Economy Overview
The Thai economy displayed a strong recovery despite facing several negative factors throughout the year, including uncertainties in the global economic recovery, domestic political unrest, exchange rate volatility and occurrences of natural disaster. Strong economic fundamentals, together with accommodative fiscal and monetary policies entailed an economic expansion of 7.8 %, characterized by robust growth rates in export, tourism and domestic demand.

Global economic recovery, together with accommodative monetary and fiscal policies, has restored domestic spending, production, and investment to the normal levels. The global economic recovery and accommodative public policies had positive impacts on restoring employment growth and working hours. In addition, higher farm income, together with a revival of consumer confidence, helped restore the domestic spending to 6.1 % growth from 2.3 % contraction last year. Strong domestic spending was mirrored by a robust depository corporations’ private credits growth, which accelerated to 12.6% from a 3.1 % growth last year.

The fiscal sector remained supportive as indicated by the amount in the ordinary budget, additional finance under the Strong Thailand Project, as well as the living cost reduction measures such as subsidies in the energy and utility sectors.

Inflation rates, from a negative territory last year, turned positive as a result of the continued economic expansion and rising costs in both raw material and wages. This caused producers to gradually increase their prices.

The Thai baht appreciated in line with the regional currencies due to large capital inflows, as a result of different growth prospects between major industrialized countries, having weak economic conditions and accommodative monetary policies, while regional countries including Thailand having strong economic fundamentals. Despite exchange rate appreciation, Thailand’s export values grew robustly by 28.5 %, reflecting resiliency of the export sector. Purchasing power parity: $565.8056 billion (2010 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 7.81% (2010 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity: $8,190 (2010 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
Agriculture: 12%
Industry: 39%
Services: 49% 0.5% (2010 est.) The total reserves of 400 million telephone numbers. Service to general public adequate, but investments in technological upgrades reduced by recession; bulk of service to government activities provided by multichannel cable and microwave radio relay network.
Domestic : microwave radio relay and multichannel cable, domestic satellite system being developed.
International : satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean). AM 204 (in government-controlled network), FM 334 (in government-controlled network), shortwave 6. There are a total of six free-to-air television channels in Thailand, which are:

• Channel 3 : BEC-Bangkok Entertainment Company, under license from MCOT
• Channel 5 : Royal Thai Army Radio and Television (TV5)
• Channel 7 : (Bangkok Broadcasting & Television Company Limited under license from Royal Thai Army.
• Channel 9 : Modernine TV (MCOT)
• National Broadcasting Services of Thailand (NBT) : National television Network, the Government Public Relations Department.
• Thai Public Broadcasting Service (TPBS) : Operated by Department of Public Relations.

Location
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma. 15⁰00 N, 100⁰00 E Southeast Asia Total: 514,000 sq km
Land: 511,770 sq km
Water: 2,230 sq km Slightly more than twice the size of Wyoming Total: 4,863 km
Border countries: Burma 1,800 km, Cambodia 803 km, Laos 1,754 km, Malaysia 506 km
Coastline: 3,219 km
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm (370.4 Km.)
Territorial sea: 12 nm Tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry, cool northeast monsoon
(November to mid-March); southern isthmus always hot and humid. Central plain; Khorat Plateau in the east; mountains elsewhere Lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m
Highest point: Doi Inthanon 2,576 m Tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite Arable land: 34%
Permanent crops: 6%
Permanent pastures: 2%
Forests and woodland: 25.28%
Other: 32% (1993 est.) 44,000 sq km (1993 est.) Country name
Conventional long form: Kingdom of Thailand
Conventional short form: Thailand TH, THA Constitutional monarchy Bangkok 77 provinces (changwat , singular and plural)

1	Amnat Charoen	21	Lop Buri	41	Phetchabun	61	Sing Buri
2	Ang Thong	22	Mae Hong Son	42	Phetchaburi	62	Sisaket
3	Buriram	23	Maha Sarakham	43	Phichit	63	Samut Songkhram
4	Chachoengsao	24	Mukdahan	44	Phitsanulok	64	Sukhothai
5	Chai Nat	25	Nakhon Nayok	45	Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya	65	Suphan Buri
6	Chaiyaphum	26	Nakhon Pathom	46	Phrae	66	Surat Thani
7	Chanthaburi	27	Nakhon Phanom	47	Phuket	67	Surin
8	Chiang Mai	28	Nakhon Ratchasima	48	Prachin Buri	68	Tak
9	Chiang Rai	29	Nakhon Sawan	49	Prachuap Khiri Khan	69	Trang
10	Chon Buri	30	Nakhon Si Thammarat	50	Ranong	70	Trat
11	Chumphon	31	Nan	51	Ratchaburi	71	Ubon Ratchathani
12	Kalasin	32	Narathiwat	52	Rayong	72	Udon Thani
13	Kamphaeng Phet	33	Nong Bua Lamphu	53	Roi Et	73	Uthai Thani
14	Kanchanaburi	34	Nong Khai	54	Sa Kaeo	74	Uttaradit
15	Khon Kaen	35	Nonthaburi	55	Sakon Nakhon	75	Yala
16	Krabi	36	Pathum Thani	56	Samut Prakan	76	Yasothon
17	Bangkok	37	Pattani	57	Samut Sakhon	77	Bueng Kan
18	Lampang	38	Phangnga	58	Samut Songkhram
19	Lamphun	39	Phatthalung	59	Sara Buri
20	Loei	40	Phayao	60	Satun

