and the Malay-speaking Muslims in the south (3%). Other
groups include the Khmer, the Mon (who are substantially
assimilated with the Thai), and the Vietnamese. Smaller,
predominantly mountain-dwelling groups total about 500,000.
The population is predominantly rural and heavily
concentrated in the rice-growing areas of the central, northeastern,
and northern regions. The urban population (13 million) is
concentrated in Bangkok and adjacent provinces. While Thailand
once had one of the world's fastest-growing populations, a highly
successful government-sponsored family planning program resulted
in a dramatic decline in the population growth rate from 3.1% in
1960 to less than 1.6% today. Over the same period, life expectancy
increased from 51 years to over 64 years.
Universal free public education is compulsory for 6 years.
Education is the third largest item in the Thai budget, accounting
for 16% of the total. In 1985, 96% of primary and 30% of secondary
school-age children were enrolled in school, and about 6% were in
universities or colleges.
The focus on education also has resulted in a substantially
higher adult literacy rate. According to World Bank data, the adult
literacy rate had risen to 89% by 1980, as compared to 50% only 20
years earlier.
Theravada Buddhism is the religion of more than 90% of the
Thai. The government permits religious freedom, however, and
numerous other religions are represented. Spirit worship and
animism are important in Thai religious life.
HISTORY
Southeast Asia has been inhabited for more than half a million
years. Recent archeological studies suggest that by 4000 BC,
communities in what is now Thailand had emerged as centers of
early bronze metallurgy. This accomplishment, together with the
cultivation of wet rice, provided the impetus for social and
political organization. New evidence suggests that these early
technological innovations may have originated in Thailand and other
places in Southeast Asia and been transmitted to China, not vice
versa as long believed. The Thai language links groups in southern
China and modern Thailand. Strong evidence exists of migrations
from southern China to Southeast Asia in AD 6th and 7th centuries,
but earlier migrations, possibly from south to north, are less well
understood. Thailand's early history was a complex struggle for
territory and power among the Malay, Thai, Mon, and Khmer
(Cambodian) peoples.
The Thai date the founding of their nation to the 13th century.
According to tradition, in 1238, Thai chieftains overthrew the
Khmer at Sukhothai, establishing the Thai kingdom. Following the
political decline of the Sukhothai kingdom with the death of its
energetic King Ramkhamhaeng (Rama the Great), a new, centralized
Thai kingdom emerged in 1350 with its center at Ayutthaya on the
Chao Phraya River.
Rama Thibodi, the first ruler of the Ayutthaya kingdom, made
two extremely important contributions to Thai history: the
establishment and promotion of Theravada Buddhism as the official
religion and the compilation of the Dharmashastra, a legal code
based on Hindu sources and on Thai custom. The Dharmashastra
remained in effect until the late 19th century. The Ayutthaya
kingdom had some contact with the West, beginning with the
Portuguese in the 16th century, but relations with other Southeast
Asian nations were of primary importance until the 19th century.
In the late 18th century, Burmese armies overwhelmed the
kingdom. Rama I, founder of the present ruling dynasty and one of
the leaders who eventually drove out the Burmese, established the
capitol, Bangkok, at its present location in 1782. His successors,
especially after the British victory in Burma in 1826, became
increasingly preoccupied with the threat of European colonialism.
It is a source of great pride to the Thai that theirs is the only
country in South and Southeast Asia never colonized by a Western
power. The Thai understood the necessity of flexibility and
adaptability. Believing that "the strength of bamboo was its ability
to bend with the wind," they adapted themselves to the pressures of
foreign powers to preserve the nation's independence.
Rama III recognized Western power with negotiation of the
Treaty of Amity and Commerce with the British in 1826. The United
States began diplomatic exchanges with Siam--as Thailand was
called until 1938--in 1833. More important steps in this direction
were made by Rama IV, known in the West as King Mongkut, and by
Rama V (King Chulalongkorn), who carried out a virtual revolution of
modernization in the government during the last quarter of the 19th
century. These monarchs combined diplomatic skill with
recognition of the need to modernize the state structure, making it
possible for Siam to survive as an independent state.
