THAILAND

                      THAILAND

Located in the center of mainland Southeast Asia, Thailand extends for about 985 miles (1,585 kilometers) from north to south and about 510 miles (820 kilometers) from east to west. Its area is nearly 200,000 square miles (518,000 square kilometers). It is bordered on the north and west by Myanmar (Burma), on the north and east by Laos, on the southeast by Cambodia, and on the south across the Isthmus of Kra by Malaysia. It also has 1,200 miles (1,900 kilometers) of coastline along the Gulf of Thailand, an inlet of the South China Sea. The western side of the Malay Peninsula fronts on the Andaman Sea. The capital of Thailand is Bangkok.

 Unlike all the other countries of Southeast Asia, the Kingdom of Thailand was never a colony. Thailand was long known as Siam. In 1939 the country's name was changed to Muang Thai, or Land of the Thais, a name that itself means “free.”

Land and Climate

• Karst-limestone landscape of the Malay Peninsula along the Krabi River, southern Thailand.

The Thais often describe their land as being shaped like an elephant's head. The trunk is the south; the ear is the northeast; the bristling top of the head is the mountainous north; and the mouth is the delta and harbor of Thailand's chief river, the Chao Phraya.

The Central Plain

The geographic, economic, and cultural core of the country is the Central Plain. It contains the highest density of population and the great metropolis of Bangkok. The region was formed by deposits of sediments from the Chao Phraya River—which flows south through the plain to the Gulf of Thailand—and its tributaries. The river has provided irrigation water and fertile silt for the intensive cultivation of rice and other crops. This fertile region is low-lying and mostly flat and includes the river's delta.

The Northern Highlands

In the north and northwest is the rugged Northern Highlands. It is a region of north-south mountain ranges soaring to more than 8,000 feet (2,400 meters) and deep, narrow valleys of tributaries to the Chao Phraya. Hardwood forests grow in some of the mountainous areas. The valleys and uplands have been cleared of much of their natural vegetation and planted with rice, fruits, tobacco, and corn (maize).

The Northeast

A vast tableland called the Khorat Plateau occupies the northeast. It extends from the low hills that separate it from the Central Plain toward the Mekong River, which forms part of the boundary with Laos in the northeast. Mountains separate the plateau from Cambodia to the southeast. The rolling terrain slopes downward from northwest to southeast. The region's soils are infertile and hold water too poorly for productive rice farming. The land may flood during the rainy season, but it is parched the rest of the year. Dams have irrigated some areas. Relatively large areas near the Mekong are covered with salt caps.

The South

The southern portion of Thailand extends for hundreds of miles on the Malay Peninsula through the Isthmus of Kra to Malaysia. The terrain is rolling to mountainous, with areas of rain forest. People farm rice in the river valleys and along narrow coastal plains, especially in the east. In some places where the rivers deposit silt and extend land along the coast, there are mangrove swamps teeming with life. Where silting does not occur, sparkling sandy beaches are rimmed with coconut palms or graceful casuarina trees. Several large islands lie off the rugged west coast. Economically, the region is a center of rubber cultivation and fishing, and it is rich in deposits of tin and other minerals, especially on the island of Phuket.

Climate

Average temperatures in Thailand range from about 77° F to 84° F (25° C to 29° C). The country has a monsoon, or wet-dry, climate. From May to October the monsoon, a seasonal wind, blows from the southwest across the tropical sea. It is hot, humid, and rainy. In October the northeast monsoon begins to blow from continental Asia, initiating a cool, dry season. Starting in late March and continuing into May, the tropical sun begins to warm the land again, but the monsoon resists shifting. The weather becomes very hot but remains dry. Fields and roads turn to dust, wells sometimes become dry or polluted, and cities swelter, waiting for the monsoon to break and cool the land. Regional patterns alter this general picture. In the northern mountains, for example, temperatures may drop to almost freezing, while the southern peninsula remains constantly warm and wet.

Plants and Animals

• Mangrove trees (Rhizophora apiculata) grow along the coast of Thailand.

Numerous varieties of bamboo grow in Thailand, along with ferns, coconut palms, rattan, banana plants, tropical fruit trees, and many kinds of flowering plants. Mangroves grow in swampy areas along the coasts. Hardwoods such as teak and other trees that produce good timber or resin also grow in Thailand's forests. During the 20th century the country lost much of its forestland to excessive logging and clear-cutting to create farmland. Although about half of Thailand was forested in 1970, forests accounted for little more than a quarter of the land by 2000. Southern Thailand suffered from severe flooding in 1988 that is thought to have resulted from deforestation. The following year the government banned logging.

Thailand's varied wildlife includes monkeys, lizards, frogs, toads, crocodiles, snakes, and numerous species of birds. The destruction of forest habitats and game hunting, however, greatly diminished the numbers of many wild animals, including elephants, rhinoceroses, tapirs, tigers, and some kinds of monkeys and birds. To protect these animals, the government created many national parks and has tried to prevent the sale of endangered species.

