Download about Thailand

The Kingdom of Thailand
Col Wichayuth
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The Kingdom of Thailand
Col Wichayuth
Unclassified
J-6
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The Kingdom of Thailand
Col Wichayuth
Unclassified
J-6
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The Kingdom of Thailand
Col Wichayuth
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The Kingdom of Thailand
Col Wichayuth
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The Kingdom of Thailand
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Geography
Area:
• 513,115 sq.km. (198,114 sq.mi.)
• about the size of Texas.
Cities:
• Capital: Bangkok (9 million est.).
• Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, Nakon Ratchasima
Terrain:
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Densely populated central plain
Northeastern plateau
Mountain range in the west
Southern isthmus joins land mass with Malaysia.
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The Kingdom of Thailand
• Situated on the Malay Peninsular and Gulf of
Thailand
• Divides into four regions:
North, Northeast, Central and South
• Sharing borders with:
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Malaysia on the south
Burma on the west
Lao on northeast and east
Kampuchea on the east.
• 3 seasons:
• Rainy from July to October
• Cool and dry from November to February
• Summer from March to June
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The Kingdom of Thailand
• Situated on the Malay Peninsular and Gulf of
Thailand
• Divides into four regions:
North, Northeast, Central and South
• Sharing borders with:
•
•
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Malaysia on the south
Burma on the west
Lao on northeast and east
Kampuchea on the east.
• 3 seasons:
• Rainy from July to October
• Cool and dry from November to February
• Summer from March to June
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Geography
Climate: Tropical monsoon.
People:
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Nationality: Thai(s)
Population (1999): 62.7 million.
Annual growth rate: 1.1%.
Ethnic groups: Thai 89%, other 11%.
Religions: Buddhist 95%, Muslim 4%, Christian,
Hindu, other.
• Languages:
• Thai (official language);
• English is the second language
• Regional dialects.
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Geography
Education:
• Years compulsory - 9
• Literacy--93%.
• Health (1996):
• Infant mortality rate--6/1,000.
• Life expectancy--67.3 yrs. male, 71 yrs. female.
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Geography
Government :
• Type: Constitutional monarchy
• Constitution:
• New constitution promulgated October 11, 1997.
Independence: Never colonized; traditional founding
date 1238.
• Branches:
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Executive--king (chief of state)
Prime minister (head of government)
Legislative--National Assembly (bicameral).
Judicial--three levels of courts; highest is Supreme
Court (Sarndika).
• Administrative subdivisions:
• 76 provinces, including Bangkok municipality,
subdivided into 794 districts.
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Geography
Political parties:
• Multi-party system
Suffrage:
• Universal at 18
Economic:
• GDP (1998): $116 billion; (1999 projected): $119
billion
• Annual growth rate (1998): -9.4%; (1999,
projected): +2%
• Per capita income (1998): $1834
• Natural resources:
• Tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber,
lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite
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Geography
Agriculture (11% of GDP):
• Products--rice, tapioca, rubber, corn, sugarcane,
coconuts, soybeans
Industries:
• Tourism, textiles, garments, agricultural
processing, cement, integrated circuits, jewelry
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Geography
Trade (1998):
• Exports--$53 billion:
• textiles and footwear, fishery products, computers and
parts, jewelry, rice, tapioca products, integrated
circuits, rubber
• Major markets--U.S., Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong,
EU
• Imports--$41 billion: machinery and parts,
petroleum, iron and steel, chemicals, vehicles and
parts, jewelry, fish preparations, electrical
appliances, fertilizers and pesticides.
Major suppliers--Japan, U.S., Singapore, Taiwan,
Germany, South Korea, EU
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Geography
People:
• Homogeneous :
• More than 85% speak Thai/common culture.
• Core population:
• Central Thai (36%), Thai-Lao (32%),
• Northern Thai (8%), Southern Thai (8%)
• The largest minorities:
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Chinese (about 12% of the population)
Malay-speaking Muslims of the south (3%)
Other groups: the Khmer, the Mon, the Vietnamese.
Smaller, predominantly mountain-dwelling tribes ;
Hmong, Karen, and Mein, number about 500,000.
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Geography
People:
• The population is mostly rural, concentrated in
the rice-growing areas of the central,
northeastern, and northern regions.
• Thailand continues to industrialize, its urban
population (18% of total population, principally
in the Bangkok area), is growing.
• Thailand's highly successful governmentsponsored family planning program has resulted
in a dramatic decline in population growth from
3.1% in 1960 to around 1.1% today
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Geography
People:
• Life expectancy has also risen/a positive
reflection of public health education.
Education:
• Compulsory for a period of 9 years.
• Education accounts for 16% GE
• 93% of the adult population is literate.
Religion:
• Theravada Buddhism 90 % - official religion
• The government permits religious diversity, and
other major religions are represented
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The Kingdom of Thailand
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