Country profile: Thailand

Thailand is a country of mountains, tropical rainforests and flat plains. Religion, the monarchy and the military have helped to shape its society and politics. The 1980s brought economic boom, and the agriculture-based economy changed as Thais flocked to work in industry and the services sector. But the bubble burst in 1997 with the south-east Asian financial crisis. Stock and property prices plummeted, dragging down the currency and leading to bankruptcies, recession and unemployment.


The government of the time - under Chuan Leekpai - worked with the IMF to reform the battered economy. But the 1997 experience caused many Thais to regard international finance with deep distrust. Mr Chuan lost the 2001 elections to an opponent who promised to help people with their daily difficulties. Though Thailand's recent governments have been civilian and democratically-elected, the country has seen turbulent times. The military governed, on and off, between 1947 and 1992 - a period characterised by coups, coup attempts and popular protests. In September 2006, the military once again stepped into politics, carrying out a bloodless coup against Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra while he was at the UN General Assembly. An interim prime minister was appointed a month later. By the end of 2007, the military junta had drafted a new constitution and held general elections, marking the beginning of the transition back to civilian rule. Thailand has a minority Muslim population, concentrated in its southern provinces. A decades-old separatist struggle in the region - which abated in the 1980s - flared again in 2004. The violence, mostly targeting members of Thailand's majority Buddhist population, has claimed more than 1,500 lives. Thailand's capital, Bangkok expanded rapidly with the influx of workers during the boom years. It is one of Asia's most vibrant, and heavily-congested, cities. The large-scale sex industry which flourishes there contributed to the incidence of HIV infection - a major concern for the Thai government. Thailand has taken the lead in the region in distributing cheaper generic drugs for Aids sufferers and awareness campaigns are credited with reducing the number of new infections. Thai cuisine is known throughout the world for its use of hot, sweet and sour spices. Sculptures of the Buddha in sitting or reclining positions are also characteristic of Thailand, as is classical dance.

 

Facts

Full name: Kingdom of Thailand
Population: 64 million (UN, 2007)
Capital: Bangkok
Area: 513,115 sq km (198,115 sq miles)
Major language: Thai
Major religion: Buddhism
Life expectancy: 66 years (men), 75 years (women) (UN 2007)
Monetary unit: 1 baht = 100 satangs
Main exports: Food including rice, seafood and live animals, office equipment, textiles and clothing, rubber
GNI per capita: US $2,750 (World Bank, 2006)
Internet domain: .th
International dialling code: +66

Leaders

Head of state: King Bhumibol Adulyadej

Thailand is a constitutional monarchy.

Its king, Bhumibol Adulyadej, assumed the throne in June 1946 and is the world's longest-reigning monarch.

The royal family is revered by many Thais.

Prime minister: Samak Sundaravej

Samak Sundaravej and his six-party coalition took over from the military in February 2008, marking the return of an elected government after a coup two years earlier.

The dominant party in the coalition is the People Power Party, which is allied to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was toppled in the bloodless coup of September 2006.

The People Power Party (PPP) is seen as the successor to Mr Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais) party, which was banned after the coup for electoral fraud.

The PPP won the most parliamentary seats in the December 2007 election.

Mr Samak admitted the image of the government was a little ugly. He had little leeway in selecting his cabinet. Correspondents say posts appear to have been distributed either on the basis of rewarding smaller parties for joining the coalition, or loyalty to Mr Thaksin, who is assumed to be the main financier of the PPP.

Because Mr Thaksin and more than a hundred of his key lieutenants are still subject to a ban on holding office, less experienced loyalists have been offered cabinet positions in their place.

The lineup was criticized by the media and the public as unqualified, unsuitable and tainted by allegations of corruption.

Mr Samak is a former mayor of Bangkok.

Media

The government and military control nearly all the national terrestrial television networks and operate many of Thailand's radio networks.

Multichannel TV, via cable and satellite, is widely available. The radio market, particularly in Bangkok, is fiercely competitive. There are more than 60 stations in and around the capital.

The media are free to criticise government policies, and cover instances of corruption and human rights abuses, but journalists tend to exercise self-censorship regarding the military, the monarchy, the judiciary and other sensitive issues.

The print media are largely privately-run, with a handful of Thai-language dailies accounting for most newspaper sales.

A series of media reforms are under way, aimed at reducing military interest and influence in the media and opening up more opportunities to the private sector.

The Nation daily reported in 2007 that Thailand's 12 million active internet users faced "some of the world's toughest measures on internet filtering". Pornographic sites, anti-monarchy sites and anti-government sites were being targeted, the paper said.

The press

Television

Radio

  • Radio Thailand - national network and external service operated by National Broadcasting Services of Thailand (NBT), part of government Public Relations Department
  • MCOT Radio Network - run by government agency MCOT; operates stations in Bangkok and provincial networks
  • Army Radio - network owned by Royal Thai Army

News agency

Searchword:

Search in:





Thai Connections provides it information completely free of charge. Our policy is to help people with the worries that are associated with the visa application process.

Should you require a professional service, please see our sponsors at www.thaivisaexpress.co.uk. Thai Visa Express are professionally qualified immigration and visa consultants.