THB to ZAR Live Rate

Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma

Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa

15 00 N, 100 00 E

29 00 S, 24 00 E

Southeast Asia

Africa

total: 513,120 sq km

land: 510,890 sq km

water: 2,230 sq km

country comparison to the world: 52

total: 1,219,090 sq km

land: 1,214,470 sq km

water: 4,620 sq km

note: includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince Edward Island)

country comparison to the world: 26

total: 5,673 km

border countries (4): Burma 2,416 km, Cambodia 817 km, Laos 1,845 km, Malaysia 595 km

total: 5,244 km

border countries (6): Botswana 1,969 km, Lesotho 1,106 km, Mozambique 496 km, Namibia 1,005 km, Eswatini 438 km, Zimbabwe 230 km

3,219 km

2,798 km

territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin

tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March); southern isthmus always hot and humid

mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights

central plain; Khorat Plateau in the east; mountains elsewhere

vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain

mean elevation: 287 m

elevation extremes: lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m

highest point: Doi Inthanon 2,565 m

mean elevation: 1,034 m

elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

highest point: Njesuthi 3,408 m

tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite, arable land

gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, rare earth elements, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas

agricultural land: 41.2%

arable land 30.8%; permanent crops 8.8%; permanent pasture 1.6%

forest: 37.2%

other: 21.6% (2011 est.)

agricultural land: 79.4%

arable land 9.9%; permanent crops 0.3%; permanent pasture 69.2%

forest: 7.6%

other: 13% (2011 est.)

64,150 sq km (2012)

16,700 sq km (2012)

highest population density is found in and around Bangkok; significant population clusters found throughout large parts of the country, particularly north and northeast of Bangkok and in the extreme southern region of the country

the population concentrated along the southern and southeastern coast, and inland around Petoria; the eastern half of the country is more densly populated than the west

land subsidence in Bangkok area resulting from the depletion of the water table; droughts

prolonged droughts

volcanism: the volcano forming Marion Island in the Prince Edward Islands, which last erupted in 2004, is South Africa's only active volcano

air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from organic and factory wastes; deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by illegal hunting

lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires extensive water conservation and control measures; growth in water usage outpacing supply; pollution of rivers from agricultural runoff and urban discharge; air pollution resulting in acid rain; soil erosion; desertification

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

controls only land route from Asia to Malaysia and Singapore; ideas for the construction of a canal across the Kra Isthmus that would create a bypass to the Strait of Malacca and shorten shipping times around Asia continue to be discussed

South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Eswatini

68,414,135

note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 20

54,841,552

note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 25

noun: Thai (singular and plural)

adjective: Thai

noun: South African(s)

adjective: South African

Thai 97.5%, Burmese 1.3%, other 1.1%, unspecified <.1% (2015 est.)

black African 80.2%, white 8.4%, colored 8.8%, Indian/Asian 2.5%

note: colored is a term used in South Africa, including on the national census, for persons of mixed race ancestry (2014 est.)

Thai (official) 90.7%, Burmese 1.3%, other 8%

note: English is a secondary language of the elite (2010 est.)

isiZulu (official) 22.7%, isiXhosa (official) 16%, Afrikaans (official) 13.5%, English (official) 9.6%, Sepedi (official) 9.1%, Setswana (official) 8%, Sesotho (official) 7.6%, Xitsonga (official) 4.5%, siSwati (official) 2.5%, Tshivenda (official) 2.4%, isiNdebele (official) 2.1%, sign language 0.5%, other 1.6% (2011 est.)

Buddhist 94.6%, Muslim 4.3%, Christian 1%, other <.1%, none <.1% (2015 est.)

Protestant 36.6% (Zionist Christian 11.1%, Pentecostal/Charismatic 8.2%, Methodist 6.8%, Dutch Reformed 6.7%, Anglican 3.8%), Catholic 7.1%, Muslim 1.5%, other Christian 36%, other 2.3%, unspecified 1.4%, none 15.1% (2001 est.)

total dependency ratio: 40

youth dependency ratio: 25.2

elderly dependency ratio: 14.8

potential support ratio: 6.8 (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio: 52.5

youth dependency ratio: 44.8

elderly dependency ratio: 7.7

potential support ratio: 12.9 (2015 est.)

total: 37.7 years

male: 36.6 years

female: 38.7 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 65

total: 27.1 years

male: 26.9 years

female: 27.3 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 145

0.3% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 171

0.99% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 114

11 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 179

20.2 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 78

8 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 91

9.4 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 58

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 98

-0.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 136

highest population density is found in and around Bangkok; significant population clusters found througout large parts of the country, particularly north and northeast of Bangkok and in the extreme southern region of the country

the population concentrated along the southern and southeastern coast, and inland around Petoria; the eastern half of the country is more densly populated than the west

urban population: 52.7% of total population (2017)

rate of urbanization: 2.2% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

urban population: 65.8% of total population (2017)

rate of urbanization: 1.33% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

BANGKOK (capital) 9.27 million; Samut Prakan 1.814 million (2015)

Johannesburg (includes Ekurhuleni) 9.399 million; Cape Town (legislative capital) 3.66 million; Durban 2.901 million; PRETORIA (capital) 2.059 million; Port Elizabeth 1.179 million; Vereeniging 1.155 million (2015)

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 0.98 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.89 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female

total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 0.98 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.87 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female

total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

23.3 years (2009 est.)

