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Thailand
is an independent country that lies in the heart of
Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma
and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south
by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west
by the Andaman Sea and the southern extremity of Burma.
Its maritime boundaries include Vietnam in the Gulf
of Thailand to the southeast and Indonesia and India
in the Andaman Sea to the southwest.
The
country is a kingdom, a constitutional monarchy with
King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the ninth king of the House
of Chakri, who has reigned since 1946, making him the
world's longest-serving current head of state and the
longest-reigning monarch in Thai history. The king is
officially titled Head of State, the Head of the Armed
Forces, an Upholder of the Buddhist religion, and the
Defender of all Faiths. The largest city in Thailand
is Bangkok, the capital, which is also the country's
center of political, commercial, industrial and cultural
activities.
Thailand
is the world's 50th largest country in terms of total
area (slightly smaller than Yemen and slightly larger
than Spain), with a surface area of approximately 513,000
km2 (198,000 sq mi), and the 20th most-populous country,
with approximately 66 million people. About 75% of the
population is ethnically Thai, 14% is of Chinese origin,
and 3% is ethnically Malay; the rest belong to minority
groups including Mons, Khmers and various hill tribes.
Thailand has also attracted a number of expatriates
from developed countries. The country's official language
is Thai.
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