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About Thailand |
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The Kingdom of Thailand
lies in Southeast Asia, with Laos and Cambodia to its east, the Gulf
of Thailand and Malaysia to its south, and the Andaman Sea and Myanmar
to its west. The country's official name was Siam until 24 June 1939.
It was again called Siam between 1945 and May 11, 1949, when it was
once again changed by official proclamation. The word Thai means "freedom"
in the Thai language and is also the name of the majority ethnic group.
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| 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. |
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Capital City |
Bangkok |
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Area |
514,000 sq km |
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Population
(July 2006 est.) |
64,631,595 |
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Language |
Thai, English
(secondary language of the elite), ethnic
and regional
dialects |
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Economy Status |
GDP (Purchasing
Power Parity) : $585.9 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official
exchange rate) : $196.6 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita
(PPP) : $9,100 (2006 est.) |
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