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The Kingdom of Thailand: Country Report
The Kingdom of Thailand is a constitutional monarchy with a stable, steadily
growing free market economy. Thailand is notable for being the only South
East Asian country to never be occupied by a European imperial power and
also for being the only land access to Malaysia and Singapore from mainland
Asia. Political stability has been a critical issue for Thailand following a
military coup in 2006. In addition, an ongoing insurgency has been causing
havoc from the Muslim Malay community in the southern Thailand since its
inception in January 20041. Thailand has also become a large transit point
for human sex and labor trafficking. In August,2016, there was a bomb
attack in the Thai resort town of Hua Hin, Surat Thani, Phuket and Trang..
Currently, Vajiralongkorn becomes Thailand's new King, the economics of
the country is growing stably, it is projected to be 3.1% in 2016 and 3.2% in
20172.
Population, 2016
Population Growth Rate, 2016
Total Area
Bordered By
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68,175,121
0.22%
513,120 sq. km
Burma/Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia,
Malaysia
CIA, “World Factbook- Thailand”, accessed June 14, 2013. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-worldfactbook/geos/th.html.
2
World bank
Table Source: CIA3
Governmental and Politics
Thailand is a constitutional monarchy run by a military interim government,
with its capitol set in Bangkok. The chief of state is the king, currently
Phumiphon (also Bhumipol) Adunyadet. The line of succession for the king is
hereditary. The head of government is the prime minister, currently General
Prayut Chan-ocha. The executive leaders are advised by the Council of
Ministers and Privy Council. The king has little actual power to control the
state, and instead serves to inspire national pride and unity. It is important
to note that the king can be female if the line of succession passes to a
princess4.
The legislative branch is in transition after the military coup. It now consists
of 220 members of a National Legislative Assembly. The first elections for
this new system are planned to occur in mid-2017.
The judicial branch is structured in a manner similar to many western
systems, with a Constitutional Court at the top of a hierarchy of lower
courts. Members of the Constitutional Court are appointed by the king after
being selected through a process involving Judicial selection committee.
From 1992 to 2005, Thailand was a functioning democracy. However, in
2006 a military coup overthrew Prime Minister Thaksin Chinnawat5. Street
protests caused rampant instability from 2008 to 2010. These protests
turned violent in 2010, leading to nearly 100 deaths and extensive property
losses. The government itself was plagued by corruption and fraud scandals,
short-lived governments and protests. Thaksin Chinnawat’s younger sister
Yinglak secured an electoral victory for the Puea Thai Party in 2011,
restoring a semblance of stability to the government. Despite this, Prime
Minister Chinnawat faced widespread dissatisfaction after widespread
flooding overwhelmed much of the country. Subsequent pressure from the
opposition Democrat Party further damaged the government. In 2014, a
military coup ousted the government and set up an interim government to
3
CIA
MSU, “Thailand: Government”, accessed June 14, 2013.
http://globaledge.msu.edu/countries/thailand/government.
5
CIA
4
control the country. Arguably the most serious issue facing the governments
hold on power is the bloody insurgency in southern Thailand.
Economy
Thailand possesses a free market economy that has made notable progress
towards liberalization, more so than its regional competitors6. Economic
reforms have made entrepreneurship simple and relatively free of
bureaucratic engagement. Capital is available and fluid. These positive
factors have helped to secure Thailand’s spot as a country with one of the
lowest unemployment rates in the world at less than 1%. The government
does however maintain monetary controls and has restrictions on foreign
trade and ownership. The most pressing barrier to economic advancement is
political instability that deters investment. Rule of law, a basic necessity for
a successful capitalist economy, is lacking in its enforcement. The judicial
system is vulnerable to political influence, and does not properly protect
intellectual property rights. Production in the country benefits from a strong
high-tech manufacturing sector, especially electronic equipment such as
integrated circuits and computer parts. In addition, Thailand is the world’s
2nd largest producer of tungsten, and 3rd in tin production. Thailand’s trading
partners are diverse, with no single country receiving a large majority of the
market. Thailand’s exports the most to China at 11%, as well as imports at
16.9% closely followed by Japan at 15.6%. Exports to the US are at 10.5%,
while imports are at 6.4%.