People and Culture

• A Lisu hill settlement near Pai, northwestern Thailand.

Thailand is home to several different ethnic groups, but about 80 percent of the population belong to a group that speaks one of the Tai languages. The largest of these groups are the Thai (Siamese) and the Lao. The Thai are found throughout the nation, while the Lao are concentrated in the northeast. Thailand's official language is the dialect of the Thai language spoken by the Thais of the Central Plain.

The largest minority group, the Han Chinese, makes up about 10 percent of the population. The Chinese have become substantially assimilated as Thais, however, and their exact numbers are difficult to determine. They live primarily in Bangkok and other urban areas. Also fairly assimilated into the majority population are the Mon, a people of Myanmar, and the Khmer, a people of Cambodia. The Mon in Thailand are concentrated in an area west of Bangkok, while the Khmer live near the Cambodian border. More than 2 million Malay-speaking Muslims live in Thailand, mainly in the south. The Karen, Hmong, Yao, and other hill tribes live in the rugged mountains in the north and west.

• Buddhist sanctuary, 13th century, Sukhothai, Thailand.

Most of the country's population practices Buddhism of the Theravada school, which is the national religion. Buddhism is deeply rooted in Thai culture. Wats, or Buddhist temple complexes, are central to village life. Major temples and those from ancient times are decorated with murals, carved wood, gold leaf, and graceful statues of the Buddha. A wat also serves its village as a fairground for festivals, as a sports field, and as a social club. Traditionally the wat served as school, orphanage, and hospital, but these functions have largely been taken over by other institutions.

Enrollment rates in public primary schools increased greatly during the second half of the 20th century. The adult literacy rate, which had been only about 50 percent in the 1950s, exceeded 95 percent in 2000. Six years of primary schooling is free and compulsory for children under age 15. Secondary schooling is also free but is not required. The country's oldest institution of higher education, Chulalongkorn University, was founded in Bangkok in 1917.

During the mid-20th century, public health practices such as vaccination and use of preventive medicine helped to lower the national death rate and to increase life expectancy. These measures also allowed the population to increase until, in the 1960s, it was growing at a rate of almost 4 percent per year. After the implementation of a family planning program that has been much studied and admired by other countries, population growth decreased substantially.

Among Thailand's major cultural institutions are the National Museum, Royal Institute, and Siam Society, all located in Bangkok. Influences from both India and China can be found in the classical Thai arts, but the Thai combination is unique. Classical dancers may dance to stories from the Indian epic Ramayana, but the five-tone Thai music and some of the accompanying stringed instruments originated in China. Many traditional arts—such as lacquerware, enameling and etching silver, and weaving and dying silk—have been maintained by the tourist trade.

Most Thai holidays mark events in the Buddhist calendar or royal or constitutional occasions. Two of the most popular festivals are less official. In April Thais celebrate Songkran, the Thai New Year, by symbolically washing away sins and drenching each other with water. Loy Krathong is an ancient festival celebrated during the full moon in November to honor the water spirits. As part of the festivities, small floats made out of banana leaves are adorned with flowers, candles, incense, and coins

Thais participate in many sports, including soccer (association football), field hockey, and boxing, which in Thailand involves kicking as well as punching. Bangkok has several times hosted the Asian Games. A popular spectator sport is kite flying in which massive “male” kites and small, quick “female” kites with jagged glass glued to their strings are put into acrobatic struggles in the pre-monsoon winds.

Major Cities

• The skyscrapers of Bangkok's business district rise above a racetrack, golf course, and elevated …

The metropolis of Bangkok dominates Thailand in every way. With more than 6 million people in 2000, it was more than 15 times more populous than Samut Prakan, the second largest city. (Samut Prakan itself is part of the greater Bangkok metropolitan area.) Bangkok is more than the capital and major port. It is the center of higher education, medical services, religion, and banking and business and also serves as headquarters for many Asian operations of the United Nations. Overcrowding has become a problem, however, and the city is choked with air pollution and traffic jams. Other large cities include Nonthaburi, part of the greater Bangkok area; Udon Thani and Nakhon Ratchasima, in the northeast; and Hat Yai, in the south.  

• Buddhist monks walk on the grounds of Wat Phra Sing, one of the most important temple complexes in …

Many of Thailand's cities have a rich cultural heritage. Nakhon Pathom, located about 30 miles (48 kilometers) west of the capital, is one of the country's oldest cities; some estimates suggest it may have been founded as early as 300 BC. Among its treasures is the Phra Pathom Chedi, which at 380 feet (116 meters) in height is the tallest Buddhist monument in the world. The city of Chiang Mai, located in the north, was founded in 1296. More than 300 wats are found in Chiang Mai, and the original moat that encircled the medieval city remains intact.

