rong export growth pushed GDP growth up to
6.9% in 2003 and 6.1% in 2004 despite a sluggish global economy. The
highly popular government's expansionist policy, including major
support of village economic development, has raised concerns about
fiscal discipline and the health of financial institutions. Bangkok
has pursued preferential trade agreements with a variety of partners
in an effort to boost exports and maintain high growth, and in 2004
began negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement with the US. In late
December 2004, a major tsunami took 8,500 lives in Thailand and
caused massive destruction of property in the southern provinces of
Krabi, Phangnga, and Phuket.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$524.8 billion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
6.1% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $8,100 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 9%
industry: 44.3%
services: 46.7% (2004 est.)

Labor force:
36.43 million (November 2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 49%, industry 14%, services 37% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate:
1.5% (November 2004 est.)

Population below poverty line:
10% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.8%
highest 10%: 32.4% (1998)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
51.1 (2002)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.8% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
22.5% of GDP (Jan - Sep 2004 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $30.86 billion
expenditures: $31.94 billion, including capital expenditures of $5
billion (2004 est.)

Public debt:
47.6% of GDP (November 2004 est.)

Agriculture - products:
rice, cassava (tapioca), rubber, corn, sugarcane, coconuts, soybeans

Industries:
tourism, textiles and garments, agricultural processing, beverages,
tobacco, cement, light manufacturing such as jewelry, electric
appliances and components, computers and parts, integrated circuits,
furniture, plastics, world's second-largest tungsten producer, and
third-largest tin producer

Industrial production growth rate:
8.5% (2004 est.)

Electricity - production:
118.9 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 91.3%
hydro: 6.4%
nuclear: 0%
other: 2.4% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
106.1 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
188 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports: