Thailand officially the
Kingdom of Thailand is a country located at the centre
of the Indochina peninsula in
Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to
the east by Laos and Cambodia, to
the south by the Gulf
of Thailand and Malaysia, and to
the west by the Andaman Sea
and the southern extremity of Burma. Its maritime boundaries include Vietnam in the Gulf of Thailand to the
southeast, and Indonesia and India in the Andaman Sea to the
southwest.
The country is a constitutional monarchy, headed by King
Rama IX, the
ninth king of the House of Chakri, who,
having reigned since 1946, is the world's longest-serving head of state and the longest-reigning
monarch in
Thai
history. The king
of Thailand is titled Head of State, Head of the Armed Forces, Adherent of
Buddhism, and Upholder of religions.
Thailand is the world's
51st-largest
country in terms of total area, with an area of approximately 513,000
km2 (198,000 sq mi), and is the 20th-most-populous country,
with around 64 million people. The capital and largest city is Bangkok, which is Thailand's political, commercial,
industrial and cultural hub. About 75% of the population is ethnically Tai, 14% Thai Chinese, and 3% is
ethnically Malay; the rest belong
to minority groups including Mons, Khmers and various hill tribes. The country's official
language is Thai. The
primary religion is Buddhism, which
is practiced by around 95% of the population.
Thailand experienced
rapid economic growth between 1985 and 1996, and is presently a newly industrialized country and a
major exporter. Tourism also contributes significantly to
the Thai economy. There are approximately 2.2 million legal and illegal migrants in
Thailand, and the country
has also attracted a number of expatriates from developed countries.
