/ Kingdom of Thailand
Overview
Thailand is a country located at the center of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and Laos to the north, Laos and Cambodia to the east, the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia to the south, and the Andaman Sea to the west. Thailand covers an area of approximately 513,120 square kilometers and has an estimated population of 71.9 million as of early 2026. The country is a constitutional monarchy divided into 76 provinces and the specially governed district of the capital, Bangkok.
In 2025, the GDP reached approximately US$548 billion, and per capita GDP was US$7,620. Thailand's economy is increasingly dominated by the service sector, which accounts for c.58.6% of its GDP, driven by tourism, retail, and financial services. Private consumption and a strong export-oriented industrial sector are the primary drivers of economic growth. The country’s economy is a major regional hub for automotive and electronics manufacturing. Its largest trading partners are China, the United States, Japan, Malaysia, and Vietnam. Thailand is a global leader in the production of light commercial vehicles, computer hard disk drives, and agricultural commodities such as natural rubber, cassava, and rice. The electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing hub and the digital economy are expected to be major future growth drivers. Additionally, the tourism sector remains a cornerstone of the economy, contributing c.12.3% to the GDP in 2025 with 36.5 million international arrivals. The country's industrial sector represents approximately 33.2% of its GDP and employs about 22.5% of the workforce, while the agricultural sector accounts for c.8.2% of GDP and employs 30.1% of the labor force. Imports of crude petroleum, integrated circuits, and gold are among the highest in the country, with top import partners being China, Japan, and the United States.
Thailand has a unique history as the only Southeast Asian nation to avoid European colonization. It transitioned from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy in 1932 and has since evolved into a newly industrialized economy. Known as the "Land of Smiles," Thailand plays a significant role in regional affairs as a founding member of ASEAN and continues to leverage its strategic location as a gateway to the Greater Mekong Subregion.