The 1932 revolution transformed the government from an
absolute to a constitutional monarchy. The transition was smooth
and nonviolent primarily because the ruling monarch, King
Prajadhipok (Rama VII), advocated the transfer of power in response
to changing political conditions.
European predominance in Southeast Asia was challenged in
the 20th century by the Japanese. When Japan struck at the
Philippines and Malaya in December 1941, it also invaded Thailand.
Faced with overwhelming Japanese power, which quickly caused the
collapse of Western forces in the area, Thailand acceded to
Japanese demands. Although nominally allied with Japan during
World War II, Thailand was effectively an occupied country.
Japan's defeat in 1945 was followed by an era of increasingly
close relations with the United States, which had extended
assistance to Thailand in the immediate post-war period. Thailand
saw the victory of communist forces on mainland China in 1949 as a
potential threat to its independence, and it became an active
participant, along with the United States, in efforts to check
communist expansion in Southeast Asia.
Since 1975, Thailand has served as a country of first asylum
for hundreds of thousands of refugees from communist Indochina.
For these humanitarian practices, Thailand has received acclaim
from international organizations supporting refugee relief.
The present monarch, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej
(Rama IX), and Queen Sirikit have four children, including one son,
Prince Vajiralong-korn, who was invested as crown prince in
December 1972.
GOVERNMENT
In February 1991, a bloodless military coup toppled the
elected civilian government, abolishing the constitution and
national assembly. The military leaders established a National
Peacekeeping Council, which in turn appointed a largely civilian
transitional cabinet and an interim National Legislative Assembly.
The assembly is reviewing a draft permanent constitution, which
may be promulgated by the end of 1991. The interim constitution
now in effect calls for elections for a civilian government by April
1992, including a permanent legislative assembly, which will
select a new cabinet.
The king has little direct power, but he is an important
popular symbol of national identity and unity. He appoints a privy
council to advise him and, under certain conditions, to appoint a
regent for the exercise of royal powers.
The legal system, which has not been affected by the coup,
blends principles of traditional Thai and Western laws; Koranic law
is applied in the far south, where Muslims constitute the majority
of the population. The Supreme Court is the highest court of
appeals, and its judges are appointed by the king.
Thailand's 73 provinces include the metropolis of greater
Bangkok. While Bangkok's governor is popularly elected, those of
the remaining provinces are career civil servants appointed by the
Ministry of Interior.
Principal Government Officials
Chief of State--King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX)
Prime Minister--Anand Panyarachun
Minister of Foreign Affairs--Asa Sarasin
Ambassador to the US--Birabhongse Kasemsri
Ambassador to the UN--Nitya Pibulsonggram
Thailand maintains an embassy in the United States at 2300
Kalorama Rd. NW, Washington, DC, 20008 (tel: 202-483-7200).
Consulates are located in New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
ECONOMY
Thailand has one of the developing world's strongest
economies. Since the 1960s, the annual economic growth rate has
averaged over 7% in real terms. In the late 1980s, annual growth
accelerated to 9-10% as exports and investments in Thailand
benefited from the realignment of East Asian currency values.
Although Thailand has traditionally had an agrarian-based economy,
its manufacturing and service sectors have grown tremendously in
size and significance.
The economy is basically a free-enterprise system. Certain
services are state-owned enterprises (e.g., electricity,
telecommunications, railways, port authority, and the national air
carrier). The Royal Thai Government welcomes foreign investment,
and investors who are willing to meet certain requirements
regarding local content or ownership can apply for special
investment privileges through the Board of Investment. The labor
movement is fairly weak in Thailand; only 3% of the work force is
unionized.
Agriculture and fishery production continue to play a
significant role in the Thai economy. Rice remains the country's
most important crop. More than half of the population depends on
the cultivation of rice for their livelihood, although the percentage
is decreasing. Other agricultural commodities produced in
significant amounts are fish and fishery products, cassava
(tapioca), rubber, maize (corn), and sugar. Exports of processed
foods (such as canned tuna, frozen shrimp, and canned pineapples)
have increased dramatically.
Thailand's manufacturing sector has grown tremendously in
recent years. The recent realignment of currency values in East
Asia has made Thailand an attractive site for investment,
especially by Japanese and Taiwanese manufacturers. Textiles are
the country's largest export item. Integrated circuits, footwear,
jewelry, and ball bearings also are important manufactured exports.