1238 (traditional founding date; never colonized) New constitution signed by King PHUMIPHON on 24 August 2007 Based on civil law system, with influences of common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction 18 years of age; universal and compulsory Chief of state: King Bhumibol Adulyadej (since 9 June 1946)
Head of government: Yingluck Shinawatra (since 5 August 2011)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers
Note: there is also a Privy Council Elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister designated from among the members of the House of Representatives;
following a national election for the House of Representatives, the leader of the party that can organize a majority coalition usually becomes prime minister. Bicameral National Assembly or Rathasapha consists of the Senate or Wuthisapha and the House of Representatives or Sapha Phuthaen Ratsadon

The Senate : The upper house of the legislative branch was first established in 1946. However for most of its history the Senate has been the stronghold of the military and the elite. The current Senate has 150 members; The Senate sits for a set six years non renewable term.

The House of Representatives : The lower house of the legislative branch has been in existence in some form since 1932. The House of Representatives is the primary legislative house of the government of Thailand. The House comprises 500 members.400 of the MPs are elected directly from single-seat constituencies around the country. The other 100 members are selected using 'proportional representation' through party-lists. There are 8 electoral areas from which the proportionally representative votes are taken and 375 constituencies. This system is called the ‘Mixed Member Majoritarian’ in which a voter has two votes one for the constituency MP and the other for a party in the voter’s electoral area. Supreme Court (Sandika), judges appointed by the monarch APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO Five horizontal bands of red (top), white, blue (double width), white, and red Military branches
Royal Thai Army, Royal Thai Navy includes Royal Thai Marine Corps), Royal Thai Air Force, Paramilitary Forces Population
Total : 63,878,267
Male : 31,451,801
Female : 32,426,466 (December 2011 est.) 0-14 years: 20.7%
15-64 years: 67.4%
65 years and over: 11.9% (December 2011 est.) 0.60% (2010 est.) 12.4 births/1,000 population (2011 est.) 6.90 deaths/1,000 population (2011 est.) 56.80 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.) Under 15 years: 13,010,000 male(s)/female
Labor force 15-59 years: 43,091,000 male(s)/female
Elderly (60 years and over): 7,790,000 male(s)/female
Elderly (65 years and over): 5,212,000 male(s)/female
School ages (6 - 21 years): 15,192,000 male(s)/female
Women of reproductive ages (15 - 49 years): 17,711,000 male(s)/female Noun: Thai (singular and plural) Adjective: Thai Thai 80%, Chinese 15%, other 5% Buddhism 95%, Muslim 3.8%, Christianity 0.5%, Hinduism 0.1%, other 0.6% (2011 est.) Thai, English (secondary language of the elite), ethnic and regional dialects Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 96 %
Male: 90 - 97%
Female: 90 - 97% (2011 est.)
Railways
Total: 4,623 km
Narrow gauge: 4,623 km 1.000-m gauge (99 km double track) Bangkok is the only city in Thailand with a metro and Tour bus service system:

• Bangkok Metro (MRT)
• Bangkok Skytrain (BTS)
• BRT (Bangkok)
• Premier Metro Bus or METROBUS
• Suvarnabhumi Airport Link

Total: 64,600 km
Paved: 62,985 km
Unpaved: 1,615 km (1996 est.) 3,999 km principal waterways; 3,701 km with navigable depths of 0.9 m or more throughout the year; numerous minor waterways navigable by shallow-draft native craft. Petroleum products: 67 km
Natural gas: 350 km Bangkok, Laem Chabang, Pattani, Phuket, Sattahip, Si Racha, Songkhla Total: 299 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,848,626 GRT/2,989,382 DWT

1	Bulk 39	6	Liquefied gas tanker19	11	Roll-on/roll-off 2
2	Cargo 135	7	Multi-functional large load carrier 3	12	Short-sea passenger 2
3	Chemical tanker 3	8	Passenger 1	13	Specialized tanker 5
4	Combination bulk 1	9	Oil tanker 63
5	Container13	10	Refrigerated cargo13

Total: 106 (1999 est.)
Suvarnbhumi Airport is an international airport serving Bangkok, Thailand. The airport is currently the main hub. It also serves as regional gateway and connecting point for various foreign carriers. Airport is located in Racha Thewa in Bang Phli district, Samut Prakan Province, about 25 kilometres (16 mi) east of downtown Bangkok.

Airports - Paved runways total: 56

• Over 3,047 m: 6
• 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
• 1,524 to 2,437 m: 17
• 914 to 1,523 m: 20
• Under 914 m: 4

Airports - Unpaved runways total: 50

• 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
• 914 to 1,523 m: 16
• Under 914 m: 33

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