Thailand 
Quick answerThailand is a country in South-Eastern Asia, with a population of 65,975,198 (2024). Its capital is Bangkok, its official language is Thai, and its currency is the Thai baht (THB). It covers 513,120 square kilometres (198,117 square miles), and its time zone is Asia/Bangkok.
Thailand is a country in mainland South-East Asia, home to about 66 million people. Its capital is Bangkok, its official language is Thai, and its currency is the baht.
Key facts
| Capital | Bangkok |
|---|---|
| Population | 65,975,198 (2024) · 66.0 million |
| Population density | 129.1 people per km² (land area) |
| Area | 513,120 km² (198,117 sq mi) total · 510,890 km² (197,256 sq mi) land |
| Official language | Thai (official) |
| Currency | Thai baht (THB, ฿) |
| Time zone | Asia/Bangkok |
| Government | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
| Coastline | 3,219 km |
| Highest point | Doi Inthanon, 2,565 m |
| Life expectancy | 76.6 years (2024) |
| Calling code | +66 |
| Driving side | Left |
| Internet domain | .th |
Overview
Thailand sits in the middle of mainland South-East Asia, between Myanmar to the west, Laos to the east, Cambodia to the south-east and Malaysia to the south. It covers 513,120 square kilometres, and its 3,219 kilometres of coastline run along the Gulf of Thailand in the east and the Andaman Sea in the west. The north is mountainous, with the highest point, Doi Inthanon, at 2,565 metres, while the north-east is the dry Korat Plateau and the centre is the flat, fertile Chao Phraya River plain around Bangkok.
About 66 million people lived in Thailand in 2024, and around 62 per cent of them live in towns and cities. Bangkok, the capital, anchors a metropolitan region of about 17.4 million people — roughly a quarter of the whole country — while every other Thai city is far smaller. Thai is the official language, and about 93 per cent of Thais are Buddhist. Life expectancy at birth reached 76.6 years in 2024, one of the highest in South-East Asia.
Thailand is a unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy, and it is the only country in South-East Asia that was never colonised by a European power. The country was known as Siam until 1939, and its kings have ruled from Bangkok since 1782. Thailand's economy is built on manufacturing, farming — above all rice — and tourism: Bangkok has been named the world's most visited city in several international rankings, and the beaches of the south and the temples of the north draw millions of visitors every year.
Thai culture is known worldwide for its food — above all pad thai, green curry and tom yum — for Muay Thai boxing, and for festivals such as Songkran, the water festival that marks the Thai New Year in April. The country's forests and seas hold elephants, gibbons and whale sharks, and its national parks protect mountains, caves and islands.
Notable facts
- Thailand's population was 65,975,198 in 2024, according to the national registration count.
- Thailand is the only country in South-East Asia that was never colonised by a European power.
- Bangkok has been named the world's most visited city in several international rankings.
- About 93 per cent of Thais are Buddhist, according to the 2018 census.
- Life expectancy at birth in Thailand was 76.6 years in 2024, according to the World Bank.
How Thailand compares
Comparison table — Thailand next to 3 similar countries (neighbours first, then the same subregion).
| Country | Population | Area | Density | Capital |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thailand ★ | 65,975,198 (2024) | 513,120 km² | 129.1 people per km² | Bangkok |
| Indonesia | 290,125,073 (2026) | 1,904,569 km² | 160.2 people per km² | Jakarta |
| Vietnam | 102,300,000 (2025) | 331,345 km² | 329.9 people per km² | Hanoi |
| Australia | 27,801,023 (2025) | 7,692,024 km² | 3.6 people per km² | Canberra |
Cities in Thailand
See all 4 cities in Thailand →
- Bangkok 9,106,000 people (2024) · Capital Known for Grand Palace
- Hat Yai 191,696 people (2024) Known for Shopping and markets
- Chiang Mai 127,240 people (2019) Known for Old city walls and moat
- Nakhon Ratchasima 126,391 people (2019) Known for Gateway to Isan
Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Thailand?
The capital of Thailand is Bangkok. It is also the country's largest city, with about 9.1 million people inside the city limits (2024) and about 17.4 million in the wider metropolitan region. Bangkok sits on the Chao Phraya River in central Thailand and is home to the Grand Palace, Wat Arun and Wat Pho.
What is the population of Thailand?
Thailand had a population of 65,975,198 in 2024, according to the national registration count. About 62 per cent of Thais live in towns and cities, and Bangkok alone holds about a quarter of the whole country. The population has been shrinking slowly, as Thailand has one of the lowest birth rates in Asia.
What language is spoken in Thailand?
Thai is the official language of Thailand and is spoken by almost everyone in the country. It is written in its own script, with marks for its five tones, and it has many words borrowed from Pali, Sanskrit and Khmer. Regional varieties such as Isan in the north-east and Southern Thai are also widely spoken in daily life.
What currency is used in Thailand?
Thailand uses the Thai baht (THB, symbol ฿). Banknotes come in denominations up to 1,000 baht, and coins are used for small amounts. Cash is still common in markets and small shops, but cards and mobile payments are widely accepted in hotels, restaurants and larger stores, and ATMs are easy to find.
Where is Thailand?
Thailand is in mainland South-East Asia, on the Malay Peninsula. It borders Myanmar to the west and north-west, Laos to the east and north-east, Cambodia to the south-east and Malaysia to the south. The Gulf of Thailand lies to the east and the Andaman Sea to the west, and Bangkok sits near the middle of the country.
What time zone is Thailand in?
Thailand uses a single time zone, Indochina Time (ICT, UTC+7), across the whole country. The IANA time zone name is Asia/Bangkok. There is no daylight saving time, so the clocks stay the same all year, from Chiang Mai in the northern mountains to Hat Yai near the Malaysian border.
Quick quiz
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Keep exploring
- Bangkok — capital of Thailand
- Hat Yai — city in Thailand
- Chiang Mai — city in Thailand
- Nakhon Ratchasima — city in Thailand
- Cambodia — neighbouring country (page coming soon)
- Laos — neighbouring country (page coming soon)
- Malaysia — neighbouring country (page coming soon)
- Myanmar — neighbouring country (page coming soon)
- Indonesia — another country in South-Eastern Asia
- Vietnam — another country in South-Eastern Asia
- All countries — the full list
Sources & last updated
- Wikipedia — Thailand
- World Bank, World Development Indicators
- mledoze/countries (skeleton: area, borders, capital, languages, currency, demonym, calling code, landlocked, coordinates, region, tld)
- Wikipedia — List of countries and dependencies by length of coastline
- Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA), via Wikipedia — Thailand
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.