A wide range of factories and assembly plants produce such goods
as electric and electronic appliances, building supplies, and
automobiles for the Thai domestic market.
Rapid economic growth in recent years has led to a much
higher level of trade with other countries. Between 1987 and 1991,
exports more than doubled as imports increased almost 200%.
Thailand's largest export market is the United States, with which it
has a trade surplus; the value of that surplus has grown
significantly in recent years. Japan is the second largest export
market and largest import supplier. Other major trading partners
are the European Community, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and
China.
Thailand's principal imports, machinery and parts, reflect the
large-scale investments being made by foreign, particularly
Japanese, manufactures. As a result, Thailand has been running an
overall merchandise trade deficit. The deficit is to some degree
offset by earnings from tourism and remittances from Thai workers
abroad.
Tourism is Thailand's single largest earner of foreign
exchange. In the late 1980s, earnings from tourism tripled, in large
part due to the publicity associated with "Visit Thailand Year" in
1987-88. Many new luxury hotels and other tourist facilities have
opened in order to serve the growing number of tourists from Japan,
Europe, the United States, and Taiwan.
Foreign investment plays a significant role in the Thai
economy. The single largest foreign investment--that by Union Oil
of California--is an estimated $3 billion investment in the
development of gas fields in the Gulf of Thailand. Many large
multinational electronics companies have set up production in
Thailand; international brands manufactured there are sold on the
local market.
Thailand's favorable economic prospects and excellent credit
rating allow it to borrow commercially at highly favorable rates.
Additionally, Thailand has received official credits from foreign
governments and from multilateral financial institutions, such as
the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. While some
problems with external debt levels were encountered in the early
1980s, prudent fiscal policies and rapid economic growth since
have enabled Thailand to cut the debt service ratio almost in half,
and, by 1991, the debt service ratio stood at the manageable level
of about 9%.
Thailand is a member of the General Agreement on Tariffs and
Trade (GATT) and actively supports the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations. It is a member of the Cairns group of agricultural
exporters. Although the Association of Southeastern Asian Nations
(ASEAN) has set up preferential trading arrangements, the trade
profiles of the ASEAN members (including Thailand) are competitive
rather than complementary, and the majority of Thai trade
continues to be with Japan, the United States, and the EC.
Bangkok and its environs have traditionally been by far the
richest part of Thailand and the infertile northeast the poorest. One
of the overriding concerns of successive Thai governments has been
to reduce regional income differentials, which have been
exacerbated by rapid economic growth in and around Bangkok in
recent years. In response, the government has tried to encourage
the decentralization of economic activity out of Bangkok. However,
many feel that for the foreseeable future, the economic
opportunities available in Bangkok will continue to outpace those in
the provinces by a considerable margin.
Although predictions are always difficult, it is likely that
Thailand's economy will continue on its path of rapid growth and
industrialization. A possible obstacle to sustained rapid growth
would be infrastructural capacity constraints, which are
increasingly evident in telecommunication, roadway, electricity
generation, and port systems. Another possible problem area would
be the shortage of engineers and skilled technical personnel.
DEFENSE
The army, navy, and air force stress the defense of Thailand from
external attack as their primary duty and internal security and
national development as important secondary missions. The armed
forces have a combined strength of about 294,000 personnel. The
government spends about 16% of its budget on defense.
Expenditures in fiscal year 1991 totaled $2.4 billion, about 3% of
the GNP.
The US foreign military sales (FMS) program, the primary
source of modern military equipment for Thailand, has contributed
to the continued improvement of the capability of the Thai military
to counter potential threats to the country's territorial security.
Due to a declining trend in US military assistance in recent years,
FMS purchases are now largely financed out of Thailand's own
budgetary resources. In addition, the two countries maintain a
vigorous bilateral exercise program involving all the military
services of each country.
FOREIGN RELATIONS
Thailand's history of freedom from formal Western
colonialism sets the country apart from its neighbors. Pursuit of
the national interest through flexible and pragmatic diplomacy
continues to be the keystone of government policy. The country's
foreign policy includes support for ASEAN in the interest of
regional stability and emphasis on the security relationship with
the United States.
