Thailand

Country	Thailand
Flag
Capital	name: Bangkok geographic coordinates: 13 45 N, 100 31 E time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Population	65,905,410 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2009 est.)
GMT	+7
Location	Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma
Area	total: 514,000 sq km land: 511,770 sq km water: 2,230 sq km
Ethnic groups	Thai 75%, Chinese 14%, other 11%
Religions	Buddhist 94.6%, Muslim 4.6%, Christian 0.7%, other 0.1% (2000 census)
Languages	Thai, English (secondary language of the elite), ethnic and regional dialects
Government type	constitutional monarchy
National holiday	Birthday of King PHUMIPHON (BHUMIBOL), 5 December (1927)
Constitution	constitution signed by King PHUMIPHON (BHUMIBOL) on 24 August 2007
Legal system	based on civil law system, with influences of common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Background	A unified Thai kingdom was established in the mid-14th century. Known as Siam until 1939, Thailand is the only Southeast Asian country never to have been taken over by a European power. A bloodless revolution in 1932 led to a constitutional monarchy. In alliance with Japan during World War II, Thailand became a US treaty ally following the conflict. A military coup in September 2006 ousted then Prime Minister THAKSIN Chinnawat. The interim government held elections in December 2007 that saw the pro-THAKSIN People's Power Party (PPP) emerge at the head of a coalition government. The anti-THAKSIN People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) in May 2008 began street demonstrations against the new government, eventually occupying the prime minister's office in August. Clashes in October 2008 between PAD protesters blocking parliament and police resulted in the death of at least two people. The PAD occupied Bangkok's international airports briefly, ending their protests in early December 2008 following a court ruling that dissolved the ruling PPP and two other coalition parties for election violations. The Democrat Party then formed a new coalition government with the support of some of THAKSIN's former political allies, and ABHISIT Wetchachiwa became prime minister. Since January 2004, thousands have been killed as separatists in Thailand's southern ethnic Malay-Muslim provinces increased the violence associated with their cause.
Internet country code	.th