20 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 129

138 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 63

total: 9.2 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 10.1 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 8.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 146

total: 31 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 34.4 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 27.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 62

total population: 74.9 years

male: 71.7 years

female: 78.3 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 116

total population: 63.8 years

male: 62.4 years

female: 65.3 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 190

1.52 children born/woman (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 194

2.29 children born/woman (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 91

79.3% (2012)

6.5% of GDP (2014)

country comparison to the world: 92

8.8% of GDP (2014)

country comparison to the world: 44

0.47 physicians/1,000 population (2015)

0.82 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

2.1 beds/1,000 population (2010)

improved:

urban: 97.6% of population

rural: 98% of population

total: 97.8% of population

unimproved:

urban: 2.4% of population

rural: 2% of population

total: 2.2% of population (2015 est.)

improved:

urban: 99.6% of population

rural: 81.4% of population

total: 93.2% of population

unimproved:

urban: 0.4% of population

rural: 18.6% of population

total: 6.8% of population (2015 est.)

improved:

urban: 89.9% of population

rural: 96.1% of population

total: 93% of population

unimproved:

urban: 10.1% of population

rural: 3.9% of population

total: 7% of population (2015 est.)

improved:

urban: 69.6% of population

rural: 60.5% of population

total: 66.4% of population

unimproved:

urban: 30.4% of population

rural: 39.5% of population

total: 33.6% of population (2015 est.)

1.1% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 40

18.9% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 4

450,000 (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 16

7.1 million (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 1

16,000 (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 16

110,000 (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 2

degree of risk: very high

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea

vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, and malaria (2016)

degree of risk: intermediate

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2016)

10% (2016)

country comparison to the world: 140

28.3% (2016)

country comparison to the world: 30

9.2% (2012)

country comparison to the world: 71

8.7% (2008)

country comparison to the world: 72

4.1% of GDP (2013)

country comparison to the world: 47

5.9% of GDP (2016)

country comparison to the world: 42

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 92.9%

male: 94.7%

female: 91.2% (2015 est.)

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 94.4%

male: 95.4%

female: 93.4% (2015 est.)

total: 16 years

male: 16 years

female: 16 years (2015)

total: 13 years

male: 12 years

female: 13 years (2012)

total: 0.9%

male: 0.8%

female: 1.1% (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 159

total: 50.1%

male: 46.3%

female: 54.9% (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 6

South Africa’s youthful population is gradually aging, as the country’s total fertility rate (TFR) has declined dramatically from about 6 children per woman in the 1960s to roughly 2.2 in 2014. This pattern is similar to fertility trends in South Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa, and sets South Africa apart from the rest of sub-Saharan Africa, where the average TFR remains higher than other regions of the world. Today, South Africa’s decreasing number of reproductive age women is having fewer children, as women increase their educational attainment, workforce participation, and use of family planning methods; delay marriage; and opt for smaller families.

As the proportion of working-age South Africans has grown relative to children and the elderly, South Africa has been unable to achieve a demographic dividend because persistent high unemployment and the prevalence of HIV/AIDs have created a larger-than-normal dependent population. HIV/AIDS was also responsible for South Africa’s average life expectancy plunging to less than 43 years in 2008; it has rebounded to 63 years as of 2017. HIV/AIDS continues to be a serious public health threat, although awareness-raising campaigns and the wider availability of anti-retroviral drugs is stabilizing the number of new cases, enabling infected individuals to live longer, healthier lives, and reducing mother-child transmissions.

Migration to South Africa began in the second half of the 17th century when traders from the Dutch East India Company settled in the Cape and started using slaves from South and southeast Asia (mainly from India but also from present-day Indonesia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia) and southeast Africa (Madagascar and Mozambique) as farm laborers and, to a lesser extent, as domestic servants. The Indian subcontinent remained the Cape Colony’s main source of slaves in the early 18th century, while slaves were increasingly obtained from southeast Africa in the latter part of the 18th century and into the 19th century under British rule.

After slavery was completely abolished in the British Empire in 1838, South Africa’s colonists turned to temporary African migrants and indentured labor through agreements with India and later China, countries that were anxious to export workers to alleviate domestic poverty and overpopulation. Of the more than 150,000 indentured Indian laborers hired to work in Natal’s sugar plantations between 1860 and 1911, most exercised the right as British subjects to remain permanently (a small number of Indian immigrants came freely as merchants). Because of growing resentment toward Indian workers, the 63,000 indentured Chinese workers who mined gold in Transvaal between 1904 and 1911 were under more restrictive contracts and generally were forced to return to their homeland.

In the late 19th century and nearly the entire 20th century, South Africa’s then British colonies’ and Dutch states’ enforced selective immigration policies that welcomed “assimilable” white Europeans as permanent residents but excluded or restricted other immigrants. Following the Union of South Africa’s passage of a law in 1913 prohibiting Asian and other non-white immigrants and its elimination of the indenture system in 1917, temporary African contract laborers from neighboring countries became the dominant source of labor in the burgeoning mining industries. Others worked in agriculture and smaller numbers in manufacturing, domestic service, transportation, and construction. Throughout the 20th century, at least 40% of South Africa’s miners were foreigners; the numbers peaked at over 80% in the late 1960s. Mozambique, Lesotho, Botswana, and Eswatini were the primary sources of miners, and Malawi and Zimbabwe were periodic suppliers.

Under apartheid, a “two gates” migration policy focused on policing and deporting illegal migrants rather than on managing migration to meet South Africa’s development needs. The exclusionary 1991 Aliens Control Act limited labor recruitment to the highly skilled as defined by the ruling white minority, while bilateral labor agreements provided exemptions that enabled the influential mining industry and, to a lesser extent, commercial farms, to hire temporary, low-paid workers from neighboring states. Illegal African migrants were often tacitly allowed to work for low pay in other sectors but were always under threat of deportation.

The abolishment of apartheid in 1994 led to the development of a new inclusive national identity and the strengthening of the country’s restrictive immigration policy. Despite South Africa’s protectionist approach to immigration, the downsizing and closing of mines, and rising unemployment, migrants from across the continent believed that the country held work opportunities. Fewer African labor migrants were issued temporary work permits and, instead, increasingly entered South Africa with visitors’ permits or came illegally, which drove growth in cross-border trade and the informal job market. A new wave of Asian immigrants has also arrived over the last two decades, many operating small retail businesses.

In the post-apartheid period, increasing numbers of highly skilled white workers emigrated, citing dissatisfaction with the political situation, crime, poor services, and a reduced quality of life. The 2002 Immigration Act and later amendments were intended to facilitate the temporary migration of skilled foreign labor to fill labor shortages, but instead the legislation continues to create regulatory obstacles. Although the education system has improved and brain drain has slowed in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis, South Africa continues to face skills shortages in several key sectors, such as health care and technology.

South Africa’s stability and economic growth has acted as a magnet for refugees and asylum seekers from nearby countries, despite the prevalence of discrimination and xenophobic violence. Refugees have included an estimated 350,000 Mozambicans during its 1980s civil war and, more recently, several thousand Somalis, Congolese, and Ethiopians. Nearly all of the tens of thousands of Zimbabweans who have applied for asylum in South Africa have been categorized as economic migrants and denied refuge.

conventional long form: Kingdom of Thailand

conventional short form: Thailand

local long form: Ratcha Anachak Thai

local short form: Prathet Thai

former: Siam

etymology: "Land of the Tai [People]"; the meaning of "tai" is uncertain, but may originally have meant "human beings," "people," or "free people"

conventional long form: Republic of South Africa

conventional short form: South Africa

former: Union of South Africa

abbreviation: RSA

etymology: self-descriptive name from the country's location on the continent; "Africa" is derived from the Roman designation of the area corresponding to present-day Tunisia "Africa terra," which meant "Land of the Afri" (the tribe resident in that area), but which eventually came to mean the entire continent

constitutional monarchy; note - interim military-affiliated government since May 2014

parliamentary republic

name: Bangkok

geographic coordinates: 13 45 N, 100 31 E

time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

name: Pretoria (administrative capital); Cape Town (legislative capital); Bloemfontein (judicial capital)

geographic coordinates: 25 42 S, 28 13 E

time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

76 provinces (changwat, singular and plural) and 1 municipality* (maha nakhon); Amnat Charoen, Ang Thong, Bueng Kan, Buri Ram, Chachoengsao, Chai Nat, Chaiyaphum, Chanthaburi, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Chon Buri, Chumphon, Kalasin, Kamphaeng Phet, Kanchanaburi, Khon Kaen, Krabi, Krung Thep* (Bangkok), Lampang, Lamphun, Loei, Lop Buri, Mae Hong Son, Maha Sarakham, Mukdahan, Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon Phanom, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon Sawan, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Nan, Narathiwat, Nong Bua Lamphu, Nong Khai, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Pattani, Phangnga, Phatthalung, Phayao, Phetchabun, Phetchaburi, Phichit, Phitsanulok, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Phrae, Phuket, Prachin Buri, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ranong, Ratchaburi, Rayong, Roi Et, Sa Kaeo, Sakon Nakhon, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram, Saraburi, Satun, Sing Buri, Si Sa Ket, Songkhla, Sukhothai, Suphan Buri, Surat Thani, Surin, Tak, Trang, Trat, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Uthai Thani, Uttaradit, Yala, Yasothon

9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, Western Cape

1238 (traditional founding date; never colonized)

31 May 1910 (Union of South Africa formed from four British colonies: Cape Colony, Natal, Transvaal, and Orange Free State); 31 May 1961 (republic declared); 27 April 1994 (majority rule)

Birthday of King WACHIRALONGKON, 28 July (1952)

Freedom Day, 27 April (1994)

history: many previous; latest completed 29 March 2016, approved by referendum 7 August 2016, signed into law by the king 6 April 2017

amendments: proposed as a joint resolution by the Council of Ministers and the National Council for Peace and Order (the junta that has ruled Thailand since the 2014 coup) and submitted as a draft to the National Legislative Assembly; passage requires majority vote of the existing Assembly members and presentation to the monarch for assent and countersignature by the prime minister (2017)

history: several previous; latest drafted 8 May 1996, approved by Constitutional Court 4 December 1996, effective 4 February 1997

amendments: proposed by the National Assembly of Parliament; passage of amendments affecting constitutional sections on human rights and freedoms, non-racism and non-sexism, supremacy of the constitution, suffrage, the multi-party system of democratic government, and amendment procedures requires at least 75% majority vote of the Assembly, approval by at least six of the nine provinces represented in the National Council of Provinces, and assent by the president of the republic; passage of amendments affecting the Bill of Rights, and those related to provincial boundaries, powers, and authorities requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly, approval by at least six of the nine provinces represented in the National Council, and assent by the president; amended many times, last in 2013 (2017)

civil law system with common law influences

mixed legal system of Roman-Dutch civil law, English common law, and customary law

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Thailand

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of South Africa

dual citizenship recognized: yes, but requires prior permission of the government

residency requirement for naturalization: 1 year

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

18 years of age; universal

chief of state: King WACHIRALONGKON Bodinthrathepphayawarangkun, also spelled Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun (since 1 December 2016); note - King PHUMIPHON Adunyadet, also spelled BHUMIBOL Adulyadej (since 9 June 1946) died 13 October 2016

head of government: Interim Prime Minister Gen. PRAYUT Chan-ocha (since 25 August 2014); Deputy Prime Ministers PRAWIT Wongsuwan, Gen. (since 31 August 2014), WISSANU Kruea-ngam (since 31 August 2014), SOMKHIT Chatusiphithak (since 20 August 2015), PRACHIN Chantong, Air Chief Mar. (since 20 August 2015), CHATCHAI Sarikan, Gen. (since 23 November 2017)

cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister, appointed by the king; a Privy Council advises the king

elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; the House of Representatives approves a person for Prime Minister who must then be appointed by the King (as stated in the transitory provision of the 2017 constitution); the office of prime minister can be held for up to a total of 8 years

note: Gen. Prayut Chan-ocha was appointed interim prime minister in August 2014, three months after he staged the coup that removed the previously elected government of Prime Minister YINGLAK Chinnawat

chief of state: President Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA (since 15 February 2018); Deputy President David MABUZA (26 February 2018); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; Jacob ZUMA resigned the presidency on 14 February 2018

head of government: President Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA (since 15 February 2018); deputy president David MABUZA (26 February 2018); note - Jacob ZUMA resigned the presidency on 14 February 2018

