Thailand (Kingdom of Thailand)

Thailand Kingdom of Thailand
Status	Independent State
Capital	Bangkok
Land Area	510 890km21
Location	Asia
Population	69.9m (2011)2
Life Expectancy	74.62yrs (2017)3
GNI	$14 519 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	TH, THA, 7645
Internet Domain	.th6
Currency	Baht (THB)7
Telephone	+668

1. Overview
2. Thailand National and Social Development
3. Population and Demographics
4. Politics and Freedom
5. Gender Equality
6. Religion and Beliefs
7. The Internet
8. Public Health Issues
9. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries
10. Links

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1. Overview

“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 in 1954 after sending troops to Korea and later fighting alongside the United States in Vietnam. Thailand since 2005 has experienced several rounds of political turmoil including a military coup in 2006 that ousted then Prime Minister THAKSIN Chinnawat, followed by large-scale street protests by competing political factions in 2008, 2009, and 2010. Demonstrations in 2010 culminated with clashes between security forces and pro-THAKSIN protesters, elements of which were armed, and resulted in at least 92 deaths and an estimated $1.5 billion in arson-related property losses. THAKSIN's youngest sister, YINGLAK Chinnawat, in 2011 led the Puea Thai Party to an electoral win and assumed control of the government. YINGLAK's leadership was almost immediately challenged by historic flooding in late 2011 that had large swathes of the country underwater and threatened to inundate Bangkok itself. Throughout 2012 the Puea Thai-led government struggled with the opposition Democrat Party to fulfill some of its main election promises, including constitutional reform and political reconciliation. Since January 2004, thousands have been killed and wounded in violence associated with the ethno-nationalist insurgency in Thailand's southern Malay-Muslim majority provinces.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Friendly and fun-loving, exotic and tropical, cultured and historic, Thailand radiates a golden hue from its gaudy temples and tropical beaches to the ever-comforting Thai smile. Lustrous Thailand radiates a hospitality that makes it one of the most accessibly exotic destinations on earth. Its natural landscape is part of the allure: the blonde beaches are lapped at by cerulean seas, while the northern mountains cascade into the misty horizon. In between are emerald-coloured rice fields and busy, prosperous cities built around sacred temples. It is a bountiful land where the markets are piled high with pyramids of colourful fruits and the rót khen (vendor cart) is an integral piece of a city´s infrastructure.

You´ll suffer few travelling hardships, save for a few pushy touts, in this land of comfort and convenience. Bangkok reigns as an Asian superstar, Chiang Mai excels in liveability and the tropical islands are up all night to party. It is relatively cheap to hop around by plane and the kingdom provides a gateway to everywhere else in the region. Though the fiery curries and simple stir-fries might delay your departure.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Thailand National and Social Development

#human_development

UN HDI (2016)11
Pos.		Lower is better Rank11
1	Norway	1
2	Australia	2
3	Switzerland	2
	...
85	Ukraine	84
86	Jordan	86
87	Peru	87
88	Thailand	87
89	Ecuador	89
90	China	90
91	Fiji	91
92	St Lucia	92
	World Avg	94.3
q=188.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Higher is better Points12
1	Denmark	84.2
2	Sweden	83.7
3	Finland	83.5
	...
71	Tajikistan	56.2
72	Panama	56.0
73	Philippines	56.0
74	Thailand	55.9
75	Nicaragua	55.9
76	Seychelles	55.4
77	Peru	55.2
78	Georgia	55.1
	World Avg	54.1
q=198.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: What is the Best Country in the World? An Index of Morality, Conscience and Good Life.

3. Population and Demographics

#demographics #health #immigration #life_expectancy #overpopulation #population #Thailand

Old-Age Dependency Ratio (2016)13
Pos.		Lower is better Per 10013
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3	Chad	04.7
	...
135	Macedonia	27.7
136	Luxembourg	28.3
137	Armenia	28.7
138	Thailand	29.2
139	Ireland	29.2
140	Russia	29.5
141	Georgia	29.7
142	Montenegro	30.0
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Emigrants (2010)14
Pos.		%14
1	Dominica	104.8
2	Palestine	68.4
3	Samoa	67.3
	...
167	Malawi	1.4
168	Congo, DR	1.3
169	Korea, N.	1.3
170	Thailand	1.2
171	UAE	1.2
172	Mongolia	1.2
173	Kenya	1.1
174	Indonesia	1.1
	World Avg	11.5
q=192.

