Economy
- overview:
|
With
a well-developed infrastructure, a
free-enterprise economy, generally
pro-investment policies, and strong export
industries, Thailand enjoyed solid growth from
2000 to 2008 - averaging more than 4% per year -
as it recovered from the Asian financial crisis
of 1997-98. Thai exports - mostly machinery and
electronic components, agricultural commodities,
and jewelry - continue to drive the economy,
accounting for more than half of GDP. The global
financial crisis of 2008-09 severely cut
Thailand's exports, with most sectors
experiencing double-digit drops. In 2009, the
economy contracted 2.2%. In 2010, Thailand's
economy expanded 7.6%, its fastest pace since
1995, as exports rebounded from their depressed
2009 level. Antigovernment protests during
March-May and the country's polarized political
situation had - at most - a temporary impact on
business and consumer confidence. Although
tourism was hit hard during the protests, its
quick recovery helped boost consumer confidence
to new highs. Moreover, business and investor
sentiment remained buoyant as Thailand's stock
market grew almost 5% during the three-month
period. The economy probably will continue to
experience high grow well into 2011.
|
|
GDP
(purchasing power parity):
|
$580.3
billion (2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 25
$539.3
billion (2009 est.)
$551.5
billion (2008 est.)
note:
data
are in 2010 US dollars
|
|
GDP
(official exchange rate):
|
$312.6
billion (2009 est.)
|
|
GDP
- real growth rate:
|
7.6%
(2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 14
-2.2%
(2009 est.)
2.5%
(2008 est.)
|
|
GDP
- per capita (PPP):
|
$8,700
(2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 119
$8,100
(2009 est.)
$8,300
(2008 est.)
note:
data
are in 2010 US dollars
|
|
GDP
- composition by sector:
|
agriculture:
10.4%
industry:
45.6%
services:
44%
(2009 est.)
|
|
Labor
force:
|
38.7
million (2009 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 16 |
|
Labor
force - by occupation:
|
agriculture:
42.4%
industry:
19.7%
services:
37.9%
(2008 est.)
|
|
Unemployment
rate:
|
1.2%
(2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 7
1.5%
(2009)
|
|
Population
below poverty line:
|
9.6%
(2006 est.)
|
|
Household
income or consumption by percentage share:
|
lowest
10%: 1.6%
highest
10%: 33.7%
(2006)
|
|
Distribution
of family income - Gini index:
|
43
(2006)
country
comparison to the world: 50
42
(2002)
|
|
Investment
(gross fixed):
|
24.9%
of GDP (2009 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 45 |
|
Budget:
|
revenues:
$56.33
billion
expenditures:
$56.87
billion (FY10 est.)
|
|
Public
debt:
|
42.3%
of GDP (2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 63
44.9%
of GDP (2009)
|
|
Inflation
rate (consumer prices):
|
3.3%
(2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 97
-0.9%
(2009 est.)
|
|
Central
bank discount rate:
|
1.75%
(31 December 2010)
country
comparison to the world: 134
1.25%
(31 December 2009)
|
|
Commercial
bank prime lending rate:
|
6.1%
(31 December 2010)
country
comparison to the world: 140
5.96%
(31 December 2009)
|
|
Stock
of narrow money:
|
$38
billion (31 December 2010 est)
$34.26
billion (31 December 2009 est)
|
|
Stock
of broad money:
|
$354.5
billion (31 December 2010 est.)
$309.7
billion (31 December 2009 est.)
|
|
Stock
of domestic credit:
|
$336
billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 31
$292.4
billion (31 December 2009 est.)
|
|
Market
value of publicly traded shares:
|
$138.2
billion (31 December 2009)
country
comparison to the world: 35
$102.6
billion (31 December 2008)
$196
billion (31 December 2007)
|
|
Agriculture
- products:
|
rice,
cassava (tapioca), rubber, corn, sugarcane,
coconuts, soybeans
|
|
Industries:
|
tourism,
textiles and garments, agricultural processing,
beverages, tobacco, cement, light manufacturing
such as jewelry and electric appliances,
computers and parts, integrated circuits,
furniture, plastics, automobiles and automotive
parts; world's second-largest tungsten producer
and third-largest tin producer
|
|
Industrial
production growth rate:
|
14.5%
(2009 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 5 |
|
Electricity
- production:
|
148.2
billion kWh (2008 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 24 |
|
Electricity
- consumption:
|
134.4
billion kWh (2008 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 24 |
|
Electricity
- exports:
|
846
million kWh (2009 est.)
|
|
Electricity
- imports:
|
2.313
billion kWh (2009 est.)
|
|
Oil
- production:
|
380,000
bbl/day (2009 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 34 |
|
Oil
- consumption:
|
356,000
bbl/day (2009 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 36 |
|
Oil
- exports:
|
269,100
bbl/day (2009 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 44 |
|
Oil
- imports:
|
1.695
million bbl/day (2009 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 13 |
|
Oil
- proved reserves:
|
430
million bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 50 |
|
Natural
gas - production:
|
28.76
billion cu m (2008 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 27 |
|
Natural
gas - consumption:
|
37.31
billion cu m (2008 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 22 |
|
Natural
gas - exports:
|
0 cu
m (2008 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 111 |
|
Natural
gas - imports:
|
8.55
billion cu m (2008 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 24 |
|
Natural
gas - proved reserves:
|
342
billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 38 |
|
Current
account balance:
|
$12.29
billion (2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 22
$21.86
billion (2009)
|
|
Exports:
|
$191.3
billion (2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 26
$151.9
billion (2009 est.)
|
|
Exports
- commodities:
|
textiles
and footwear, fishery products, rice, rubber,
jewelry, automobiles, computers and electrical
appliances
|
|
Exports
- partners:
|
US
10.9%, China 10.6%, Japan 10.3%, Hong Kong 6.2%,
Australia 5.6%, Malaysia 5%, Singapore 4.97%
(2009)
|
|
Imports:
|
$156.9
billion (2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 27
$118
billion (2009 est.)
|
|
Imports
- commodities:
|
capital
goods, intermediate goods and raw materials,
consumer goods, fuels
|
|
Imports
- partners:
|
Japan
18.7%, China 12.7%, Malaysia 6.4%, US 6.3%, UAE
5%, Singapore 4.3%, South Korea 4.1% (2009)
|
|
Reserves
of foreign exchange and gold:
|
$176.1
billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 10
$138.4
billion (31 December 2009)
|
|
Debt
- external:
|
$82.5
billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 42
$70.3
billion (31 December 2009 est.)
|
|
Stock
of direct foreign investment - at home:
|
$117.9
billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 29
$109.6
billion (31 December 2009)
|
|
Stock
of direct foreign investment - abroad:
|
$20.3
billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 41
$18.2
billion (31 December 2009 est.)
|
|
Exchange
rates:
|
baht
per US dollar - 31.663 (2010), 34.286 (2009),
33.37 (2008), 34.52 (2007), 37.882 (2006)
|
|
|