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president

elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 15 February 2018 to elect Cyril RAMAPHOSA as acting president to replace ZUMA for the remainder of his term (next to be held in May 2019)

election results: Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA (ANC) elected president by the National Assembly unopposed

description: in transition; following the May 2014 military coup, a junta-appointed National Legislative Assembly or Sapha Nitibanyat Haeng Chat of no more than 220 members replaced the bicameral National Assembly; expanded to 250 members in September 2016; elections for a permanent legislative body were announced for November 2018; the 2017 constitution calls for a 250-member military-appointed Senate with 5-year terms and a 500-member elected House of Representatives with 4-year terms

elections: Senate - last held on 30 March 2014 but invalidated by the coup (in future, members will be appointed); House of Representatives - last held on 2 February 2014 but later declared invalid by the Constitutional Court (next to be held no later than February 2019)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA

description: bicameral Parliament consists of the National Council of Provinces (90 seats; 10-member delegations appointed by each of the 9 provincial legislatures to serve 5-year terms; note - this council has special powers to protect regional interests, including safeguarding cultural and linguistic traditions among ethnic minorities) and the National Assembly (400 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms)

elections: National Council of Provinces and National Assembly - last held on 7 May 2014 (next to be held in 2019)

election results: National Council of Provinces - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ANC 60, DA 20, EFF 7, IFP 1, NFP 1, UDM 1; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - ANC 62.2%, DA 22.2%, EFF 6.4%, IFP 2.4%, NFP 1.6%, UDM 1.0%, other 4.2%; seats by party - ANC 249, DA 89, EFF 25, IFP 10, NFP 6, UDM 4, other 17

highest court(s): Supreme Court of Justice (consists of court president, 6 vice-presidents, and 60-70 judges, and organized into 10 divisions); Constitutional Court (consists of court president and 8 judges); Supreme Administrative Court (number of judges determined by Judicial Commission of the Administrative Courts)

judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges selected by the Judicial Commission of the Courts of Justice and approved by the monarch; judge term determined by the monarch; Constitutional Court justices - 3 judges drawn from the Supreme Court, 2 judges drawn from the Administrative Court, and 4 judge candidates selected by the Selective Committee for Judges of the Constitutional Court and confirmed by the Senate; judges appointed by the monarch to serve single 9-year terms; Supreme Administrative Court judges selected by the Judicial Commission of the Administrative Courts and appointed by the monarch; judges appointed for life

subordinate courts: courts of first instance and appeals courts within both the judicial and administrative systems; military courts

highest court(s): Supreme Court of Appeals (consists of the court president, deputy president, and 21 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of the chief and deputy chief justices and 9 judges)

judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court of Appeals president and vice president appointed by the national president after consultation with the Judicial Services Commission (JSC), a 23-member body chaired by the chief justice and includes other judges and judicial executives, members of parliament, practicing lawyers and advocates, a teacher of law, and several members designated by the national president; other Supreme Court judges appointed by the national president on the advice of the JSC and hold office until discharged from active service by an Act of Parliament; Constitutional Court chief and deputy chief justices appointed by the national president after consultation with the JSC and with heads of the National Assembly; other Constitutional Court judges appointed by the national president after consultation with the chief justice and leaders of the National Assembly; Constitutional Court judges appointed for 12-year non-renewable terms or until age 70

subordinate courts: High Courts; Magistrates' Courts; labor courts; land claims courts

note: as of 5 April 2018, 98 new parties applied to be registered with the Election Commission, in accordance with the provisions of the new organic law on political parties

Chat Thai Phatthana Party or CTP (Thai Nation Development Party)

Phumchai (Bhumjai) Thai Party or PJT (Thai Pride) [ANUTHIN Chanwirakun]

Puea Thai Party (For Thais Party) or PTP [acting leader WIROT Paoin]

Prachathipat Party or DP (Democrat Party) [ABHISIT Wechachiwa, also spelled ABHISIT Vejjajiva]

African Christian Democratic Party or ACDP [Kenneth MESHOE]

African Independent Congress or AIC [Mandla GALO]

African National Congress or ANC [Cyril RAMAPHOSA]

African People's Convention or APC [Themba GODI]

Agang SA [Mike TSHISHONGA]

Congress of the People or COPE [Mosiuoa LEKOTA]

Democratic Alliance or DA [Mmusi MAIMANE]

Economic Freedom Fighters or EFF [Julius Sello MALEMA]

Freedom Front Plus or FF+ [Pieter GROENEWALD]

Inkatha Freedom Party or IFP [Mangosuthu BUTHELEZI]

National Freedom Party or NFP [Zanele kaMAGWAZA-MSIBI]

Pan-Africanist Congress of Azania or PAC [Luthanado MBINDA]

United Christian Democratic Party or UCDP [Isaac Sipho MFUNDISI]

United Democratic Movement or UDM [Bantu HOLOMISA]

Democracy Restoration Group (formerly the New Democracy Movement)

People's Democratic Reform Committee or PDRC

United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship or UDD

Congress of South African Trade Unions or COSATU [Sdumo DLAMINI]

South African Communist Party or SACP [Blade NZIMANDE]

South African National Civic Organization or SANCO [Richard MDAKANE]

note: COSATU and SACP are in a formal alliance with the African National Congress

ADB, APEC, ARF, ASEAN, BIMSTEC, BIS, CD, CICA, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, PIF (partner), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

