Thailand

constitutional monarchy

Two unified Thai kingdoms emerged in the mid-13th century. The Sukhothai Kingdom, located in the south-central plains, gained its independence from the Khmer Empire to the east. By the late 13th century, Sukhothai’s territory extended into present-day Burma and Laos.

Profile

CapitalBangkok

Population70.0M

GDP$1558.0B

Area513,120 km²

LanguageThai (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.)

Currencybaht per US dollar -