THAILAND By: B. Studious and D. O. Yerwork

HISTORY - KINGDOM OF SIAM

Thai established a kingdom at Sukhothai

1238

Sukhothai was conquered by the kingdom of Ayutthaya

1438

Ayutthaya was overthrown by the Burmese

MID-1500

Burmese reestablished control over the Thai

MID-1700

Rama I founded the Chakri dynasty

18TH CENTU

RY

Rama I established Bangkok as the capital

1782

Military leaders forced the government to become a constitutional monarchy

1932

Government changed the nation’s name from Siam to Thailand, to promote a stronger sense of Thai identity

1939

HISTORY – KINGDOM OF THAILAND

Japan occupied Thailand for a short time, and Thai leaders allied with Japan

WW II

Thailand allied with the United States and became an important base for U.S. military and intelligence activities in the region

1960-1970SKing Rama IX became the nation’s longest-living ruler, surpassing Rama I

MAY 2000

A coup led to riots, a violent military response, and then royal intervention1991

Political instability plagued Thailand for several years, even after elections brought General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh to office as prime minister

1996

A severe financial crisis and other issues in forced Chavalit to resign after a new constitution had been approved

1997

Billionaire businessman Thaksin Shinawatra became prime minister when his party, Thai Rak Thai, won parliamentary elections 2001

HISTORY (CONTINUED)Thai Rak Thai overwhelmingly won the next elections in, but Thaksin was criticized internationally for his hard-line approach to a Muslim insurgency in the south2005

Thaksin called a snap election to maintain control in April, but opposition parties boycotted the poll

2006

The military intervened in September, overthrowing Thaksin in a bloodless coup; a civilian government resumed control of the government a year later2006

Thousands of protesters gathered in Bangkok to demand the dissolution of the government over charges of corruption

2008

Yingluck Shinawatra, was elected as Thailand’s first female prime minister and the sixth prime minister to serve since Thaksin's removal from office2011

Ivory Trade Ban, Peace talks with separatist rebels, and mass protests

2013

CURRENT GOVERNMENT Constitutional Monarchy Current king: Bhumibol Adulyadej

Head of state Prime Minister: Yingluck Shinawatra

Head of government Leads Majority Party/coalition in House of

Representatives National Assembly

150-seat Senate 500-seat House of Representatives

Voting age is 18 Chiefs are elected in villages

PHRA CHEDI SISURIYOTHIA● Found at the original site of the

Rear Palace in the west part of the city

● Memorial to Somdet Phra Suriyothai

WAT NA PHRAMEN● Located on the bank of Khlong

Sabua opposite the Grand Plalace● Buddha temple

WAT SENA SANARAM● Ancient temple located behind

Chankasem Palace that houses two Buddha images

PHYSICAL/HUMAN GEOGRAPHY Thailand is located in Southeastern Asia and borders

the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. It’s southeast of Burma

It’s 513,120 sq km total 510, 890 sq km is land 2, 230 sq km is water Thailand is about twice the size of Wyoming It has a tropical climate. It’s rainy, warm, and in mid-

May to September has southwest monsoons. It’s dry and in November to mid-March has cool northeast monsoons. The southern isthmus is always hot and humid

Thailand

PHYSICAL/HUMAN GEOGRAPHY (CONTINUED) The birth rate is 12.66 births/1,000

population The death rate is 7.47 deaths/1,000

population The maternal mortality rate is 48

deaths/100,000 live births The lowest point in Thailand is the Gulf of

Thailand which is 0 m above sea level The highest point is Doi Inthanon which is 2,576 m above sea

level

Doi Inthanon Gulf of Thailand

PHYSICAL/HUMAN GEOGRAPHY (CONTINUED) The nationality of the people of Thailand is Thai 75% of the population is Thai, 14% are Chinese, and

the other 11% are other ethnicities The languages spoken in Thailand are Thai, English,

(which is the secondary language) and other ethnic and regional dialects

The official religion is Buddhist. 94.6% of the population is Buddhist, 4.6% are Muslim, 0.7% are Christian, and the other 0.1% are other religions

Buddhist Monks

PHYSICAL/HUMAN GEOGRAPHY (CONTINUED) The infant mortality rate is 15.41 deaths/1,000 live births 16.38 deaths are male 14.39 deaths are female The life expectancy for the total population is 74.05 years Males live 71.66 years Females live 76.58 years The total fertility rate is 1.66 children born/woman 93.5% of the total population is literate 95.6% are male 91.5% are female The birth rate is 12.66 births/1,000 population The death rate is 7.47 deaths/1,000 population The maternal mortality rate is 48 deaths/100,000 live

births

HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION Some people in Thailand are farmers

because Thailand has a largely export-based economy

Thailand has a large fishing industry and people mainly farm shrimp

Tour guides take tourists to various places

With urbanization, many people have moved to the big cities

Thailand’s Fishing Industry

TRANSNATIONAL/INTERNAL ISSUES Separatist violence in Thailand's predominantly

Malay-Muslim southern provinces prompt border closures and controls with Malaysia to stem insurgent activities

Southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check the spread of avian flu

Talk continues on completion of demarcation with Laos but disputes remain over several islands in the Mekong River

Despite continuing border committee talks, Thailand must deal with Karen and other ethnic rebels, refugees, and illegal cross-border activities

Cambodia and Thailand dispute sections of boundary In 2011 Thailand and Cambodia resorted to arms in

the dispute over the location of the boundary on the precipice surmounted by Preah Vihear temple ruins, awarded to Cambodia by ICJ decision in 1962 and part of a planned UN World Heritage site

TRANSNATIONAL/INTERNAL ISSUES Thailand is studying the feasibility of jointly

constructing the Hatgyi Dam on the Salween river near the border with Burma

In 2004, international environmentalist pressure prompted China to halt construction of 13 dams on the Salween River that flows through China, Burma, and Thailand

140,000 mostly Karen refugees fleeing civil strife, political upheaval and economic stagnation in Burma live in remote camps in Thailand near the border