Thailand participates in international and regional
organizations. It has developed increasingly close ties with other
ASEAN members--Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore,
and Brunei--whose foreign and economic ministers hold annual
meetings. Regional cooperation is progressing in economic, trade,
banking, political, and cultural matters.
Since the Vietnamese occupation of Cambodia in early 1979,
that conflict has been Thailand's primary regional foreign policy
concern. Following negotiations throughout 1991, a peace
agreement was signed in Paris in October 1991. Successful
implementation would allow for the repatriation of hundreds of
thousands of Cambodians displaced by the conflict, and perhaps an
end to the flow of refugees from Vietnam and Laos, which has been
a pressing foreign policy issue for Thailand.
US-THAI RELATIONS
Official US-Thai relations date from 1833, when the two
countries signed the Treaty of Amity and Commerce, the first US
treaty with an Asian country.
Since World War II, the United States and Thailand have
developed close relations in many fields, as reflected in several
bilateral treaties and both countries' participation in many
multilateral activities and agreements under the UN aegis. The
principal bilateral arrangement in force is the Treaty of Amity and
Economic Relations signed in 1966. Other important agreements
cover air transport, civil uses of atomic energy, sales of
agricultural commodities, investment guarantees, and military and
economic assistance.
While numerous areas of agreement exist and serve to
strengthen understanding and cooperation between the United
States and Thailand, US calls for Thailand to play a role in the
world economic structure commensurate with its industrial
diversification and growing economic importance have given rise to
trade frictions and strains on otherwise very good bilateral
relations. Particularly since 1985, and as part of a global policy
enjoying bipartisan support in the United States, the US Government
has sought improvements in the Thai regime for protecting US
intellectual property comparable to those standards achieved in
other East Asian countries. Progress has been made, but further
efforts are required. The United States also initiated a dialogue
with Thailand on promoting worker rights in response to recent US
legislation linking these rights with US trade policy. The United
States also continues to seek improved access for US products and
services in the Thai market.
In recent years, as the worldwide campaign against
trafficking in illicit narcotics and dangerous drugs has become
increasingly important, the United States and Thailand have worked
together and with the United Nations in a broad range of programs.
A memorandum of understanding was signed in 1971 affirming US-
Thai cooperation, and a strengthened Thai enforcement program has
resulted. With US support, this program has registered a number of
successful seizures and arrests as part of an effort to interdict the
flow of illicit opiates out of the remote jungle area where Burma,
Laos, and Thailand meet (the so-called Golden Triangle). In recent
years, the Thai Government has undertaken an active program to
eradicate opium planted in its territory.
The United States and Thailand are among the signatories of
the 1954 Manila pact. Article IV(1) of this treaty provides that, in
the event of armed attack in the treaty area (which includes
Thailand), each member would "act to meet the common danger in
accordance with its constitutional processes." Despite the
dissolution of the South East Asia Treaty Organization in 1977,
the Manila pact remains in force and, together with the Thanat-Rusk
communique of 1962, constitutes the basis of the US security
commitment to Thailand. During Thai Prime Minister Chatichai
Choonhavan's visit to the United States in June 1990, President
Bush reaffirmed US support for the Manila pact.
Thailand's stability and independence are important to the
maintenance of peace in the region. Economic assistance has been
extended in various fields, including rural development, health,
family planning, education, and science and technology. The US
Peace Corps program in Thailand has about 170 volunteers, almost
half of whom teach English. The remainder are engaged in
education, agricultural and rural development, and health programs.
Thailand has received US military equipment, essential
supplies, training, and assistance in the construction and
improvement of facilities and installations since 1950. A small US
military advisory group in Thailand oversees the delivery of
equipment to the Thai armed forces and the training of Thai
military personnel in its use and maintenance.
As required by law, the bulk of US military and other
assistance to Thailand was suspended following the February 1991
coup. In FY 1990, the US provided $3 million in military assistance
grants and $2.2 million for military education and training.
As part of their mutual defense cooperation, Thailand and the
United States over the last decade have developed a vigorous
bilateral military exercise program, which engages all the services
of each nation and now averages 40 joint exercises per year. The
annual schedule is highlighted by Cobra Gold, which is the second
largest bilateral exercise in which the US participates in the
Pacific region.