ACP, AfDB, AU, BIS, BRICS, C, CD, FAO, FATF, G-20, G-24, G-5, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, NSG, OECD (enhanced engagement), OPCW, Paris Club (associate), PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires PHATTHARAWAN Wetchasat (since 27 October 2017)

chancery: 1024 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 401, Washington, DC 20007

telephone: [1] (202) 944-3600

FAX: [1] (202) 944-3611

consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

chief of mission: Ambassador Mninwa Johannes MAHLANGU (since 23 February 2015)

chancery: 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 232-4400 [1] (202) 232-4400

FAX: [1] (202) 265-1607

consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

chief of mission: Ambassador Glyn T. DAVIES (since 28 November 2015)

embassy: 95 Wireless Road, Bangkok 10330

mailing address: APO AP 96546

telephone: [66] (2) 205-4000

FAX: [66] (2) 254-2990, 205-4131

consulate(s) general: Chiang Mai

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Jessica "Jessye" LAPENN (since 16 December 2016)

embassy: 877 Pretorius Street, Arcadia, Pretoria

mailing address: P.O. Box 9536, Pretoria 0001

telephone: [27] (12) 431-4000

FAX: [27] (12) 342-2299

consulate(s) general: Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg

five horizontal bands of red (top), white, blue (double width), white, and red; the red color symbolizes the nation and the blood of life; white represents religion and the purity of Buddhism; blue stands for the monarchy

note: similar to the flag of Costa Rica but with the blue and red colors reversed

two equal width horizontal bands of red (top) and blue separated by a central green band that splits into a horizontal Y, the arms of which end at the corners of the hoist side; the Y embraces a black isosceles triangle from which the arms are separated by narrow yellow bands; the red and blue bands are separated from the green band and its arms by narrow white stripes; the flag colors do not have any official symbolism, but the Y stands for the "convergence of diverse elements within South African society, taking the road ahead in unity"; black, yellow, and green are found on the flag of the African National Congress, while red, white, and blue are the colors in the flags of the Netherlands and the UK, whose settlers ruled South Africa during the colonial era

note: the South African flag is one of only two national flags to display six colors as part of its primary design, the other is South Sudan's

garuda (mythical half-man, half-bird figure), elephant; national colors: red, white, blue

springbok (antelope), king protea flower; national colors: red, green, blue, yellow, black, white

name: "Phleng Chat Thai" (National Anthem of Thailand)

lyrics/music: Luang SARANUPRAPAN/Phra JENDURIYANG

note: music adopted 1932, lyrics adopted 1939; by law, people are required to stand for the national anthem at 0800 and 1800 every day; the anthem is played in schools, offices, theaters, and on television and radio during this time; "Phleng Sanlasoen Phra Barami" (A Salute to the Monarch) serves as the royal anthem and is played in the presence of the royal family and during certain state ceremonies

name: "National Anthem of South Africa"

lyrics/music: Enoch SONTONGA and Cornelius Jacob LANGENHOVEN/Enoch SONTONGA and Marthinus LOURENS de Villiers

note: adopted 1994; a combination of "N'kosi Sikelel' iAfrica" (God Bless Africa) and "Die Stem van Suid Afrika" (The Call of South Africa), which were respectively the anthems of the non-white and white communities under apartheid; official lyrics contain a mixture of Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans, and English (i.e., the five most widely spoken of South Africa's 11 official languages); music incorporates the melody used in the Tanzanian and Zambian anthems

With a relatively well-developed infrastructure, a free-enterprise economy, and generally pro-investment policies, Thailand is highly dependent on international trade, with exports accounting for about two-thirds of GDP. Thailand’s exports include electronics, agricultural commodities, automobiles and parts, and processed foods. The industry and service sectors produce about 90% of GDP. The agricultural sector, comprised mostly of small-scale farms, contributes only 10% of GDP but employs about one-third of the labor force. Thailand has attracted an estimated 3.0-4.5 million migrant workers, mostly from neighboring countries.

Over the last few decades, Thailand has reduced poverty substantially. In 2013, the Thai Government implemented a nationwide 300 baht (roughly $10) per day minimum wage policy and deployed new tax reforms designed to lower rates on middle-income earners.

Thailand’s economy is recovering from slow growth during the years since the 2014 coup. Thailand’s economic fundamentals are sound, with low inflation, low unemployment, and reasonable public and external debt levels. Tourism and government spending - mostly on infrastructure and short-term stimulus measures – have helped to boost the economy, and The Bank of Thailand has been supportive, with several interest rate reductions.

Over the longer-term, household debt levels, political uncertainty, and an aging population pose risks to growth.

South Africa is a middle-income emerging market with an abundant supply of natural resources; well-developed financial, legal, communications, energy, and transport sectors; and a stock exchange that is Africa’s largest and among the top 20 in the world.

Economic growth has decelerated in recent years, slowing to an estimated 0.7% in 2017. Unemployment, poverty, and inequality - among the highest in the world - remain a challenge. Official unemployment is roughly 27% of the workforce, and runs significantly higher among black youth. Even though the country's modern infrastructure supports a relatively efficient distribution of goods to major urban centers throughout the region, unstable electricity supplies retard growth. Eskom, the state-run power company, is building three new power stations and is installing new power demand management programs to improve power grid reliability but has been plagued with accusations of mismanagement and corruption and faces an increasingly high debt burden.

South Africa's economic policy has focused on controlling inflation while empowering a broader economic base; however, the country faces structural constraints that also limit economic growth, such as skills shortages, declining global competitiveness, and frequent work stoppages due to strike action. The government faces growing pressure from urban constituencies to improve the delivery of basic services to low-income areas, to increase job growth, and to provide university level-education at affordable prices. Political infighting among South Africa’s ruling party and the volatility of the rand risks economic growth. International investors are concerned about the country’s long-term economic stability; in late 2016, most major international credit ratings agencies downgraded South Africa’s international debt to junk bond status.

$1.229 trillion (2017 est.)

$1.185 trillion (2016 est.)

$1.148 trillion (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

country comparison to the world: 21

$757.3 billion (2017 est.)

$752.1 billion (2016 est.)

$750 billion (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

country comparison to the world: 31

$437.8 billion (2017 est.)

$344.1 billion (2017 est.)

3.7% (2017 est.)

3.2% (2016 est.)

2.9% (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 84

0.7% (2017 est.)

0.3% (2016 est.)

1.3% (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 193

$17,800 (2017 est.)

$17,200 (2016 est.)

$16,700 (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

country comparison to the world: 97

$13,400 (2017 est.)

$13,500 (2016 est.)

$13,700 (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

country comparison to the world: 115

32.8% of GDP (2017 est.)

33.5% of GDP (2016 est.)

30.3% of GDP (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 19

16.2% of GDP (2017 est.)

16.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

16.3% of GDP (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 116

household consumption: 50.1%

government consumption: 17%

investment in fixed capital: 24.2%

investment in inventories: -7%

exports of goods and services: 70.4%

imports of goods and services: -54.7% (2017 est.)

household consumption: 59.8%

government consumption: 20.7%

investment in fixed capital: 20%

investment in inventories: -0.4%

exports of goods and services: 26.9%

imports of goods and services: -27% (2017 est.)

agriculture: 8.2%

industry: 36.2%

services: 55.6% (2017 est.)

agriculture: 2.8%

industry: 29.7%

services: 67.5% (2017 est.)

rice, cassava (manioc, tapioca), rubber, corn, sugarcane, coconuts, palm oil, pineapple, livestock, fish products

corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; beef, poultry, mutton, wool, dairy products

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, agricultural machinery, air conditioning and refrigeration, ceramics, aluminum, chemical, environmental management, glass, granite and marble, leather, machinery and metal work, petrochemical, petroleum refining, pharmaceuticals, printing, pulp and paper, rubber, sugar, rice, fishing, cassava, world's second-largest tungsten producer and third-largest tin producer

mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textiles, iron and steel, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs, commercial ship repair

3.6% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 79

0.5% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 184

38.37 million (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 17

22.19 million (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 30

agriculture: 31.8%

industry: 16.7%

services: 51.5% (2015 est.)

agriculture: 4.6%

industry: 23.5%

services: 71.9% (2014 est.)

0.7% (2017 est.)

0.8% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 4

27.6% (2017 est.)

26.7% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 199

7.2% (2015 est.)

16.6% (2016 est.)

lowest 10%: 2.8%

highest 10%: 31.5% (2009 est.)

lowest 10%: 1.2%

highest 10%: 51.3% (2011 est.)

44.5 (2015 est.)

48.4 (2011 est.)

country comparison to the world: 44

62.5 (2013 est.)

63.4 (2011 est.)

country comparison to the world: 2

revenues: $79.6 billion

expenditures: $90.56 billion (2017 est.)

revenues: $92.38 billion

expenditures: $103.3 billion (2017 est.)

18.2% of GDP (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 166

26.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 104

-2.5% of GDP (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 99

-3.2% of GDP (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 122

44.1% of GDP (2017 est.)

41.2% of GDP (2016 est.)

note: data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are sold at public auctions

country comparison to the world: 121

50.1% of GDP (2017 est.)

50.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 103

1 October - 30 September

1 April - 31 March

0.6% (2017 est.)

0.2% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 21

5.4% (2017 est.)

6.3% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 175

1.5% (31 December 2016 est.)

1.5% (31 December 2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 121

5.75% (31 December 2014 est.)

7% (31 December 2009 est.)

country comparison to the world: 73

6.2% (31 December 2017 est.)

6.31% (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 125

10.4% (31 December 2017 est.)

10.46% (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 78

$56.36 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$52.03 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 51

$116.5 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$117.3 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 35

$546.1 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$510.4 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 22

$183.8 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$189.9 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 44

$537.2 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$507.5 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 26

$237.6 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$244.8 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 42

$348.8 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$430.4 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$354.4 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 28

$735.9 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$933.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$942.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 16

$44 billion (2017 est.)

$46.83 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 11

$-9.81 billion (2017 est.)

$-9.624 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 184

$228.2 billion (2017 est.)

$214.3 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 23

$78.25 billion (2017 est.)

$75.16 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 40

automobiles and parts, computer and parts, jewelry and precious stones, polymers of ethylene in primary forms, refine fuels, electronic integrated circuits, chemical products, rice, fish products, rubber products, sugar, cassava, poultry, machinery and parts, iron and steel and their products

gold, diamonds, platinum, other metals and minerals, machinery and equipment

US 11.4%, China 11.1%, Japan 9.6%, Hong Kong 5.3%, Australia 4.8%, Malaysia 4.5%, Vietnam 4.4% (2016)

China 9.2%, Germany 7.5%, US 7.4%, Botswana 5%, Namibia 4.8%, Japan 4.6%, India 4.3%, UK 4.2% (2016)

$190 billion (2017 est.)

$177.7 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 26

$80.22 billion (2017 est.)

$74.17 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 38

machinery and parts, crude oil, electrical machinery and parts, chemicals, iron & steel and product, electronic integrated circuit, automobile’s parts, jewelry including silver bars and gold, computers and parts, electrical household appliances, soybean, soybean meal, wheat, cotton, dairy products

machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, scientific instruments, foodstuffs

China 21.6%, Japan 15.8%, US 6.2%, Malaysia 5.6% (2016)

China 18.1%, Germany 11.8%, US 6.7%, India 4.2% (2016)

$193.5 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$171.9 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 13

$48.18 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$47.23 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 40

$135.5 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$130.6 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 44

$144.1 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$144.6 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 43

$205.5 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$193.5 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 30

$139.2 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$136.8 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 40

$112.3 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$96.27 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 34

$176.3 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$172.8 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 28

baht per US dollar -

34.34 (2017 est.)

35.3 (2016 est.)

35.3 (2015 est.)

34.25 (2014 est.)

32.48 (2013 est.)

rand (ZAR) per US dollar -

13.67 (2017 est.)

