Thailand

In brief

Thailand is a country in Southeast Asia. Its capital is Bangkok. With 71.6 million inhabitants in 2025, it ranks 20th in the world by population, out of the 195 countries recognised by the UN. Its area is 513,120 km². It shares land borders with Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and Myanmar.

GDP per capita stands at $8,057 (2025), 93rd in the world. Life expectancy at birth is 76.6 years (2024). 63% of the population lives in cities.

History of Thailand

The 13th-century kingdom of Sukhothai saw the birth of Thai script. It was followed by the kingdom of Ayutthaya (1351-1767), destroyed by the Burmese. The Chakri dynasty, founded in 1782, made Bangkok its capital and still reigns. Siam, renamed Thailand in 1939, is the only country in South-East Asia never to have been colonised. Absolute monarchy ended in 1932; since then the country has seen many coups, the latest in 2014. King Bhumibol reigned for 70 years, from 1946 to 2016.

Geography of Thailand

The central plain, watered by the Chao Phraya, is the country’s rice bowl. The north is mountainous, the north-east covered by the Khorat plateau, and the south by a long peninsula bordering the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea.

Map of Thailand

Download the map (SVG)Interactive world map

Flag of Thailand

The flag of Thailand is red, white and blue. Its official proportions are 2:3 (height to width).

• White34%
• Red33%
• Blue33%

Share of the flag’s surface taken by each colour.

What the flag stands for

Red, white, blue, white, red, with the blue band twice as wide. Adopted in 1917, it represents the nation (red), the Buddhist religion (white) and the monarchy (blue).

Sources: Wikipedia, articles “Thailand” and “Flag of Thailand”.

Download the flag (SVG) All 33 red, white and blue flags All the flags of the world

Fact file

Economy and society