Kingdom of Thailand : formerly known as Siam (Thai: สยาม; rtgs: Sayam), is a country at the centre of the
Indochinese peninsula in Mainland Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the
north by Myanmar and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia,
to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the
west by the Andaman Sea and the southern extremity of Myanmar. Its
maritime boundaries include Vietnam in the Gulf of Thailand to the
southeast, and Indonesian India on the Andaman Sea to the
southwest.
Thailand is governed by the National Council for
Peace and Order that took power in the May 2014 coup d'état. Its
monarchy is headed by King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who has reigned since
1946 as Rama IX, as he is the ninth monarchof the Chakri
Dynasty. He is currently the world's longest-serving head of state and
the country's longest-reigning monarch, he has reigned for 69 years,
351 days.
With a total area of approximately 513,000 km2 (198,000 sq mi),
Thailand is the world's 51st-largest country. It is the20th-most-populous
country in the world, with around 66 million people. The capital and
largest city is Bangkok, which is Thailand's political, commercial,
industrial, and cultural hub. About 75–95% of the population is ethnically Tai,
which includes four major regional groups: central Thai, northeastern
Thai (Khon [Lao] Isan), northern Thai (Khon Mueang); and southern
Thai. Thai Chinese, those of significant Chinese heritage, are 14% of the
population, while Thais with partial Chinese ancestry comprise up to 40%
of the population. Thai Malays represent 3% of the population, with
the remainder consisting of Mons, Khmers and
various "hill tribes". The country's official language is Thai and
the primary religion is Theravada Buddhism, which is practised by around
95% of the population.
Thailand experienced rapid economic growth between
1985 and 1996, becoming a newly industrialised country and a major
exporter. Manufacturing, agriculture, and tourism are leading sectors
of the economy. Among the ten ASEAN countries, Thailand ranks
third in quality of life. and the country's HDI is rated as
"high". Its large population and growing economic influence have made
it a middle power in the region and around the world.

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