14.69 (2016 est.)

14.69 (2015 est.)

12.76 (2014 est.)

10.85 (2013 est.)

population without electricity: 700,000

electrification - total population: 99%

electrification - urban areas: 99.7%

electrification - rural areas: 98.3% (2013)

population without electricity: 7,700,000

electrification - total population: 85%

electrification - urban areas: 90%

electrification - rural areas: 77% (2013)

167.9 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 24

229.2 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 21

168.3 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 23

207.7 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 21

2.267 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 43

16.55 billion kWh (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 12

14.41 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 16

10.56 billion kWh (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 24

40.97 million kW (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 24

47.28 million kW (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 23

76.7% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 94

86.7% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 72

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 188

3.9% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 25

8.9% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 121

1.4% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 144

14.2% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 51

7.1% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 82

257,500 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 34

2,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 89

12,200 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 57

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 186

830,500 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 14

434,500 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 22

396.4 million bbl (1 January 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 52

15 million bbl (1 January 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 88

1.213 million bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 18

431,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 37

1.272 million bbl/day (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 19

660,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 32

238,800 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 31

78,110 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 48

162,800 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 42

164,700 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 41

39.82 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 22

1.1 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 66

114.8 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 11

8.66 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 57

0 cu m (2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 190

0 cu m (2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 178

13.33 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 23

3.8 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 38

206.8 billion cu m (1 January 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 44

15.01 billion cu m (1 January 2012 est.)

country comparison to the world: 79

301 million Mt (2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 21

482 million Mt (2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 14

total subscriptions: 4.706 million

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 7 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 32

total subscriptions: 4,522,850

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 7 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 33

total: 119.669 million

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 175 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 13

total: 82,412,880

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 150 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 19

general assessment: high quality system, especially in urban areas like Bangkok

domestic: fixed-line system provided by both a government-owned and commercial provider; wireless service expanding rapidly

international: country code - 66; connected to major submarine cable systems providing links throughout Asia, Australia, Middle East, Europe, and US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 1 Pacific Ocean) (2016)

general assessment: the system is the best-developed and most modern in Africa

domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity exceeds 145 telephones per 100 persons; consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay links, fiber-optic cable, radiotelephone communication stations, and wireless local loops; key centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Pretoria

international: country code - 27; the SAT-3/WASC and SAFE fiber-optic submarine cable systems connect South Africa to Europe and Asia; the EASSy fiber-optic cable system connects with Europe and North America; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean) (2016)

26 digital TV stations in Bangkok broadcast nationally, 6 terrestrial TV stations in Bangkok broadcast nationally via relay stations - 2 of the stations are owned by the military, the other 4 are government-owned or controlled, leased to private enterprise, and all are required to broadcast government-produced news programs twice a day; multi-channel satellite and cable TV subscription services are available; radio frequencies have been allotted for more than 500 government and commercial radio stations; many small community radio stations operate with low-power transmitters (2017)

the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) operates 4 TV stations, 3 are free-to-air and 1 is pay TV; e.tv, a private station, is accessible to more than half the population; multiple subscription TV services provide a mix of local and international channels; well-developed mix of public and private radio stations at the national, regional, and local levels; the SABC radio network, state-owned and controlled but nominally independent, operates 18 stations, one for each of the 11 official languages, 4 community stations, and 3 commercial stations; more than 100 community-based stations extend coverage to rural areas (2007)

.th

.za

total: 32,398,778

percent of population: 47.5% (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 22

total: 29,322,380

percent of population: 54.0% (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 26

number of registered air carriers: 19

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 276

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 54,259,629

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 2,134,149,001 mt-km (2015)

number of registered air carriers: 23

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 216

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 17,188,887

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 885,277,991 mt-km (2015)

HS (2016)

ZS (2016)

101 (2013)

country comparison to the world: 56

566 (2013)

country comparison to the world: 11

total: 63

over 3,047 m: 8

2,438 to 3,047 m: 12

1,524 to 2,437 m: 23

914 to 1,523 m: 14

under 914 m: 6 (2013)

total: 144

over 3,047 m: 11

2,438 to 3,047 m: 7

1,524 to 2,437 m: 52

914 to 1,523 m: 65

under 914 m: 9 (2013)

total: 38

2,438 to 3,047 m: 1

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

914 to 1,523 m: 10

under 914 m: 26 (2013)

total: 422

2,438 to 3,047 m: 1

1,524 to 2,437 m: 31

914 to 1,523 m: 258

under 914 m: 132 (2013)

7 (2013)

1 (2013)

condensate 2 km; gas 5,900 km; liquid petroleum gas 85 km; oil 1 km; refined products 1,097 km (2013)

condensate 94 km; gas 1,293 km; oil 992 km; refined products 1,460 km (2013)

total: 4,127 km

standard gauge: 84 km 1.435-m gauge (84 km electrified)

narrow gauge: 4,043 km 1.000-m gauge (2017)

country comparison to the world: 45

total: 20,986 km

standard gauge: 80 km 1.435-m gauge (80 km electrified)

narrow gauge: 19,756 km 1.065-m gauge (8,271 km electrified)

other: 1,150 km (passenger rail, gauge unspecified, 1,115.5 km electrified) (2014)

country comparison to the world: 13

total: 180,053 km (includes 450 km of expressways) (2006)

country comparison to the world: 30

total: 747,014 km

paved: 158,952 km

unpaved: 588,062 km (2014)

country comparison to the world: 10

4,000 km (3,701 km navigable by boats with drafts up to 0.9 m) (2011)

country comparison to the world: 26

total: 781

by type: bulk carrier 25, container ship 23, general cargo 94, oil tanker 240, other 399 (2017)

country comparison to the world: 27

total: 82

by type: bulk carrier 2, general cargo 1, oil tanker 5, other 74 (2017)

country comparison to the world: 96

major seaport(s): Bangkok, Laem Chabang, Map Ta Phut, Prachuap Port, Si Racha

container port(s) (TEUs): Bangkok (1,559,000), Laem Chabang (6,780,000) (2015)

LNG terminal(s) (import): Map Ta Phut

major seaport(s): Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay, Saldanha Bay

container port(s) (TEUs): Durban (2,770,000) (2015)

LNG terminal(s) (import): Mossel Bay

1.5% of GDP (2017)

1.45% of GDP (2016)

1.44% of GDP (2015)

1.41% of GDP (2014)

1.4% of GDP (2013)

country comparison to the world: 73

1.07% of GDP (2016)

1.09% of GDP (2015)

1.11% of GDP (2014)

1.12% of GDP (2013)

1.13% of GDP (2012)

country comparison to the world: 109

Royal Thai Armed Forces (Kongthap Thai, RTARF): Royal Thai Army (Kongthap Bok Thai, RTA), Royal Thai Navy (Kongthap Ruea Thai, RTN, includes Royal Thai Marine Corps), Royal Thai Air Force (Kongthap Agard Thai, RTAF) (2017)

South African National Defense Force (SANDF): South African Army, South African Navy (SAN), South African Air Force (SAAF), South African Military Health Services (2013)

21 years of age for compulsory military service; 18 years of age for voluntary military service; males register at 18 years of age; 2-year conscript service obligation (2012)

18 years of age for voluntary military service; women are eligible to serve in noncombat roles; 2-year service obligation (2012)

separatist violence in Thailand's predominantly Malay-Muslim southern provinces prompt border closures and controls with Malaysia to stem insurgent activities; Southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check the spread of avian flu; talks continue on completion of demarcation with Laos but disputes remain over several islands in the Mekong River; despite continuing border committee talks, Thailand must deal with Karen and other ethnic rebels, refugees, and illegal cross-border activities; Cambodia and Thailand dispute sections of boundary; in 2011, Thailand and Cambodia resorted to arms in the dispute over the location of the boundary on the precipice surmounted by Preah Vihear temple ruins, awarded to Cambodia by ICJ decision in 1962 and part of a planned UN World Heritage site; Thailand is studying the feasibility of jointly constructing the Hatgyi Dam on the Salween river near the border with Burma; in 2004, international environmentalist pressure prompted China to halt construction of 13 dams on the Salween River that flows through China, Burma, and Thailand; approximately 105,000 mostly Karen refugees fleeing civil strife, political upheaval and economic stagnation in Burma live in remote camps in Thailand near the border

South Africa has placed military units to assist police operations along the border of Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique to control smuggling, poaching, and illegal migration; the governments of South Africa and Namibia have not signed or ratified the text of the 1994 Surveyor's General agreement placing the boundary in the middle of the Orange River

refugees (country of origin): 102,633 (Burma) (2016)

IDPs: 41,000 (resurgence in ethno-nationalist violence in south of country since 2004) (2017)

stateless persons: 487,741 (2016); note - about half of Thailand's northern hill tribe people do not have citizenship and make up the bulk of Thailand's stateless population; most lack documentation showing they or one of their parents were born in Thailand; children born to Burmese refugees are not eligible for Burmese or Thai citizenship and are stateless; most Chao Lay, maritime nomadic peoples, who travel from island to island in the Andaman Sea west of Thailand are also stateless; stateless Rohingya refugees from Burma are considered illegal migrants by Thai authorities and are detained in inhumane conditions or expelled; stateless persons are denied access to voting, property, education, employment, healthcare, and driving

note: Thai nationality was granted to more than 18,000 stateless persons in the last 3 years (2015)

refugees (country of origin): 28,695 (Somalia); 17,776 (Ethiopia); 5,394 (Republic of the Congo) (2016); 66,528 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2018)

current situation: Thailand is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; victims from Burma, Cambodia, Laos, China, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, and India, migrate to Thailand in search of jobs but are forced, coerced, or defrauded into labor in commercial fishing, fishing-related industries, factories, domestic work, street begging, or the sex trade; some Thai, Burmese, Cambodian, and Indonesian men forced to work on fishing boats are kept at sea for years; sex trafficking of adults and children from Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Burma remains a significant problem; Thailand is a transit country for victims from China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Burma subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor in Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Russia, South Korea, the US, and countries in Western Europe; Thai victims are also trafficked in North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East

tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Thailand does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, and is not making significant efforts to do so; in 2014, authorities investigated, prosecuted, and convicted fewer traffickers and identified fewer victims; some cases of official complicity were investigated and prosecuted, but trafficking-related corruption continues to hinder progress in combatting trafficking; authorities’ efforts to screen for victims among vulnerable populations remained inadequate due to a poor understanding of trafficking indicators, a failure to recognize non-physical forms of coercion, and a shortage of language interpreters; the government passed new labor laws increasing the minimum age in the fishing industry to 18 years old, guaranteeing the minimum wage, and requiring work contracts, but weak law enforcement and poor coordination among regulatory agencies enabled exploitive labor practices to continue; the government increased efforts to raise public awareness to the dangers of human trafficking and to deny entry to foreign sex tourists (2015)

a minor producer of opium, heroin, and marijuana; transit point for illicit heroin en route to the international drug market from Burma and Laos; eradication efforts have reduced the area of cannabis cultivation and shifted some production to neighboring countries; opium poppy cultivation has been reduced by eradication efforts; also a drug money-laundering center; minor role in methamphetamine production for regional consumption; major consumer of methamphetamine since the 1990s despite a series of government crackdowns

transshipment center for heroin, hashish, and cocaine, as well as a major cultivator of marijuana in its own right; cocaine and heroin consumption on the rise; world's largest market for illicit methaqualone, usually imported illegally from India through various east African countries, but increasingly producing its own synthetic drugs for domestic consumption; attractive venue for money launderers given the increasing level of organized criminal and narcotics activity in the region and the size of the South African economy