Fertility Rate (2013)15
Pos.		2.0 is best15
1	Korea, N.	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
	...
68	Cambodia	2.45
69	Bulgaria	1.54
70	Bahrain	2.46
71	Thailand	1.54
72	Greece	1.54
73	Georgia	1.53
74	Switzerland	1.53
75	Mongolia	2.48
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Immigrants (2010)14
Pos.		%14
1	Qatar	86.5
2	Monaco	71.6
3	UAE	70.0
	...
133	Malawi	1.8
134	Sudan	1.7
135	Japan	1.7
136	Thailand	1.7
137	Sri Lanka	1.7
138	Senegal	1.6
139	Guyana	1.5
140	Tanzania	1.5
	World Avg	9.2
q=192.

Life Expectancy (2015)16
Pos.		Higher is better Years16
1	Hong Kong	84.16
2	Japan	83.68
3	Italy	83.34
	...
76	Romania	74.84
77	Peru	74.81
78	Brazil	74.75
79	Thailand	74.62
80	Mauritius	74.60
81	Kuwait	74.55
82	Saudi Arabia	74.44
83	Venezuela	74.39
	World Avg	71.27
q=190.

Population (2012)17
Pos.		The Overpopulation of the Earth17
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.3b
3	USA	315.8m
	...
16	Germany	82.0m
17	Iran	75.6m
18	Turkey	74.5m
19	Thailand	69.9m
20	Congo, DR	69.6m
21	France	63.5m
22	UK	62.8m
23	Italy	61.0m
	World Avg	36.0m
q=195.

Thailand's population is predicted to rise to 73.32 million by 2030. This rise is despite a low fertility rate, meaning, that this country is helping to alleviate problems with growing population in neighbouring countries by accepting immigrants, very likely as a requirement of maintaining an active workforce. This country has a fertility rate of 1.54. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

• The Overpopulation of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

4. Politics and Freedom

#antisemitism #burundi #corruption #eritrea #france #freedom #human_development #human_rights #indonesia #mass_media #peace #politics #slavery #Thailand

Anti-Semite Opinions (2014)18
Pos.		Lower is better %18
1	Laos	0
2	Philippines	3
3	Sweden	4
	...
7	Denmark	9
8	USA	9
9	Tanzania	12
10	Thailand	13
11	Czechia	13
12	Canada	14
13	New Zealand	14
14	Australia	14
	World Avg	36.8
q=101.

Corruption (2012-2016)19
Pos.		Higher is better Avg Score19
1	Denmark	90.8
2	New Zealand	90.6
3	Finland	89.4
	...
94	Peru	37.0
95	Benin	36.8
96	Colombia	36.6
97	Thailand	36.6
98	Maldives	36.0
99	Philippines	35.6
100	Algeria	35.2
101	Armenia	35.0
	World Avg	43.05
q=176.

Global Peace Index (2012)20
Pos.		Lower is better20
1	Iceland	1.11
2	New Zealand	1.24
3	Denmark	1.24
	...
122	Venezuela	2.28
123	Guatemala	2.29
124	Mauritania	2.30
125	Thailand	2.30
126	S. Africa	2.32
127	Iran	2.32
128	Honduras	2.34
129	Turkey	2.34
	World Avg	2.02
q=157.

Nominal Commitment to HR (2009)21
Pos.		Higher is better Treaties21
1	Argentina	24
2	Chile	23
3	Costa Rica	23
	...
145	Kuwait	12
146	Trinidad & Tobago	12
147	Lebanon	12
148	Thailand	11
149	Barbados	11
150	Bahamas	11
151	Cuba	11
152	Guyana	11
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom (2014)22
Pos.		Lower is better Rank22
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
104	Mozambique	103
105	Argentina	103
106	Malawi	106
107	Thailand	107
108	Lebanon	108
109	Laos	109
110	Ivory Coast	110
111	Ukraine	111
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Press Freedom (2013)23
Pos.		Lower is better23
1	Finland	638
2	Netherlands	648
3	Norway	652
	...
131	Burundi	3802
132	Zimbabwe	3812
133	Jordan	3847
134	Thailand	3860
135	Morocco	3904
136	Ethiopia	3957
137	Tunisia	3993
138	Indonesia	4105
	World Avg	3249
q=178.

