Thailand
Asia Β· Capital: Bangkok
How it is run: Thailand is a member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly. Use the research links below to find out exactly who makes the laws there.
Thailand is home to 71.6 million people in South-Eastern Asia, where people speak Thai.
Numbers that tell a story π’
π₯ People
71.6 million people
That is 0.9% of everybody alive (counted in 2025).
πΊοΈ Land
513,120 kmΒ²
Bigger than Texas β a long road trip from one side to the other.
ποΈ How crowded
About 140 people per square kilometre β busy towns with countryside in between.
π Size in its region
11th most people in Asia
13th largest by land in Asia.
π£οΈ Official languages
Thai
π° Money
Thai baht (ΰΈΏ)
Life here today π©Ί
These come from World Bank open data β the same numbers governments use when they argue about budgets.
β€οΈ How long people live
76.6 years on average
Doctors, clean water and food supply all change this number over time.
πΌ Money made per person each year
about US$8,057
A lower-middle-income country: incomes are rising, but many families still farm or work informally.
π’ Living in cities
62.8% of people
Many people still live in villages and farming towns.
π Kids under 15
14.4% of the population
An older country β there are more grandparents than schoolchildren.
Everyday details π§
π Phone code
+66
Dial this before the number to call from another country.
π Websites end in
.th
π§ People here are called
Thai
π·οΈ Name at home
ΰΈΰΈ£ΰΈ°ΰΉΰΈΰΈ¨ΰΉΰΈΰΈ’
Also written: Prathet, Thai, Kingdom of Thailand.
π Coast or inland
Has a coastline
ποΈ UN voting group
Asia and the Pacific Group
Countries in the same group often plan votes together.
Neighbours & borders π€
Thailand touches 4 neighbours by land. Neighbours share rivers, roads and usually a lot of trade.
Say its name around the world π£οΈ
Countries have different names in different languages. Try these with a penpal.
Spanish
Tailandia
French
ThaΓ―lande
Arabic
ΨͺΨ§ΩΩΩΨ―
Chinese
ζ³°ε½
Japanese
γΏγ€
Russian
Π’Π°ΠΈΠ»Π°Π½Π΄
Portuguese
TailΓ’ndia
German
Thailand
Put it in perspective π
- India β the most populated country in Asia β has about 20.4Γ as many people as Thailand.
- Thailand covers roughly 4,887 times the area of Hong Kong Island.
- If everyone in Thailand lined up shoulder to shoulder, the line would stretch about 35,810 km.
Flags through time π
A flag is a country telling you what it believes. Scroll the timeline and watch Thailand change.
Siam
The old kingdom of Siam flew a red flag with a white elephant.
Trairanga
Red for the land, white for religion, blue for the monarchy.
Fast facts π§
Fact of the day: Thailand is an independent country, meaning it makes its own laws.
π·οΈ Official name
Kingdom of Thailand
ποΈ Capital
Bangkok
π Region
Asia Β· South-Eastern Asia
π€ Country code
TH
ποΈ UN status
UN member state
π© Independence
Independent country
More about Thailand π
Grand Palace and Wat Pho
Golden spires and mirrored tiles surround the Emerald Buddha. Nearby lies a 46 m reclining Buddha covered in gold leaf.
See it in Street Viewπ§ Where on the map
15.0Β° N, 100.0Β° E
π Half of the world
Northern & Eastern hemisphere
π°οΈ Clock check
Roughly UTC+7 β when it is noon in London it is about 19:00 in Bangkok.
- Thailand lies in the tropics, between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, so the sun gets very high overhead.
- πΉπ is the flag of Thailand. Its country code β the short name used on the internet and at the Olympics β is TH.
- Thailand is a full member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly β the same as every other member, big or small.
- Thailand shares its part of the world with Malaysia. Countries close together often trade the most with each other.
- The capital of Thailand is Bangkok β that's where the country's big decisions get made.
Countries nearby π€
Talk about it π¬
- Thailand has 1 official language. How would your school day change if lessons were taught in more than one language?
- Thailand can trade by sea. What should a country protect first: its ports, its fishing waters, or its beaches?
- If Thailand spoke at the General Assembly tomorrow, what one problem should its delegate ask the world to help fix?
Quick quiz π§ͺ
Guess first, then tap to check your answer.
What is the capital of Thailand?
Bangkok
Which money do people spend in Thailand?
Thai baht (ΰΈΏ)
How many countries share a land border with Thailand?
4 β Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia.
Roughly how many people live in Thailand?
71.6 million people
Keep researching π
Everything here is a starting point. These trusted sites, databases and libraries will take you further β and they are the kind of sources a teacher will accept in a report.
Start here β kid-friendly encyclopedias π
Short articles written for students, with maps and photos you can use in a report.
Official data & government sources ποΈ
Primary sources. Cite these when your teacher asks for real data.
News & current policy π°
Use two different outlets before you decide what you think.
Your library card π«
Libraries give you books, databases and librarians β all free.
Library tip: Ask your school or public librarian for their online databases (like Gale in Context or EBSCO Explora). Your library card unlocks them for free at home, and they are already checked by adults for school use.