Thailand
The Country of the Week
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Bangkok
- Population
- 70,025,248 (2025 est.)
- Area
- 513,120 sq km
- Government
- constitutional monarchy
- Religions
- Buddhist 92.5%, Muslim 5.4%, Christian 1.2%, other 0.9% (includes animist, Confucian, Hindu, Jewish, Sikh, and Taoist) (2021 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Thai 97.5%, Burmese 1.3%, other 1.1%, unspecified <0.1% (2015 est.)
- Currency
- baht
- Life Expectancy
- 78.2 years (2024 est.)
- Internet Domain
- .th
- Climate
- tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March); southern isthmus always hot and humid
- Terrain
- central plain; Khorat Plateau in the east; mountains elsewhere
- Natural Resources
- tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite, arable land
- Major Exports
- machine parts, integrated circuits, trucks, cars, broadcasting equipment (2023)
Source: CIA World Factbook (public domain)
Overview
Two unified Thai kingdoms emerged in the mid-13th century. The Sukhothai Kingdom, located in the south-central plains, gained its independence from the Khmer Empire to the east. By the late 13th century, Sukhothai’s territory extended into present-day Burma and Laos.