Thailand at a Glance

An overview of Thailand's economy - manufacturing, tourism and agriculture - and its growth from a rice-exporting nation to an upper-middle-income country.

Thailand has about 70 million people.

Economy

Manufacturing: cars, electronics, hard disk drives and food processing.
Tourism: tens of millions of visitors a year.
Agriculture: rice, rubber, sugar and cassava; employs a large share of workers.

Growth

Thailand grew very fast from the 1960s to 1996, one of the fastest in the world at times.
It became upper-middle-income in 2011.

Bangkok

Bangkok dominates the economy, with much of the country’s output and wealth.

Politics

Thailand has experienced frequent coups and political turmoil, affecting investment and policy.

Recent growth

Growth has been slow, around 2 to 3 percent, since the 2010s.

Comparison

Thailand is richer than India per person but faces an ageing population and slowing growth.

The rubber farmer

A farmer in southern Thailand taps rubber trees before dawn, supplying latex to factories making tyres and gloves.

Thinking Thailand's economy is mainly tourism

Manufacturing and agriculture are also major.

Key takeaways

Thailand has about 70 million people.
Manufacturing, tourism and farming are key.
It became upper-middle-income in 2011.
Growth has slowed since the 2010s.