Slavery (2018)24
Pos.		Lower is better % Victims24
1	Japan	0.03
2	Canada	0.05
3	Taiwan	0.05
	...
142	Congo, (Brazzaville)	0.80
143	Macedonia	0.87
144	Swaziland	0.88
145	Thailand	0.89
146	Laos	0.94
147	Papua New Guinea	1.03
148	Belarus	1.09
149	Brunei	1.09
	World Avg	0.65
q=167.

The taking of slaves has been an unwholesome feature of Human cultures since prehistory₂₅. Private households and national endeavours have frequently been augmented with the use of slaves. The Egyptian and Roman empires both thrived on them for both purposes. Aside from labourers they are often abused sexually by their owners and their owners' friends₂₆. The era of colonialism and the beginnings of globalisation changed nothing: the imprisonment and forced movements of labour continued to destroy many lives except that new justifications were invented based on Christian doctrine and the effort to convert non-Christians. By 1786 over 12 million slaves had been extracted from Africa and sent to colonial labour camps, with a truly atrocious condition of life₂₇. But they were not the only ones to blame; in Africa internal nations such as the Asantes sold and bought tens of thousands of slaves₂₈.

The abolition of the slave trade was a long and slow process. Until a relatively modern time, even philosophers, religious leaders and those concerned with ethics justified, or ignored, the problem of slavery₂₉. The first abolitionists were always the slaves themselves. Their protests and rebellions caused the industry to become too expensive to continue. After that, it was the economic costs of maintain slave colonies that led the British to reject and then oppose the slave trade globally. Finally, the enlightenment-era thinkers of France encouraged moral and ethical thinking including the declaration of the inherent value of human life and human dignity₃₀. A long-overdue wave of compassionate and conscientious movements swept across the West, eliminating public support for slavery, until the industries and churches that supported it had no choice but to back down.

'Modern slavery' includes forced labour (often of the under-age), debt bondage (especially generational), sexual slavery, chattel slavery and other forms of abuse, some of which can be surprisingly difficult to detect, but often target those fleeing from warzones and the vulnerable.₃₁. Some industries (diamond, clothing, coal) from some countries (Burundi₂₄, Eritrea₂₄, Indonesia₃₂) are a particular concern. The Walk Free Foundation, say that in 2016, 40.3 million people were living in modern slavery₃₃.

Thailand's fishing industry has become infamous for using modern slavery techniques to acquire and keep workers via human trafficking and debt bondage techniques (for example, the process for becoming an employee can be so expensive that workers are then denied any freedom to leave their employer until the debt is paid)₃₄.

“Between 2011 and 2016... 76 percent of migrant workers in the Thai fishing industry have been held in debt bondage and almost 38 percent had been trafficked into the Thai fishing industry in that time-frame. [...] Forced labour and debt bondage within fisheries are ongoing and widespread.”

The Inssara Institute and the International Justice Mission (2017)
Reported in "Global Slavery Index" by Walk Free Foundation (2018)₃₄

5. Gender Equality

#gender #misogyny #politics #Thailand #women

Gender Inequality (2015)35
Pos.		Lower is better35
1	Switzerland	0.04
2	Denmark	0.04
3	Netherlands	0.04
	...
76	Georgia	0.36
77	Argentina	0.36
78	Bahamas	0.36
79	Thailand	0.37
80	Myanmar (Burma)	0.37
81	Belize	0.38
82	Mauritius	0.38
83	Lebanon	0.38
	World Avg	0.36
q=159.

Year Women Can Vote36
Pos.		Lower is better Year36
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
36	Spain	1931
37	Maldives	1932
38	Uruguay	1932
39	Thailand	1932
40	Turkey	1934
41	Brazil	1934
42	Cuba	1934
43	Myanmar (Burma)	1935
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Gender inequality is not a necessary part of early human development. Although a separation of roles is almost universal due to different strengths between the genders, this does not have to mean that women are subdued, and, such patriarchialism is not universal in ancient history. Those cultures and peoples who shed, or never developed, the idea that mankind ought to dominate womankind, are better cultures and peoples than those who, even today, cling violently to those mores.

Thailand has made some steps towards ending gender inequality but much more needs to be done.

See:

• "Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

6. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion

Religiosity (2009)37
Pos.		Lower is better %37
1	Estonia	16
2	Sweden	17
3	Denmark	19
	...
101	Comoros	97
102	Egypt	97
103	Morocco	97
104	Thailand	97
105	Mauritania	98
106	Djibouti	98
107	Somaliland	98
108	Burundi	98
	World Avg	75.1
q=114.

