Regions & Boundaries
map data for Thailand

The Kingdom of Thailand is situated in the Indochinese Peninsula, in southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia. Uniquely, it is the only country in Southeast Asia never to have been colonised by Europeans. The capital city is Bangkok.
Known as Siam until 1932, Thailand is nominally a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy, but has been ruled by the military for most of the time since 1947. It is divided into seventy-six provinces, but Bangkok holds special administrative status. Its politics and society have been shaped by the influences of the Buddhist religion, the crown and the military.
Thailand is considered a regional power and is the second largest economy in southeast Asia with about half of the population living in urban areas. It has a well-developed infrastructure and is highly dependent on international trade and exports - including automotive parts, textiles and food. The service and industrial sectors comprise 90% of GDP and whilst the agricultural sector is much smaller, it accounts for around one third of the labour force. Tourism is a large and increasing part of the economy.
Thailand has a rich culture, fuelled by many past influences including Indian, Chinese and Cambodian. The national religion of Theravada Buddhism remains core to national culture. Art and architecture are distinctive and Thailand’s folklore heritage and the importance of dance, music and literature remain. Its cuisine is one of the most popular in the world.
A member of the United Nations, Thailand was also one of the founding members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.