Economy

• A worker shovels rice husks, a waste product of the rice industry, which will be used as fuel in a …

Thailand's economy was once overwhelmingly agricultural. Other components of the economy, especially manufacturing, grew considerably in the second half of the 20th century. Farming has decreased in economic importance but is still the livelihood of many Thais. In the early 21st century, about 40 percent of the labor force worked in agriculture, which contributed less than 10 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP). Rice has long been the staple crop and is also exported. Other crops grown for export include sugarcane, cassava, corn (maize), rubber, pineapples, coconuts, and soybeans. Thailand is one of the world's leading exporters of fish, mollusks, crustaceans, and fishery products. In recent years, however, overfishing has been a problem in the Gulf of Thailand.

Large investments by private firms, especially from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore, fueled dramatic growth in Thailand's manufacturing industries after 1970. Manufacturing now employs more than 15 percent of the labor force and produces more than 30 percent of the GDP. The chief manufacturing exports are computers, electrical circuits, and other electronics; chemicals; clothing; processed foods; jewelry; automobiles; and cement. Manufacturing is concentrated in and near the Bangkok metropolitan area. Thailand lacks large reserves of iron ore or quality coal, but it pipes natural gas ashore from the Gulf of Thailand and produces some petroleum. The country is one of the world's leading producers of gypsum and feldspar. Tin, tungsten, zinc, dolomite, gold, and gemstones are also mined. Tourism, the leading service industry, generates several billion dollars per year.

• People buy and sell a variety of goods from boats at a floating market in Damnoen Saduak district, …

Transportation is focused on Bangkok. The city's port handles most of the country's imports and exports, and railroad lines and a highway network link the peripheral provinces to the capital. Thailand has several international airports, the busiest of which serves the Bangkok area. A network of canals and rivers of the Chao Phraya system has been used to transport people and goods for centuries.

Government

The Kingdom of Thailand is a constitutional monarchy. It is governed by a prime minister, cabinet, and National Assembly. The constitution of 1997 established a two-house legislature. The Senate consists of 200 members elected to serve six-year terms, and the House of Representatives has 500 members elected to four-year terms. Although the king does not have much governmental power, he is the moral leader of the nation as well as chief of state and of the armed forces. The present king, Bhumibol Adulyadej, is the ninth monarch of the Chakri Dynasty. He has ruled since 1946 and is the country's longest-reigning monarch.

History

The area that is now Thailand has been continuously inhabited for at least 20,000 years. Several kingdoms of the Mon flourished in the region from the 6th to 9th centuries AD. The Khmer extended their empire from their capital in Angkor (now in Cambodia) into the Thailand region from about the 9th to 13th centuries.

The common ancestors of the Thai (Siamese), Lao, Shan, and other Tai-speaking peoples are thought to have originated in what is now northern Vietnam. They migrated to southern China and from there spread throughout mainland Southeast Asia, arriving in the Thailand region by the 11th century. Two Tai kingdoms were established in the region in the 13th century. Sukhothai was founded in the upper basin of the Chao Phraya River and later expanded southward. A separate Tai kingdom, Lan Na, was centered at Chiang Mai, in the north, until the Burmese conquered it in the 16th century.

Sukhothai was succeeded in the 14th century by the Kingdom of Ayutthaya, which became very powerful. People in neighboring areas called the kingdom Siam, and its ruling Tai people became known as the Siamese. During the more than 400 years of Ayutthaya rule, Theravada Buddhism became deeply woven into Siamese culture. In 1767 the Burmese invaded and sacked Ayutthaya. Later that year, Taskin, a Siamese general, ousted the Burmese and became king.

The modern period began in 1782, when the founder of the still-reigning Chakri Dynasty seized power. He ruled as King Rama I and established his capital at Bangkok. In the 19th century the Chakri kings opened Siam to Western influences and trade. Their diplomacy helped save Siam from European colonization, though the country lost some territory.

The government was changed from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy in 1932, as the result of the first of a series of military coups. The country was renamed Thailand in 1939. The most recent coup occurred in 1991. The numerous changes in government have been notably without bloodshed.

The country entered World War I in 1917 on the side of the Allies. It was occupied by the Japanese during World War II. Thailand was a member of United Nations forces during the Korean War and an ally of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. In the years following the Vietnam War, refugees from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam came to Thailand in great numbers. Several groups within Thailand, including Communist organizations and Muslim separatists in the south, fought armed insurgencies against the Thai government in the 1970s and 1980s. Some Muslims in the south began a new series of guerrilla attacks in the early 21st century.

Despite the country's political instability, the Thai economy grew substantially in the second half of the 20th century. As in other countries in Southeast Asia, however, the economy temporarily suffered setbacks from a regional financial crisis in the late 1990s.

Thailand's western coast and islands were battered by a tsunami, or seismic sea wave, that devastated the coasts of several countries in southern Asia and eastern Africa in late 2004. In Thailand several thousand people were killed, including many foreign tourists. Population (2004 estimate), 64,485,000.

• MLA Style:   "Thailand." Britannica Student Library. Encyclopaedia Britannica Ultimate Reference Suite.  Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, 2010.
• APA Style:   Thailand. (2010). Britannica Student Library. Encyclopaedia Britannica Ultimate Reference Suite.  Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica.