“Facts are facts and will not disappear on account of your likes.”
Jawaharlal Nehru
• 10% of the Thai population is 60 years or older and by 2027 this figure is expected to increase to 20% of the population.
(Thailand Development Research Institute)
• Bangkok produces 2,000 tons of garbage each day.
(Bangkok Post, September 29 2008)
• A total of 244 fake passports were detected at Suvarnabhumi airport in 2007. Fake Malaysian passports were the highest proportion at 58.
(Suvarnabhumi Immigration Office)
• Surin province is Thailand’s largest producer of Hom Mali (Jasmin) rice.
• There are 630,000 thalassaemia sufferers in Thailand.
(The Nation, September 11 2008)
• Bangkok has had a total of 14 governors over the past 14 years of which only 6 were appointed through elections.
(Bangkok Post, September 15 2008)
• Thailand is the world’s second largest producer of rubber gloves (Malaysia is first) and produces 60 billion pieces per year.
• Around 7,000 to 8,000 new cases of pregnant women infected with HIV/Aids are reported in Thailand each year.
(Bangkok Post, September 22 2008)
• Bangkok is ranked as the 109th best city in the world in terms of quality of living below Kuala Lumpur (75) and above Jakarta (189). Zurich is ranked as the world’s best city.
(Mercer’s 2008 Quality of Living Survey)
• Thailand imported 111.15 tonnes of gold in 2007 worth $1.63 billion. In the first eight months of 2008 Thailand imported 125.29 tonnes of gold worth $3.21 billion.
(Customs Department)
• About 50,000 Thai workers in South Korea are employed legally in factories, construction, agriculture and the fisheries sectors and an estimated 15,000 are working illegally.
(TNA September 25 2008)
• Thailand is the world’s 80th least corrupt country in equal place with Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Brazil and Burkina Faso. Denmark, Sweden and New Zealand share first place and Somalia the last.
(Transparency International Survey)
• Bangkok has 1,700 slums.
(Bangkok Post, September 29 2008)
• Bangkok is rated Thailand’s worst city for human security with Chiang Mai the safest.
(Human Security and Social Development Ministry)
• Japan is now Thailand’s largest export market.
• A total of 25 people have been infected with bird flu in Thailand resulting in 17 deaths since the first outbreak in 2004.
(Bangkok Post, October 1 2008)
• Each Japanese tourist in Thailand spends approximately 4,706 baht per day compared with 4,700 baht for each Indian visitor and 4,651 baht for each Korean visitor.
(Bangkok Post, October 1 2008)
• 78% of computer software used in Thailand is illegal and Thailand ranks 32nd in the world in terms of use of pirated software. Montenegro is the world’s top software pirate.
(Business Software Alliance)
• Apirak Kosayodhin is only the second governor to win a second consecutive term as governor of Bangkok.
• Mobile phone penetration in Thailand has reached 60 million people (92% of the population.
(Bangkok Post, October 6 2008)
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Thailand facts #29 (385 facts & statistics to date)
“Pracitical observation commonly consists of collecting a few facts and loading them with guesses”.
Unknown.
• Twenty of every 100,000 women in Thailand are suffering from breast cancer in the second, third and fourth stages, respectively.
(Dr Yaowanuch Kongdan of Ramathibodi Hospital's Department of Surgery)
• There are approximately 24,000 internet café’s in Thailand.
(Bangkok Post, August 6 2008)
• CPF (Charoen Pokphand Foods) controls approximately 40% of Thailand’s nine million tonne feed industry, one-third of an estimated 520,000 tonnes of shrimp production and 30% of chicken production.
(Bangkok Post, August 4 2008)
• The number of people across Thailand classified as poor declined on a year-on-year basis from 6.1 million in 2006 to 5.4 million in 2007. The poverty line was 1,443 baht per head per month during 2007 up from 1,386 baht in the 2006.
(National Economic and Social Development Board)
• The income gap in Thailand between the top 20% of the richest people and the poorest 20% of poor people decreased from 9.9 times in 2006 to 8.6 times in 2007.
(National Economic and Social Development Board)
• The divorce rate in Thailand has increased to 4.35 cases per 1,000 families in 2007, compared with 4.27 cases per 1,000 families in 2006.
(National Economic and Social Development Board)
• Youth crime rate increased to 5.39 cases per 1,000 people, from 5.05 cases for every 1000 people in 2006 and 3.76 cases per 1,000 people in 2002.
(National Economic and Social Development Board)
• The number of elderly people living alone in Thailand increased to 7.4 % of the total elderly population in 2007, up from 7.2% in 2006 and just 6.6% in 2002.
(National Economic and Social Development Board)
• Thailand consumes approximately three million cases of imported whiskey per year worth around 10 billion baht.
(Bangkok Post, August 4 2008)
• Thailand has won eighteen medals (including six gold medals) since it began participating in the Olympic games in 1952.
• Approximately 91,000 new cases of Tuberculosis are reported each year in Thailand and there are currently around 3,000 sufferers with multi-drug resistant varieties.
(Bangkok Post, August 11 2008)
• Compulsory insurance in Thailand costs about 752 baht per year for a passenger car, 1,074 for a pick-up truck and 1,289 for a van. Maximum coverage is 50,000 baht for personal injury caused to a third party and 100,000 baht in case of death. If injured by the driver’s own carelessness, the payout is 15,000 baht for personal injury and 35,000 baht for loss of life.
(Insurance Department)
• 1.4 million health tourists came to Thailand in 2007 with 300,000 coming from Asia, 257,468 from Europe, 152,360 from Middle East and the rest from other countries.
(Bangkok Post, August 18 2008)
• Thailand’s state railway began operation 111 years ago. It covers 4,129 km of rail network, employs 18,000 people and carries 54 million passengers and 14 million tonnes of cargo each year.
(State Enterprises Policy Office)
• In the first six months of 2008 Suvarnabhumi airport handled 21.21 million passengers compared to 18.7 million at Changi Airport (Singpore) and 13.4 million at KLIA (Kuala Lumpur). Suvarnabhumi’s capacity is 45 million passengers and it is expected to reach 44 million this year.
(Bangkok Post, August 11 2008)
• 453,891 visitors from the Middle East came to Thailand in 2007, an increase of 20% from 2006. Average length of stay was 9.48 days with a per capita spend of 4,276.14 baht per day.
(Tourism Authority of Thailand)
• Thailand’s food export volume is expected to grow by 20% in 2008 to reach a record 750 million baht.
(National Food Institute, Federation of Thai Industries and Board of Trade)
• In 2007 8,172 women aged over 18 and 9,579 girls in Thailand suffered abuse last year.
(Health Ministry)
• Thailand produces 730,000 barrels of oil per day.
(Department of Mineral Fuels)
• Heineken has a 93% share of Thailand’s 6.36 billion baht premier beer market.
(Bangkok Post, August 18 2008)
• 77,293 Indonesian tourists came to Thailand in the first six months of 2008.
(Tourism Authority of Thailand)
Unknown.
• Twenty of every 100,000 women in Thailand are suffering from breast cancer in the second, third and fourth stages, respectively.
(Dr Yaowanuch Kongdan of Ramathibodi Hospital's Department of Surgery)
• There are approximately 24,000 internet café’s in Thailand.
(Bangkok Post, August 6 2008)
• CPF (Charoen Pokphand Foods) controls approximately 40% of Thailand’s nine million tonne feed industry, one-third of an estimated 520,000 tonnes of shrimp production and 30% of chicken production.
(Bangkok Post, August 4 2008)
• The number of people across Thailand classified as poor declined on a year-on-year basis from 6.1 million in 2006 to 5.4 million in 2007. The poverty line was 1,443 baht per head per month during 2007 up from 1,386 baht in the 2006.
(National Economic and Social Development Board)
• The income gap in Thailand between the top 20% of the richest people and the poorest 20% of poor people decreased from 9.9 times in 2006 to 8.6 times in 2007.
(National Economic and Social Development Board)
• The divorce rate in Thailand has increased to 4.35 cases per 1,000 families in 2007, compared with 4.27 cases per 1,000 families in 2006.
(National Economic and Social Development Board)
• Youth crime rate increased to 5.39 cases per 1,000 people, from 5.05 cases for every 1000 people in 2006 and 3.76 cases per 1,000 people in 2002.
(National Economic and Social Development Board)
• The number of elderly people living alone in Thailand increased to 7.4 % of the total elderly population in 2007, up from 7.2% in 2006 and just 6.6% in 2002.
(National Economic and Social Development Board)
• Thailand consumes approximately three million cases of imported whiskey per year worth around 10 billion baht.
(Bangkok Post, August 4 2008)
• Thailand has won eighteen medals (including six gold medals) since it began participating in the Olympic games in 1952.
• Approximately 91,000 new cases of Tuberculosis are reported each year in Thailand and there are currently around 3,000 sufferers with multi-drug resistant varieties.
(Bangkok Post, August 11 2008)
• Compulsory insurance in Thailand costs about 752 baht per year for a passenger car, 1,074 for a pick-up truck and 1,289 for a van. Maximum coverage is 50,000 baht for personal injury caused to a third party and 100,000 baht in case of death. If injured by the driver’s own carelessness, the payout is 15,000 baht for personal injury and 35,000 baht for loss of life.
(Insurance Department)
• 1.4 million health tourists came to Thailand in 2007 with 300,000 coming from Asia, 257,468 from Europe, 152,360 from Middle East and the rest from other countries.
(Bangkok Post, August 18 2008)
• Thailand’s state railway began operation 111 years ago. It covers 4,129 km of rail network, employs 18,000 people and carries 54 million passengers and 14 million tonnes of cargo each year.
(State Enterprises Policy Office)
• In the first six months of 2008 Suvarnabhumi airport handled 21.21 million passengers compared to 18.7 million at Changi Airport (Singpore) and 13.4 million at KLIA (Kuala Lumpur). Suvarnabhumi’s capacity is 45 million passengers and it is expected to reach 44 million this year.
(Bangkok Post, August 11 2008)
• 453,891 visitors from the Middle East came to Thailand in 2007, an increase of 20% from 2006. Average length of stay was 9.48 days with a per capita spend of 4,276.14 baht per day.
(Tourism Authority of Thailand)
• Thailand’s food export volume is expected to grow by 20% in 2008 to reach a record 750 million baht.
(National Food Institute, Federation of Thai Industries and Board of Trade)
• In 2007 8,172 women aged over 18 and 9,579 girls in Thailand suffered abuse last year.
(Health Ministry)
• Thailand produces 730,000 barrels of oil per day.
(Department of Mineral Fuels)
• Heineken has a 93% share of Thailand’s 6.36 billion baht premier beer market.
(Bangkok Post, August 18 2008)
• 77,293 Indonesian tourists came to Thailand in the first six months of 2008.
(Tourism Authority of Thailand)
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Thailand Facts #28 (365 facts & statistics to date)
“In the spider-web of facts, many a truth is strangled.”
Paul Eldridge
• Thailand’s maize production for 2008 is estimated to be 3.77 million tonnes, a 7.10% increase from 2007.
(Office of Agricultural Economics)
• Bangkok currently has 7.5 million square metres of office space.
(CB Richard Ellis)
• Thailand is the world’s third largest producer of tapioca.
• 2.2 million tonnes of plastic ends up in landfills each year in Thailand.
(National Innovation Agency)
• Bangkok has dropped 10 spots to 105th place in the 2008 Mercer worldwide cost of living survey.
• US-Thai bi-relations began in 1883 with the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce. It was during the reign of King Rama 3 and when Andrew Jackson was the U.S president.
• Some 11 million people in Thailand are over 60 years of age.
(Pramote Prasatkul of Mahidol University)
• 800,000 babies are born each year in Thailand.
(Pramote Prasatkul of Mahidol University)
• The number of broadband users is expected to grow to 1.3 million in 2008 and 5 to 10 million in 2009.
(Bangkok Post, July 28 2008)
• 15% of all Honda products made worldwide are made in Thailand.
(Asia Honda Motoring Company)
• Thailand’s biggest ever year for rice exports was the year 2004 when a total of 10.13 million tonnes of rice shipped.
(Thai Rice Exporters Association)
• Thailand is the world’s 14th largest importer of Swiss watches.
(Bangkok Post, July 30 2008)
• The Theravada tradition of Buddhism came to Thailand from Sri Lanka and is shared by peoples in Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and parts of southern China and southern Vietnam.
(Encyclopedia Britanica)
• 93,000 vehicles in Thailand are now running on natural gas (NGV) and this figure is increasing by 400 daily.
(Bangkok Post, July 30 2008)
• In 2007 there were 523 foreign film productions (films, TV series, commercials, music videos, documentaries etc) shot in Thailand.
(Bangkok Post, July 30 2008)
• 48 people have died from dengue fever and 41,307 people have been infected in Thailand in the first 7 months of 2008.
(Health Ministry)
• Thailand slipped from 4th to 7th place in the 2008 Lonely Planet Travellers’ Pulse survey for countries most likely to visit next.
• Thailand has an estimated 11 million smokers and each year approximately 50,000 Thais die of tobacco related diseases.
(Bangkok Post, August 4 2008)
• During the period January 1st to July 20th 2008 a total of 143 travellers wanted on arrest warrants were caught at Suvarnabhumi airport. During the same period 101 travellers were arrested for using fake travel documents.
(Immigration Bureau Suvarnabhumi)
• Roughly one-third of Thailand’s total population is classified as urban.
(Encyclopedia Britanica)
Paul Eldridge
• Thailand’s maize production for 2008 is estimated to be 3.77 million tonnes, a 7.10% increase from 2007.
(Office of Agricultural Economics)
• Bangkok currently has 7.5 million square metres of office space.
(CB Richard Ellis)
• Thailand is the world’s third largest producer of tapioca.
• 2.2 million tonnes of plastic ends up in landfills each year in Thailand.
(National Innovation Agency)
• Bangkok has dropped 10 spots to 105th place in the 2008 Mercer worldwide cost of living survey.
• US-Thai bi-relations began in 1883 with the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce. It was during the reign of King Rama 3 and when Andrew Jackson was the U.S president.
• Some 11 million people in Thailand are over 60 years of age.
(Pramote Prasatkul of Mahidol University)
• 800,000 babies are born each year in Thailand.
(Pramote Prasatkul of Mahidol University)
• The number of broadband users is expected to grow to 1.3 million in 2008 and 5 to 10 million in 2009.
(Bangkok Post, July 28 2008)
• 15% of all Honda products made worldwide are made in Thailand.
(Asia Honda Motoring Company)
• Thailand’s biggest ever year for rice exports was the year 2004 when a total of 10.13 million tonnes of rice shipped.
(Thai Rice Exporters Association)
• Thailand is the world’s 14th largest importer of Swiss watches.
(Bangkok Post, July 30 2008)
• The Theravada tradition of Buddhism came to Thailand from Sri Lanka and is shared by peoples in Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and parts of southern China and southern Vietnam.
(Encyclopedia Britanica)
• 93,000 vehicles in Thailand are now running on natural gas (NGV) and this figure is increasing by 400 daily.
(Bangkok Post, July 30 2008)
• In 2007 there were 523 foreign film productions (films, TV series, commercials, music videos, documentaries etc) shot in Thailand.
(Bangkok Post, July 30 2008)
• 48 people have died from dengue fever and 41,307 people have been infected in Thailand in the first 7 months of 2008.
(Health Ministry)
• Thailand slipped from 4th to 7th place in the 2008 Lonely Planet Travellers’ Pulse survey for countries most likely to visit next.
• Thailand has an estimated 11 million smokers and each year approximately 50,000 Thais die of tobacco related diseases.
(Bangkok Post, August 4 2008)
• During the period January 1st to July 20th 2008 a total of 143 travellers wanted on arrest warrants were caught at Suvarnabhumi airport. During the same period 101 travellers were arrested for using fake travel documents.
(Immigration Bureau Suvarnabhumi)
• Roughly one-third of Thailand’s total population is classified as urban.
(Encyclopedia Britanica)
Friday, July 18, 2008
Thailand Facts #27 (345 facts & statistics to date)
"We must have strong minds, ready to accept facts as they are."
Harry S. Truman
• Approximately 1.9 million people in Thailand are living with disabilities.
(National Satistics Bureau)
• In Thailand at least 35 people are disabled and 350 injured in road accidents averaging 300 cases per day.
(Health Systems Research Institute)
• There are approximately 1,500 advertising billboards in Bangkok.
(Bangkok Post, June 23 2008)
• Thailand ranks 15th in the world for car manufacturing capacity and produces more than a million units per year.
(Bangkok Post, June 23 2008)
• From January through to April 2008 about 190,000 Swedish travellers departed from Stockholm's Arlanda Airport for Thai destinations.
(Tourism Authority of Thailand)
• In 2007, Thailand welcomed 378,387 Swedish visitors. This represents an increase of 23.62 per cent over the previous year.
(Tourism Authority of Thailand)
• Thailand received 1.24 million Japanese tourists last year.
(Bangkok Post, June 25 2008)
• Thailand is the world’s 15th largest food provider and the 2nd largest provider in Asia after China.
(Bangkok Post, June 25 2008)
• Thailand’s first 7-eleven opened in 1989 in Bangkok’s Patpong district.
• In 2007, Thailand received 14.46 million foreign visitors.
(Tourism Authority of Thailand)
• Thailand has 30 prisons housing approximately 170,000 prisoners of which 90,000 are serving time for drug offences.
(Bangkok Post, July 2 2008)
• Gambling transactions in Thailand during the Euro 2008 football championship has been estimated at over 500 million baht.
(Bangkok Post, July 2 2008)
• PTT is the only Thai company to be listed in the Fortune Global 500 largest companies.
• Thailand’s population growth rate estimate for 2008 is 0.64%
(National Statistics Office)
• 66.8% of Thailand’s electricity generation in 2007 was powered by natural gas.
(EPPO)
• As of March, 2008 there are a total of 621,437 registered alien workers in Thailand. There are also estimated to be approximately 700,000 illegal aliens within the country.
(Labour Ministry)
• Dutch companies were the second largest foreign investors in Thailand in 2007 after Japan.
(Bangkok Post, July 9 2008)
• The 40 richest people in Thailand are worth USD $25 billion.
(Forbes Magazine)
• A total of 128 teachers, students and education staff have been killed and 213 others wounded in the deep South since the start of the separatist violence there in 2004
(Regional Education Inspector-General's Office).
• Thailand detected its first AIDS case in 1984.
Harry S. Truman
• Approximately 1.9 million people in Thailand are living with disabilities.
(National Satistics Bureau)
• In Thailand at least 35 people are disabled and 350 injured in road accidents averaging 300 cases per day.
(Health Systems Research Institute)
• There are approximately 1,500 advertising billboards in Bangkok.
(Bangkok Post, June 23 2008)
• Thailand ranks 15th in the world for car manufacturing capacity and produces more than a million units per year.
(Bangkok Post, June 23 2008)
• From January through to April 2008 about 190,000 Swedish travellers departed from Stockholm's Arlanda Airport for Thai destinations.
(Tourism Authority of Thailand)
• In 2007, Thailand welcomed 378,387 Swedish visitors. This represents an increase of 23.62 per cent over the previous year.
(Tourism Authority of Thailand)
• Thailand received 1.24 million Japanese tourists last year.
(Bangkok Post, June 25 2008)
• Thailand is the world’s 15th largest food provider and the 2nd largest provider in Asia after China.
(Bangkok Post, June 25 2008)
• Thailand’s first 7-eleven opened in 1989 in Bangkok’s Patpong district.
• In 2007, Thailand received 14.46 million foreign visitors.
(Tourism Authority of Thailand)
• Thailand has 30 prisons housing approximately 170,000 prisoners of which 90,000 are serving time for drug offences.
(Bangkok Post, July 2 2008)
• Gambling transactions in Thailand during the Euro 2008 football championship has been estimated at over 500 million baht.
(Bangkok Post, July 2 2008)
• PTT is the only Thai company to be listed in the Fortune Global 500 largest companies.
• Thailand’s population growth rate estimate for 2008 is 0.64%
(National Statistics Office)
• 66.8% of Thailand’s electricity generation in 2007 was powered by natural gas.
(EPPO)
• As of March, 2008 there are a total of 621,437 registered alien workers in Thailand. There are also estimated to be approximately 700,000 illegal aliens within the country.
(Labour Ministry)
• Dutch companies were the second largest foreign investors in Thailand in 2007 after Japan.
(Bangkok Post, July 9 2008)
• The 40 richest people in Thailand are worth USD $25 billion.
(Forbes Magazine)
• A total of 128 teachers, students and education staff have been killed and 213 others wounded in the deep South since the start of the separatist violence there in 2004
(Regional Education Inspector-General's Office).
• Thailand detected its first AIDS case in 1984.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Thailand Facts #26 (325 facts and statistics to date)
“When the mind withdraws into itself and dispenses with facts it makes only chaos.”
Edith Hamilton
• Thailand’s sugar crop for 2008 is expected to be around 7.2 million tonnes, an increase of 8.4% from the 2006-2007 season.
(Bangkok Post, May 12 2008)
• There are approximately 2,500 domesticated elephants and 2,000 wild elephants in Thailand.
(Sorinda Salwala, Friends of Asian Elephants)
• From January to May 10, 2008 there have been 14,000 reported dengue cases in Thailand, an increase of 70% for the same period in 2007.
(Office of Disease Prevention and Control)
• Thailand has approximately 130 million rai of farmland of which 63 million rai are rice fields.
(Bangkok Post, May 20 2008)
• Thailand is the 105th most peaceful country in the world. Iceland is ranked number 1 while Iran is ranked 121st.
(Global Peace Index)
• The average daily food requirement for an adult bull elephant is 150kg.
(Bangkok Post, April 21 2008)
• Every kilogramme of municipal waste in Thailand has up to 30% plastic content.
(Prapoth Pholtitattanapong, Single Points Part Plc)
• Opposition party leader, Abhisit Vejjajiva has over 200,000 friends registered on his homepage on the hi5 website.
• Bangalore’s new airport was built at one-eight of the cost of Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport and has four times the capacity.
(Bangkok Post, May 26 2008)
• There are approximately 10,000 private buses operating in Bangkok.
(Bangkok Post, May 28 2008)
• 42% of Thailand’s business work force are sub-contractors labourers.
(Boonyuen Sukmai, Eastern-Region Labour Union Association)
• There are 15.35 million rai of rubber plantations in Thailand of which 11 million are in the South. Total output is estimated to be 3.2 million tonnes with 370,000 tonnes used for local consumption and the remainder for exports.
(Bangkok Post, May 28 2008)
• Thailand’s vehicle ownership is estimated at 125 vehicles for every 1,000 people from which 12 fatalities are reported for every 10,000 road accidents compared with 2 fatalities per 10,000 road accidents in the United States.
(Bangkok Post, June 2 2008)
• The number of people committing suicide in Thailand has increased from 5.7 per 100,000 people in 2007 to 6.5 in 2008.
(Mental Health Department)
• Currently there are 327 KFC outlets in Thailand.
(Bangkok Post, June 4 2008)
• Thailand’s 2008 production of rambutan is estimated to be 415,000 tonnes and estimated production of mangosteen is expected to be 192,000 tonnes.
(Bangkok Post, June 11 2008)
• 90% of Thailand’s mangosteen exports go to China and Hong Kong.
(Bangkok Post, June 11 2008)
• Condom use among Thai’s is 1.5 to 2 per person compared with 4.5 in Japan and 2.5 to 3 in the United States.
(Ansell Thailand)
• Bangkok is ranked 109th in the world for quality of living behind Manila, Jakarta and Kula Lumpa. Zurich is ranked first and Baghdad is ranked 215th (last).
(Mercer World Wide Quality of Living Survey)
• On average Mercedes Benz sells 4,000 cars per year in Thailand.
(Mercedes Benz Thailand)
Edith Hamilton
• Thailand’s sugar crop for 2008 is expected to be around 7.2 million tonnes, an increase of 8.4% from the 2006-2007 season.
(Bangkok Post, May 12 2008)
• There are approximately 2,500 domesticated elephants and 2,000 wild elephants in Thailand.
(Sorinda Salwala, Friends of Asian Elephants)
• From January to May 10, 2008 there have been 14,000 reported dengue cases in Thailand, an increase of 70% for the same period in 2007.
(Office of Disease Prevention and Control)
• Thailand has approximately 130 million rai of farmland of which 63 million rai are rice fields.
(Bangkok Post, May 20 2008)
• Thailand is the 105th most peaceful country in the world. Iceland is ranked number 1 while Iran is ranked 121st.
(Global Peace Index)
• The average daily food requirement for an adult bull elephant is 150kg.
(Bangkok Post, April 21 2008)
• Every kilogramme of municipal waste in Thailand has up to 30% plastic content.
(Prapoth Pholtitattanapong, Single Points Part Plc)
• Opposition party leader, Abhisit Vejjajiva has over 200,000 friends registered on his homepage on the hi5 website.
• Bangalore’s new airport was built at one-eight of the cost of Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport and has four times the capacity.
(Bangkok Post, May 26 2008)
• There are approximately 10,000 private buses operating in Bangkok.
(Bangkok Post, May 28 2008)
• 42% of Thailand’s business work force are sub-contractors labourers.
(Boonyuen Sukmai, Eastern-Region Labour Union Association)
• There are 15.35 million rai of rubber plantations in Thailand of which 11 million are in the South. Total output is estimated to be 3.2 million tonnes with 370,000 tonnes used for local consumption and the remainder for exports.
(Bangkok Post, May 28 2008)
• Thailand’s vehicle ownership is estimated at 125 vehicles for every 1,000 people from which 12 fatalities are reported for every 10,000 road accidents compared with 2 fatalities per 10,000 road accidents in the United States.
(Bangkok Post, June 2 2008)
• The number of people committing suicide in Thailand has increased from 5.7 per 100,000 people in 2007 to 6.5 in 2008.
(Mental Health Department)
• Currently there are 327 KFC outlets in Thailand.
(Bangkok Post, June 4 2008)
• Thailand’s 2008 production of rambutan is estimated to be 415,000 tonnes and estimated production of mangosteen is expected to be 192,000 tonnes.
(Bangkok Post, June 11 2008)
• 90% of Thailand’s mangosteen exports go to China and Hong Kong.
(Bangkok Post, June 11 2008)
• Condom use among Thai’s is 1.5 to 2 per person compared with 4.5 in Japan and 2.5 to 3 in the United States.
(Ansell Thailand)
• Bangkok is ranked 109th in the world for quality of living behind Manila, Jakarta and Kula Lumpa. Zurich is ranked first and Baghdad is ranked 215th (last).
(Mercer World Wide Quality of Living Survey)
• On average Mercedes Benz sells 4,000 cars per year in Thailand.
(Mercedes Benz Thailand)
Monday, May 19, 2008
Thailand Facts #25 (305 facts and statistics to date)
“I'm not sure I want popular opinion on my side -- I've noticed those with the most opinions often have the fewest facts.”
Benthania McKenstry
• Internet users have increased from 8 million in 2006 to 9 million in 2007.
(Thailand National Statistical Office)
• The number of people in Thailand in possession of mobile phones is 28.29 million or 47 per cent of the total population.
(Thailand National Statistical Office)
• There are 24.3 land line telephone lines per 100 households in Thailand—a decline from 2006 at 24.8 and 2005 at 26.8.
(Thailand National Statistical Office)
• Phuket has a registered population of around 300,000 but the unofficial population is around 1,000,000 with around 6,000,000 visitors per year.
(Niran Kalayanamitr, Phuket Governer)
• 741 workers died in work-related accidents and 198,652 persons were injured or became seriously ill at work in 2007 in Thailand which includes 16 workers who became permanently handicapped, and 3,259 workers who lost body parts, such as hands, arms or legs.
(TNA, May 1 2008)
• Nakhon Pathom had the highest death rate and injury toll in Thailand in 2007.
(TNA, May 1 2008)
• In the first quarter of 2008, 435,069 motorcycles were registered in Thailand with the Land Transport Department.
(Land Transport Department)
• 230,000 LCD TV sets were sold in 2008.
(Bangkok Post, April 25 2008)
• 140,749 Thais visited Macau in 2007 compared to 57,876 in 2005. The first quarter of 2008 has already seen 55,834 visitors.
(Macau Government Tourist Office Bangkok)
• There are approximately 500,000 hotel rooms in Thailand.
(Bangkok Post, April 25 2008)
• Bangkok has approximately 10,685 serviced apartment rooms.
(Bangkok Serviced Apartment Club)
• Thailand exported Bt80 billion worth of frozen shrimp in 2007 with 50% of exports going to the United States.
(Bangkok Post, April 30 2008)
• Overall transport shipment usage in Thailand consists of 85% road transport, 12% marine, 2% rail and 0.9% air.
(Bangkok Post, April 30 2008)
• 16.81 million tourists visited Northeast Thailand in 2007 up from 12.71 million in 2001.
(Tourism Authority of Thailand)
• Thailand is the world’s second largest exporter of sugar with 6.7 million tonnes produced in 2007 of which 4.7 million was exported.
(Office of Cane and Sugar Board)
• Thailand is the world’s largest exporter of tapioca.
• In the first quarter of 2008, Thailand’s food exports totaled US$6.72 billion in value, up 31.4 per cent from the same quarter in 2007.
(TNA, May 14 2008)
• Current consumption of NGV (Natural Gas) is averaging 57.9 million cubic feet per day.
(Energy Policy and Planning Office)
• The use of alternative fuels reduced gasoline and diesel consumption by an average of 3.83 million litres per day in April, 2008.
(Energy Policy and Planning Office)
• Ayutthaya was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1991.
Benthania McKenstry
• Internet users have increased from 8 million in 2006 to 9 million in 2007.
(Thailand National Statistical Office)
• The number of people in Thailand in possession of mobile phones is 28.29 million or 47 per cent of the total population.
(Thailand National Statistical Office)
• There are 24.3 land line telephone lines per 100 households in Thailand—a decline from 2006 at 24.8 and 2005 at 26.8.
(Thailand National Statistical Office)
• Phuket has a registered population of around 300,000 but the unofficial population is around 1,000,000 with around 6,000,000 visitors per year.
(Niran Kalayanamitr, Phuket Governer)
• 741 workers died in work-related accidents and 198,652 persons were injured or became seriously ill at work in 2007 in Thailand which includes 16 workers who became permanently handicapped, and 3,259 workers who lost body parts, such as hands, arms or legs.
(TNA, May 1 2008)
• Nakhon Pathom had the highest death rate and injury toll in Thailand in 2007.
(TNA, May 1 2008)
• In the first quarter of 2008, 435,069 motorcycles were registered in Thailand with the Land Transport Department.
(Land Transport Department)
• 230,000 LCD TV sets were sold in 2008.