Principal US Officials
Ambassador--David F. Lambertson
Deputy Chief of Mission--Victor L. Tomseth
Counselor for Political Affairs--Ralph L. Boyce
Counselor for Economic Affairs--John Medeiros
Counselor for Administrative Affairs--Jose Cao-Garcia
Commercial Counselor--Herbert A. Cochran
Agricultural Attache--Richard K. Petges
Public Affairs--Donna Marie Oglesby
Director, US Agency for International Development Mission--Thomas
H. Reese, III
Defense Attache--Col. William P. Kinnear, Jr., USAF
Chief, Joint US Military Advisory Group--Brig. Gen. Robert Lewis
Stephens, Jr., USA
Consul General--James C. Struble
The US Embassy in Thailand is located at 95 Wireless Road,
Bangkok (tel. 252-5040/5171). Consulates are at Chiang Mai,
Vidhyanond Road (tel. 252-629/30-33); Songkhla, 9 Sadao Road (tel.
311-589); and Udorn, 35/6 Supakitjanya Road (tel. 221-548).
Travel Notes
Entry Requirements and Customs. A valid passport is required.
US visitors are admitted without visas for a stay of 15 days or
less; for longer stays, a visa appropriate for the purpose of the
visit (e.g., tourism, business, student) must be obtained before
arrival.
No immunizations are required; however, travelers to rural
areas may wish to take typhoid, tetanus, rabies, gamma globulin,
and cholera shots and a malaria preventative.
Customs prohibits the export of religious images, regardless
of the age of the item. A Thai government permit is required to
take antiques out of the country.
Narcotics and the Law. Thailand has an extremely strict anti-
narcotics law that provides for severe sentences, including the
death penalty, for narcotics traffickers and users. Several hundred
foreigners are imprisoned in Thailand on narcotics charges, a
number of whom are serving life sentences.
Climate and Clothing. Lightweight, washable clothing is
comfortable and practical for Bangkok's tropical climate. In
northern Thailand, a jacket or sweater is needed during the cool
season.
Health. Hospitals are available for routine treatment.
Mosquitoes are plentiful, but malaria is not a problem in Bangkok.
Hepatitis is fairly common in Thailand. Avoid tapwater, raw milk,
ice cream, uncooked meats, and unwashed fruits and vegetables.
Telecommunications. Good 24-hour telephone service to the
US is available at the Central Radio Telephone Service of the
General Post Office. Telegrams can be sent from any post office
and many hotels. Bangkok is 12 hours ahead of eastern standard
time.
Transportation. Flights are available from the US to Bangkok
via Tokyo and Hong Kong. Principal cities within Thailand can be
reached by air, and many towns and cities are served by
comfortable, dependable trains. Buses, taxis, rental cars, and
samlors (three-wheeled motor vehicles) can be hired in Bangkok.
Agree on the fare before entering a taxi or samlor. Local
transportation in small towns is more often by pedicab than by taxi.
Highways vary in quality from modern divided highways to unpaved,
ungraded roads that may be impassable in the rainy season. Traffic
moves on the left.
Tourist Attractions. Bangkok offers its visitors the
opportunity to visit many royal and religious monuments, including
the Grand Palace compound and the temples of the Golden Buddha
and the Reclining Buddha. Outside the capital, the northern city of
Chiang Mai (644 km./386 mi. from Bangkok) is the gateway to
excursions into the villages of the Thai hill tribe peoples.
Ayutthaya, the old capital city, has many ancient temples. Beach
resorts include well-developed facilities in Pattaya (80 km./48 mi.
southeast of Bangkok) and Phuket (862 km./517 mi. southwest of
Bangkok).
National Holidays. Thai business establishments (and the US
Embassy) may be closed on holidays set by the lunar calendar, which
changes from year to year. Check with the Thai Embassy or
consulates for exact dates.
Published by the United States Department of State -- Bureau of
Public Affairs -- Office of Public Communication -- Washington,
DC --Series Editor: Peter Knecht--Department of State Publication
Background Notes Series. This material is in the public domain and
may be reprinted without permission; citation of this source is
appreciated. For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, US
Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402.(###)