About Thailand
Thai - the official language, spoken exclusively by ~90.7% of the population at home.
Malay and Burmese are spoken as other languages by ~2.9% of the population, and alongside Thai by ~6.4%.
English is a secondary language among the elite.
Thai is the sole official language of Thailand.
| Geography |
Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma
Map references: Southeast Asia
Natural hazards: land subsidence in the Bangkok area resulting from depletion of the water table; droughts
Geography - note: controls the only land route from Asia to Malaysia and Singapore
| People |
Population: 65,951,210-71,688,011 (2024-2025 est.; figures vary by source/methodology)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 15.14-16%
15-64 years: 69.53-70.60%
65 years and over: 14.26-14.47%
Median age: 39 years (2020 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.66 years
male: 74.65 years
female: 80.83 years
Infant mortality rate: 6.2-6.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
Nationality:
noun/adjective: Thai
Ethnic groups: Thai 97.5%, Burmese 1.3%, other 1.1% (2015 est.)
Religions: predominantly Theravada Buddhism, with Sunni Muslim (~1.6%) and Christian (~0.8%) minorities
Languages: Thai (official) only 90.7%, Thai and other languages 6.4%, only other languages 2.9% (includes Malay, Burmese); English is a secondary language among the elite (2010 est.)
Population distribution: highest population density in and around Bangkok; significant population clusters throughout the country, particularly north and northeast of Bangkok and in the extreme south
Major urban areas: 11.070 million Bangkok (capital), 1.454 million Chon Buri, 1.359 million Samut Prakan, 1.213 million Chiang Mai (2023)
| Government |
Country name:
conventional short form: Thailand
former: Siam
Data code: TH
Government type: parliamentary constitutional monarchy
National capital: Bangkok
Background: two unified Thai kingdoms emerged in the mid-13th century; the Sukhothai Kingdom gained independence from the Khmer Empire and by the late 13th century extended into present-day Burma and Laos
| Economy |
Economy - overview: upper-middle-income, newly industrialized economy; strong manufacturing, tourism, and export base; ASEAN member
GDP (purchasing power parity): $1.96 trillion (2026 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 1.8% (2025)
GDP - per capita: $27,440 PPP (2026 est.)
Inflation rate: 5.02% (January 2023)
Unemployment rate: 0.8% (2025 est.); very low
Population below poverty line: 9.9% (2018)
Currency: Thai baht (THB)
| Military |
Military branches: Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTARF): Royal Thai Army, Royal Thai Navy (includes Marine Corps), Royal Thai Air Force; Office of the Prime Minister: Royal Thai Police (2025)