Thailand

The Kingdom of Thailand is situated at the centre of the Indochinese peninsula in Southeast Asia. Its immediate neighbours include Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia. The present king of Thailand is Bhumibol Adulyadej, Rama XI and the nation is currently governed by a military junta that took power in May 2014. Thailand is the world’s 51st largest country, but it is the 20th most populous country. About 80 percent of the population is ethnically Thai, and those of Chinese heritage make up 14 percent of the population.

Thailand experienced rapid economic growth in the late 1980s, which led to it becoming a major exporter of goods such as automotive parts, cement and agricultural products. Some 49 percent of the Thai labour force is employed in agriculture or agricultural-related jobs; however, this number has dropped in the past ten years from what was a record high of 70 percent in 1980. Thailand is also home to a large community of expatriates, with approximately 2,000 foreigners residing in the country, mostly originating in Europe or North America.