Economic Indicators
Total GDP, PPP (2015)
GDP Per Capita, PPP (2015)
GDP Growth Rate (2015)
GDP Growth Rate Projected
2016/20177
Unemployment Rate (2015)
Inflation (CPI) (2015)
FDI Net Inflow
Current Account Balance (2015)
GDP from Agriculture (2015)
6
7
$1.108 trillion
$16,100
2.8%
2.0% | 2.3%
1%
-0.9%
$9.6 billion
$34.82 billion
10.4%
Heritage Foundation, “Thailand”, accessed June 14, 2013, http://www.heritage.org/index/country/thailand.
Economist Intelligence Unit, “Thailand”, accessed June 15, 2013.
GDP from Industry (2015)
GDP from Services (2015)
Industrial Production Growth Rate
(2015)
37.7%
51.9%
4%
Table Source: CIA8, unless otherwise noted
Security Concerns
Since January 2004, an insurgency has been raging in the Muslim-majority
southern region of Thailand, near the Malaysia border. The provinces of
Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala, and Songkhla are 90% Malay Muslim, while the
rest of Thailand is primarily Theravada Buddhist9. The conflict, at least
currently, is primarily ethno-nationalist in nature. The insurgents are fighting
to secure greater autonomy and to prevent the continued flow of Buddhists
into traditional Muslim territory. There have been several efforts by
international jihadist groups such as Al-Qaeda to incorporate the Thai
insurgency, but so far they have been rebuffed. The insurgency is composed
of groups such as the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), the Pattani United
Liberation Organization (PULO) and the Pattani Islamic Mujahedeen
Movement (GMIP)10. The groups have been carrying out attacks on military
and security forces, but also have used terror tactics against civilians as
well. Teachers and government officials are often targeted with bombings
and assassinations. Over 5,000 people have been killed since the beginning
of the insurgency, and it has been estimated by Amnesty International that
2/3 of that figure are civilians11.
Thailand also has an ongoing border dispute with Cambodia over the area
around the Preah Vihear temple, erupting into military conflict in April 2011.
Refugees and militants from the Karen people of Burma are also an ongoing.
The Karen rebels spilled over into Thailand, creating a security issue.
Additionally, Thailand faces a large-scale human trafficking issue. This is
largely prevalent in the sex trade, which Thailand has not taken minimum
standards to combat. Aside from trafficking of locals, Thailand is used as a
8
CIA
Independent, “The Secret War in Thailand’s Deep South,” accessed June 15, 2013,
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/the-secret-war-in-thailands-deep-south-8550581.html.
10
Gulf-Times, “Thailand Insurgents Claim Peace Could be Years Away,” accessed June 15, 2013, http://www.gulftimes.com/asean-philippines/188/details/356298/thailand-insurgents-claim-peace-could-be-years-away.
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Independent, Secret War
9
transit point of trafficking from other countries. Thailand is also used as a
tranit point for drug trafficking, specifically heroin and opium.
Environmental Concerns
Thailand’s environment suffers from vehicle emissions, industrial water
pollution, deforestation and erosion, as well as poaching. The country is a
signatory to many international environmental agreements including the
Kyoto Protocol. The construction of dams by China is also a significant
concern, especially with the Salween River. Actions by China can have a
negative effect on the availability and contamination of water in Thailand.
Total Renewable Water (2011)
Annual Freshwater Use
CO2 Emissions from Energy Use
(2012)
438.6 cu km
57.31 cu km/yr
290.7 million Mt
Table Source: CIA12
Acknowledgements:
Research and Data Development provided by Grant Stanford, Research Associate and Krystal
Tang, Research Assistant, under the supervision and coordination of Dr. Gerard Janco,
President, The Eurasia Center/EBC.
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CIA