Geography

Physical geography

Thailand’s 514,000 square kilometres can be divided into four natural regions: the mountainous northern region; the fertile central plains of the Chao Phraya River Basin; the Khorat Plateau in the north-east; and the densely forested southern peninsula. At 2,596 metres Doi Inthanon, in the northern region, is the highest peak in Thailand.

Climate

Most of Thailand has three distinct seasons: the cool season from November to February; the hot season from March to June; and the monsoon or rainy season from July to October. Rainfall varies from region to region. The north-east is the driest area and the southern peninsula is always hot and humid.

Environment

Thailand is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna but deforestation has caused loss of habitat and some species have suffered from poaching. The double-horned rhinoceros and Schomburgk’s deer are already extinct, while the tiger and gaur (a wild ox) are endangered species. Mammals include elephants, panthers, gibbons and wild boars. Forest trees include teak, mangrove, rattan and palm.

The Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex is World Heritage listed. It is home to a number of endangered and vulnerable animal species and is vital for the survival of many of the other 800 animal species living there. The Thungyai-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries cover 600,000 hectares along the Burmese border and feature almost all the forest types found in South-East Asia as well as elephants and tigers.

Population

Two-thirds of Thailand’s 69 million people live in the rural areas. The Thai capital, Bangkok, is a crowded and busy city with more than 10 million inhabitants. Other major cities include Khorat, Chang Mai, Hat Yai and Khon Kaen.

People

Culture and identity

Most of the population are Thai and there is a sizeable Chinese minority. Other groups include Malays, Khmers and mountain peoples such as the Karen and Semang. The official language is Thai, which also has several regional variations. English is becoming increasingly used in everyday life, particularly in tourist areas, and a number of Chinese languages, Malay, and regional languages are also spoken.

Great respect is paid to the monarchy and religious leaders and many beautiful festivals are held throughout the year. Classical dance and music, sculpture and architecture are the main art forms of Thailand.

The Ban Chiang Archaeological Site is World Heritage listed and is considered the most important prehistoric settlement in South-East Asia. Dating from the 5th millennium BCE, the site features the earliest evidence of farming and manufacture in the region. Thailand’s other World Heritage cultural sites include the historic city of Ayutthaya and the town of Sukhothai.

Health

The average life expectancy of people in Thailand is 74 years (males: 70, females: 77). About 11 babies per 1,000 births die before their first birthday. The best health facilities are concentrated in Bangkok; however, a network of health centres, hospitals and clinics exist in regional areas. Traditionally, malaria had been a major health problem in Thailand but over the past decade cases have declined by 42% and deaths from malaria have reduced by 88%. Almost all of the Thai population has access to an improved water supply and safe sanitation.

Religion and beliefs

About 94% of Thailand’s people are Buddhists. Buddhism emphasises the potential of the individual to attain nirvana or enlightenment through prayer, meditation and leading a good life. Thais are followers of the southern or Theravada school of Buddhism, also widely followed in Sri Lanka, Burma and Cambodia. The Malay people in the south follow Islam, while minority groups including the Vietnamese and hill people are mostly Christians.

Food and shelter

There are regional variations of Thai cuisine but rice is the staple food. Thai rice is highly regarded for its quality and is exported to many countries. Seafood, shredded meat and vegetables are cooked with the distinctive Thai flavours combining sour (lime), sweet (sugar), hot (chilli) and salty (fish sauce). Salads, sauces and fruit carving are other Thai specialities.

There is great variation in housing throughout Thailand from the modern, high-rise apartment buildings and single-storey brick and cement homes to traditional wooden stilt houses with a palm leaf roof.

Economy

Wealth and poverty

After enjoying strong economic growth during the 1980s, the Thai economy suffered major problems in the mid-1990s and again in 2008–09 after the Global Financial Crisis. However reforms in areas including government administration and banking encouraged steady improvements and today Thailand is one of Asia’s fastest growing economies. There is a big difference in wealth between the farming and the urban areas, with the wealthiest 10% sharing more than one-third of the income, while the poorest 10% share less than 3%.

Education and work

Education is highly valued in Thailand and the government provides free and compulsory education for children between 7 and 14 years. The literacy rate is 94% (male: 96%; female: 92%). Agriculture employs more than 40% of the workforce, with industry employing almost 20% and services almost 40%.

Industries and products

Rice is the dominant crop and an important export. Other crops include sugar, maize, rubber, cassava and pineapples.

The major Thai industries are based on crops and include rubber products, textile products and food, drink and tobacco processing. Other products include cement, electrical appliances and components, computers and parts, furniture and plastics. Tourism is also a major industry with more than 14 million tourists visiting Thailand during 2009, spending more than US$6.5 billion.

Trade

In 2006 Thailand exported textiles and footwear, fishery products, rice, rubber, jewellery, cars, computers and electrical appliances worth $193.5 billion to China (11%), Japan (10.5%) and the USA (10%).

It imported raw materials and consumer goods and fuels worth $1.61 billion from Japan (21%), China (13%) and the USA (6%).

Government

Thailand is a constitutional monarchy. The ruling Pheu Thai Party won the last elections held in July 2011. Yingluck Shinawatra, the sister of ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, became Thailand’s first female prime minister in August 2011.

His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej is the world’s longest reigning monarch.

Achievements and challenges

Despite the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997 and the Global Financial Crisis of 2008, Thailand’s economy is experiencing strong growth. In 2003 Thailand transitioned from an aid recipient to a donor and in 2011 it graduated from a lower-middle income country to an upper-middle income country.

The newly elected government is implementing plans to encourage further economic growth and decrease the country’s dependence on imports.

While the Thai constitution was amended in 1997 to increase political participation and to reduce corruption in the government, controls on freedom of speech and censorship of broadcasters are in place.

The Mekong and Chao Phraya rivers are prone to flooding and disaster plans have been developed to manage the impact. Droughts often affect the north-eastern plateau. Increasing city populations are leading to housing shortages, sinking water tables, as well as air, water and noise pollution. Thailand has achieved many of the Millennium Development Goals in advance of the 2015 deadline: however, some regional disparities remain. To address these Thailand has set additional targets, known as MDG plus. These include lowering the proportion of the population in the north-east and southernmost provinces living below the poverty line and improving the ratio of males to females in certain fields of tertiary education.

Links with Australia

Thailand is an important trade partner for Australia. Australia exports gold, aluminium, cotton, milk and cream, and crude petroleum to Thailand worth almost AUD7 million. It imports motor vehicles, gold and heating and cooling equipment from Thailand worth AUD9 billion.

In 2006 there were 30,560 Thailand-born people in Australia, living mainly in New South Wales (12,290), Victoria (7,060), Queensland (4,510) and Western Australia (3,420). Australia continues to be a popular destination for Thais wishing to study abroad.

The bilateral relationship between Thailand and Australia is complemented by their mutual interest and membership of regional organisations such as APEC, the Cairns Group and ASEAN.