ECONOMY. Thailand has a pro-business marketplace economy driven by solid alien investments & exportation oriented manufacturing peculiarly in electronics, foods & automobiles. Thailand’s exports score for 60% of the country’s GDP. Thailand experienced solid economical growth prior to the Asian economical crisis of 1997 with GDP growth averaging 9. 4% annually. However, the crisis adversely affected businesses in Thailand & watched the value of the Thai Baht declension by more than 50% against the US dollar. Since the crisis, the economy has grown on a growth path.
Thailand’s GDP was US$163. 5 billion with a GDP per capita of US$2,537 in 2004. Thailand’s GDP grew by an median of 4. 6% yearly from 2000 to 2004 driven chiefly by exports of high applied science merchandises chiefly electronics. Inflation remained under 2. 0% from 2000 to 2003 but gained to 2. 8% by 2004. However, unemployment showed a declining vogue from 3. 6% in 2000 to 1. 8% by 2004.
Nearly 60% of Thailand’s workforce is involved in the agriculture industry but contributed to only 9. 8% of the country’s GDP in 2004. The services industry contributed towards 46. 1% of Thailand’s GDP & manufacturing 44. 1% during the period. Major industries include tourism, electronics, fabrics & garments, processed foods, beverages, agriculture produce, jewellery, furniture, plastics, cars & car parts & mining of tungsten & tin. Major agriculture merchandises include rice, tapioca, rubber, corn, sugarcane, coconuts, soybean & milk.

DEMOGRAPHY. Ethnic Thai people score for 75% of Thailand’s 65 million population & different 11% are Chinese or Sino-Thais who have assimilated into the Thai civilization or are from blended marriages. Minorities include Malays who lived chiefly in southern Thailand & score for 4% of the population. Others include the Mon, Lao, Khmers, Puan & Karen minorities & immigrants from India. Nearly 95% of the country’s population are Buddhists although Malays in Thailand are predominantly Muslims. Thai is the domestic language although languages used by the minorities include Malay, Isan & Khmer. Schools teach English but proficiency is low & generally, the civilized elite are more proficient with the language.
The majority of the Thai population still live in the rural communities although the proportion of the urban population is increasing. Thailand’s urban population gained from 22% of the absolute population in 2000 to 31% by 2004. Thailand’s metropolis & major metropolis Bangkok scores for nearly 8% of the country’s absolute population. Other major cities include Nonthaburi, Pak Kret, Hat Yai, Nakhon Ratchasima, Chiang Mai & Udon Thani.
Thailand successfully reduced the poverty layer from 27% in 1990 to 10% by 2004. The proportion of the population categorised belonging in the low-income household is estimated at 60% although center & high-income households score for 30%. The median household income in Bangkok is twice than the domestic average.

INFRASTRUCTURE. Telecommunication services to the general common are overall adequate. Internet broadband services are mostly concentrated in Bangkok. Cities & towns are well colligated by routes but lacks super highways uniting Thailand’s cities & major towns. Cities the major towns are dished by airports & well colligated by buses & rail system.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE. Thailand’s major selling collaborators include Japan, US, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia & Taiwan. Main exports from Thailand include electronics, car & car parts, textiles, garments, footwear, seafood, processed foods, rice, rubber, jewellery, electric appliances including computers. Main imports include machineries & equipments, raw materials & finished products, consumer trade & fuels.

CONSUMER USAGE OF TECHNOLOGY. There were nearly 17. 3 million installed fixed-line telephones in 2004 handing a penetration of 40% of all Thai houses installed with telephones. The penetration of mobile phones gained from just 7% of the population in 2001 to 42% or twenty-seven million mobile phones by 2004. The penetration of personal computersis still low but gained from 5. 1% of the households in 2001 to nearly 12% by 2004. The count of Cyberspace users reached an estimated 8 million in 2004 but most of the Cyberspace users are concentrated in Bangkok & the major cities & towns. The penetration of TV in houses in 93% indicating numerous low-income houses have televisions.

RETAIL MARKET. The retail industry in Thailand totalled an estimated US$24. 5 billion in 2004. There are nearly 300,000 conventional “mom & pop” shops in Thailand accountancy for 65% of the absolute retail sales. However, there are 4,500 modern retail establishments (hypermarkets, supermarkets, section shops & convenience stores) accountancy for 35% of the absolute retail sales. Most of the modern retail establishments are situated in Bangkok. Shopping in modern retail establishments is increasingly favorite & more establishments awaited in the near future.

FOOD CULTURE. Rice is the staple meal but although those in centric & southern Thailand like lily-white fragrant rice those in northerly Thailand like the glutinous variety. Thai crockery are normally sizzling & hot but foods from the northerly area are normally milder. Thai people are less adapting to western foods even whenever they might afford it compared to consumers in Singapore & Malaysia. However, bakery & coffer store chains are increasing popularity one of youthful professionals who have adapted to western culture.