Thailand

Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and formerly known as Siam, lies in mainland Southeast Asia, bordered by Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia, with coasts on the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea. Nearly 66 million people live on about 513,115 square kilometres, and Bangkok is the capital and largest city.

Ipsos places Thailand No. 5 in its Happiness Index 2026, which covers 29 countries. In the previous edition, the 2025 index across 30 countries, 78 percent of Thais described themselves as happy, against a global average of 71 percent, which put the country sixth, as the Thai government's Public Relations Department reported. In the World Happiness Report 2024 Thailand rose nine places to 49th, according to Thai Times.

Human settlement in the region goes back at least 40,000 years. The kingdoms of Sukhothai, Lan Na and Ayutthaya shaped its classical era; Ayutthaya, founded in 1350, became a regional power until its destruction by Burmese forces in 1767. King Rama I, founder of the Chakri dynasty, moved the capital to Bangkok in 1782. Today Thailand is a newly industrialised country whose economy rests chiefly on manufacturing, agriculture and tourism.

Sources of this text: Wikipedia · Ipsos · Public Relations Department Thailand · Thai Times