Thailand

Thailand (  or  ; , ), officially the Kingdom of Thailand (, ; ), is a country in Southeast Asia.  Its neighbours are Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Myanmar. Its name was Siam until June 1939 and between 1945 and May 11 1949. The word Thai (ไทย) comes from the ethnic group in the center of Thailand. 

Thailand is a constitutional monarchy. It has a King as a head of state, who is Vajiralongkorn at the moment.

Most people here (95%) follow the philosophy called Buddhism. Smaller number of people (4.4%), mostly to the south, follow Islam. Other religions in Thailand are Christianity, Hinduism, and Sikhism. Some Muslims in the south have begun fighting the government because they want to be more independent.

Population: the total fertility rate was 1.3 (in 2019).

History
A Buddhist kingdom named Sukhothai was founded here in 1238.  

A century later, a bigger kingdom named Ayuthaya appeared south of Sukhothai. Later Sukhothai became a part of Ayuthaya. Ayuthaya existed for more than 400 years before its fall by the attack of a Burmese kingdom.

A soldier of Chinese origin then founded a new capital city at Thonburi, and became King Tāksin. 

The current era, Rattanakosin, started on founding Bangkok as the capital city by King Rama I of Chakri Dynasty.

Before 1932, Thailand was an absolute monarchy. On June 24, 1932, a group of people did a coup and changed Thailand to a constitutional monarchy. It was not until 1973 that Thai people voted for a Prime Minister in an election. There were coups both before and after this year.

In 1951, there was a failed coup - the Manhattan Rebellion. On September 19, 2006, the army did a coup d'état and took control from Thaksin Shinawatra's government.

In May 2014, a new military coup d'état removed another government.

In October 2016,  Rama X become the new king.

Between 1932 and 2014, Thailand had 12 coup d'etats.

Provinces
Thailand is made up of 76 provinces (จังหวัด, changwat), put into 5 groups. There are 2 specially governed districts: the capital Bangkok and Pattaya. The 76 provinces including Bangkok are as follows:

Central 
 Ang Thong
 Bangkok (Krung Thep Maha Nakhon), Special Governed District of
 Chai Nat
 Kanchanaburi
 Lopburi
 Nakhon Nayok
 Nakhon Pathom
 Nonthaburi
 Pathum Thani
 Phetchaburi
 Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya
 Prachuap Khiri Khan
 Ratchaburi
 Samut Prakan
 Samut Sakhon
 Samut Songkhram
 Saraburi
 Sing Buri
 Suphan Buri

East 
 Chachoengsao
 Chanthaburi
 Chonburi
 Prachinburi
 Rayong
 Sa Kaeo
 Trat

North 
 Chiang Mai
 Chiang Rai
 Kamphaeng Phet
 Lampang
 Lamphun
 Mae Hong Son
 Nakhon Sawan
 Nan
 Phayao
 Phetchabun
 Phichit
 Phitsanulok
 Phrae
 Sukhothai
 Tak
 Uthai Thani
 Uttaradit

Northeast (Isan) 

 Amnat Charoen
 Bueng Kan
 Buri Ram
 Chaiyaphum
 Kalasin
 Khon Kaen
 Loei
 Maha Sarakham
 Mukdahan
 Nakhon Phanom
 Nakhon Ratchasima
 Nong Bua Lamphu
 Nong Khai
 Roi Et
 Sakon Nakhon
 Si Sa Ket
 Surin
 Ubon Ratchathani 
 Udon Thani
 Yasothon

South 
 Chumphon
 Krabi
 Nakhon Si Thammarat
 Narathiwat
 Pattani
 Phang Nga
 Phatthalung
 Phuket
 Ranong
 Satun
 Songkhla
 Surat Thani
 Trang
 Yala

NOTE: In italics [1], that province is about the Greater Bangkok sub-region; in italics [2], that province is about the West sub-region.

References

Footnotes

Further reading 
 The United States CIA website

Other websites 

 Thaigov.go.th Royal Government of Thailand
 Tourism Authority of Thailand Official tourism website
 Thai National Assembly  Official Thai Parliament website
 Mfa.go.th Thailand Ministry of Foreign Affairs
 Birdwatching in Thailand
 Learn Thai Culture.com
 CIA - The World Factbook - Thailand 
 Thailand Country Fact Sheet from the Common Language Project
 Longdo Map Thailand On-line Thailand map
 Holidays Thailand  Holidays In Thailand
 

 
Current monarchies
1932 establishments in Asia