Disbelief In God (2007)38
Pos.		Higher is better38
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
92	Botswana	0
93	Syria	0
94	Sierra Leone	0
95	Thailand	0
96	Togo	0
97	Benin	0
98	Tunisia	0
99	Uganda	0
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₃₉:

Christian	0.9%
Muslim	5.5%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	93.2%
Folk Religion	0.1%
Jew	0.1%
Unaffiliated	0.3%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Buddhist (official) 94.6%, Muslim 4.6%, Christian 0.7%, other 0.1% (2000 census)₄₀.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?

7. The Internet

#internet #politics #Thailand #the_internet

Freedom On The Internet (2012)41
Pos.		Lower is better41
1	Estonia	10
2	USA	12
3	Germany	15
	...
32	Sri Lanka	55
33	Kazakhstan	58
34	Egypt	59
35	Thailand	61
36	Pakistan	63
37	Belarus	69
38	Bahrain	71
39	Saudi Arabia	71
	World Avg	46.7
q=47.

Internet Users (2016)42
Pos.		Higher is better42
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
113	Philippines	44%
114	Jamaica	43%
115	Ecuador	43%
116	Thailand	43%
117	Mauritius	43%
118	Cape Verde	43%
119	Suriname	42%
120	Bolivia	41%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake (2017)43
Pos.		Higher is better Ratio43
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
35	Singapore	4.0
36	Sweden	3.8
37	Poland	3.6
38	Thailand	3.3
39	Denmark	3.1
40	Bosnia & Herzegovina	3.1
41	Sri Lanka	2.9
42	Latvia	2.2
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Internet access has become an essential research tool. It facilitates an endless list of life improvements, from the ability to network and socialize without constraint, to access to a seemingly infinite repository of technical and procedural information on pretty much any task. The universal availability of data has sped up industrial development and personal learning at the national and personal level. Individuals can read any topic they wish regardless of the locality of expert teachers, and, entire nations can develop their technology and understanding of the world simply because they are now exposed to advanced societies and moral discourses online. Like every communications medium, the Internet has issues and causes a small range of problems, but these are insignificant compared to the advantages of having an online populace.

8. Public Health Issues

#alcohol #health #mental_health #parenting #population #smoking #suicide #Thailand #vaccines

Adolescent Birth Rate (2015)35
Pos.		Lower is better Per 100035
1	Korea, N.	0.5
2	Korea, S.	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
	...
96	Georgia	39.7
97	Barbados	40.7
98	Vanuatu	43.1
99	Thailand	44.6
100	Antigua & Barbuda	44.8
101	Fiji	44.8
102	S. Africa	45.5
103	Cuba	45.6
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Alcohol Consumption (2010)44
Pos.		Lower is better Per Capita44
1	Libya	0.1
2	Pakistan	0.1
3	Kuwait	0.1
	...
112	Malta	7.0
113	Albania	7.0
114	Iceland	7.1
115	Thailand	7.1
116	Sao Tome & Principe	7.1
117	Dominica	7.1
118	Bosnia & Herzegovina	7.1
119	Japan	7.2
	World Avg	6.2
q=191.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance (2017)45
Pos.		Lower is better Rank45
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
34	Macedonia	34
35	India	35
36	Fiji	36
37	Thailand	37
38	Pakistan	38
39	Portugal	39
40	Brazil	40
41	Iceland	41
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 (2015)46
Pos.		Higher is better Avg %46
1	Hungary	99.0
2	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
17	Antigua & Barbuda	98.0
18	Cuba	97.9
19	Belgium	97.8
20	Thailand	97.8
21	Mauritius	97.6
22	Fiji	97.6
23	Kuwait	97.5
24	Morocco	97.5
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Smoking Rates (2014)47
Pos.		Lower is better47
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
111	Sweden	831
112	Laos	836
113	Iran	869
114	Thailand	895
115	Turkmenistan	925
116	Chile	930
117	Ireland	954
118	Australia	956
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Suicide Rate (2013)48
Pos.		Lower is better Per 100k48
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
	...
40	Ecuador	14.1
41	Spain	15.3
42	Argentina	15.6
43	Thailand	15.8
44	Australia	16.4
45	El Salvador	16.5
46	Kyrgyzstan	17.7
47	Netherlands	18.6
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

9. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries