Bangkok Calling: Door Widens For FDI In Thailand
Located at the center of the ASEAN region, with direct links to China, Thailand is piquing investors’ interest.
Thailand GDP and Economic Data
Includes Thailand real Gross Domestic Product growth rate, with latest forecasts and historical data, GDP per capita, GDP composition and breakdown by sector.
Browse additional economic indicators and data sets, selected by Global Finance editors, to learn more about Thailand economic outlook, debt to GDP ratio, international trade performance and population trends. Rankings of Thailand best banks and safest banks are also available.
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International Reserves
USD 205.6 billion (2018)
International Monetary Fund (IMF), data retrieved October 2019
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
Intl$ 1,320.4 billion (2018, estimate)
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Real GDP growth
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
| 5.4% | 1.7% | -0.7% | 7.5% | 0.8% | 7.2% | 2.7% |
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017* | 2018* | ||
| 1% | 3.1% | 3.4% | 4% | 4.1% |
*Estimate
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GDP (PPP) - share of world total
| 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2019* |
| 0.57% | 0.88% | 0.91% | 0.95% | 0.98% |
*Estimate
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GDP - composition by sector
- agriculture: 8.1%
- industry: 35%
- services: 56.9%
(2016 estimate)
Inflation
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018* | 2019* |
| -0.9% | 0.2% | 0.7% | 1.1% | 0.9% |
*Estimate
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Unemployment rate
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018* | 2019* |
| 0.9% | 1% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.2% |
*Estimate
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Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018* | 2019* |
| 42.6% | 41.8% | 41.9% | 42.1% | 42.4% |
*Estimate
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Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018* | 2019* |
| 0.1% | 0.6% | -0.9% | -0.3% | -0.2% |
*Estimate
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Government bond ratings
Standard & Poor's: BBB+
Moody's: Baa1
Standard & Poor's / Moody's
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Market value of publicly traded shares
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
| USD 433.0 billion | USD 548.8 billion | USD 500.7 billion |
Largest companies
Charoen Pokphand Foods, Thanachart Capital, Thai Oil, PTT PCL, Siam Commercial Bank, Siam Cement, Kasikornbank, Bangkok Bank, PTT Global Chemical, CP All, Krung Thai Bank, Thai Beverage, Indorama Ventures, Airports of Thailand, Advanced Info Service
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Current account balance by percentage of GDP
6.4 % (2018 estimate)
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Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services)
66.8% (2018)
Shares in world total merchandising export
1.29% (2018)
Shares in world total commercial services export
1.45% (2018)
Export commodities
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
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Import commodities
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
Exports - major partners
China 12.4%, US 11.2%, Japan 9.5%, Hong Kong 5.2%, Vietnam 4.9%, Australia 4.5%, Malaysia 4.4% (2017)
Imports - major partners
China 20%, Japan 14.5%, US 6.8%, Malaysia 5.4% (2017)
FDI inflows
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
| USD 1,815 million | USD 6,478 million | USD 10,493 million |
FDI outflows
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
| USD 12,367 million | USD 17,064 million | USD 17,714 million |
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
| USD 1,214 million | USD 4,483 million | USD 2,692 million | USD 3,623 million |
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014
N/A
(for a monthly update on M&A; click here )
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015
N/A
(for a monthly update on M&A; click here )
Best countries for doing business
Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.
Overall ranking:
21 out of 190 countries
Subcategories:
Starting a Business: 47 out of 190 countries
Dealing with Construction Permits: 34 out of 190 countries
Getting Electricity: 6 out of 190 countries
Registering Property: 67 out of 190 countries
Getting Credit: 48 out of 190 countries
Protecting Minority Investors: 3 out of 190 countries
Paying Taxes: 68 out of 190 countries
Trading across Borders: 62 out of 190 countries
Enforcing Contracts: 37 out of 190 countries
Resolving Insolvency: 24 out of 190 countries
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Global competitiveness ranking
40 out of 141 countries
(2019)
Index of Economic Freedom
Ranking: 43 / Score: 68.3 (Moderately free)
(100=totally free 0=totally repressed)
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Languages
Thai (official) only 90.7%, Thai and other languages 6.4%, only other languages (includes Malay, Burmese) (2010 est.)
Religions
Buddhist 94.6%, Muslim 4.3%, Christian 1%, other (2015 est.)
Total population
| 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2015 | 2020* |
| 56.3 million | 62.24 million | 65.92 million | 67.24 million | 68.02 million |
*Estimate
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Urban population as % of total population
| 1960 | 1980 | 2000 | 2018 |
| 19.7% | 26.8% | 31.4% | 49.9% |
Literacy
Total population: 92.9%
Male: 94.7%
Female: 91.2%
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)
% of population living on less than $3.10 a day
0.5% (last available estimate, 2017)
Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)
36.5 (last available estimate, 2017)
(0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality)
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Freedom House rating
Not Free
Political Rights: 7
Civil Liberties: 5 (2019)
(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)
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Total telephone subscribers as % of population
Fixed: 4.2%
Mobile: 180.2%
(2018)
(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)