(Bangkok Post, April 25 2008)
• 140,749 Thais visited Macau in 2007 compared to 57,876 in 2005. The first quarter of 2008 has already seen 55,834 visitors.
(Macau Government Tourist Office Bangkok)
• There are approximately 500,000 hotel rooms in Thailand.
(Bangkok Post, April 25 2008)
• Bangkok has approximately 10,685 serviced apartment rooms.
(Bangkok Serviced Apartment Club)
• Thailand exported Bt80 billion worth of frozen shrimp in 2007 with 50% of exports going to the United States.
(Bangkok Post, April 30 2008)
• Overall transport shipment usage in Thailand consists of 85% road transport, 12% marine, 2% rail and 0.9% air.
(Bangkok Post, April 30 2008)
• 16.81 million tourists visited Northeast Thailand in 2007 up from 12.71 million in 2001.
(Tourism Authority of Thailand)
• Thailand is the world’s second largest exporter of sugar with 6.7 million tonnes produced in 2007 of which 4.7 million was exported.
(Office of Cane and Sugar Board)
• Thailand is the world’s largest exporter of tapioca.
• In the first quarter of 2008, Thailand’s food exports totaled US$6.72 billion in value, up 31.4 per cent from the same quarter in 2007.
(TNA, May 14 2008)
• Current consumption of NGV (Natural Gas) is averaging 57.9 million cubic feet per day.
(Energy Policy and Planning Office)
• The use of alternative fuels reduced gasoline and diesel consumption by an average of 3.83 million litres per day in April, 2008.
(Energy Policy and Planning Office)
• Ayutthaya was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1991.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Thailand Facts #24 (285 facts and statistics to date)
“Get the facts, or the facts will get you. And when you get them, get them right, or they will get you wrong.”
Dr. Thomas Fuller
• Bangkok and it’s neighbouring provinces of Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Pathum Thani, Nakhon Phanom and Nonthaburi have the highest daily minimum wage in Thailand at Bt195 while Nan and Phayao provinces in the north have the lowest at Bt144.
(Labour Ministry)
• In 2007 there were 327 accidents killing 45 people and injuring 143 at Thailand’s railway crossings.
(State Railway of Thailand)
• Thailand’s first woman member of parliament was elected in 1949.
• Approximately 30% of Thailand’s population are carriers of Thalassaemia disease.
(Bangkok Post, April 8 2008)
• Thailand is the third most popular international travel destination for Indian tourists behind Singapore and the United States. 536,356 Indians visited Thailand in 2007.
(Tourism Authority of Thailand)
• Approximately 1 million Chinese visited Thailand in 2007, a decrease of 2.9% from 2006.
(Tourism Authority of Thailand)
• There are approximately 3.6 million rice farming families in Thailand totally around 20 million people.
(Bangkok Post, April 23 2008)
• There are approximately 30,000 registered internet cafes in Thailand using 450,000 computers.
(Mahidol University Institute for Child and Family Development)
• More than 13,000 prisoners of war and 200,000 Asian labourers died during the construction of the “Death Railway” linking Thanbyuzayat in Burma with Ban Pong in Thailand.
(Bangkok Post, April 25 2008)
• Since 2003 there have been 1,006 people reported missing in Thailand, 589 being children and teenagers. 80 children have been reported missing in the first three months of 2008.
(Missing Persons Centre)
• Bhumibol dam in Tak province is Thailand’s largest dam. The current level is 2.89 billion cubic metres.
(Bangkok Post, April 25 2008)
• In 2007 there was an estimated16 million computers users in Thailand (26.8% of the population) up from 15.39 million in 2006.
(Thailand National Statistics Office)
• In 2007 there was an estimated 9 million internet users up from 8 million in 2006.
(Thailand National Statistics Office)
• Thailand's household indebtedness rose to an average Bt116,681 (US$3,700) per family last year from Bt68,405 (US$2166) in 2000.
(Thailand National Statistics Office)
• 757,734 Scandinavians visited Thailand in 2007 up from 645,361 in 2006 of which 374,000 were from Sweden.
(Tourism Authority of Thailand)
• 45% of all Swedish investment in Thailand is in Rayong.
(Colliers International Thailand)
• Kan-Yao durian is the most expensive fruit in Thailand and can retail for up to Bt7,000 per kilogramme.
• Approximately 1.35 million tonnes of rice seeds and 2.35 million tonnes of fertilizers will be required in Thailand for rice production in 2008.
(Agricultural Economics Office)
• Despite being the world’s leading producer of rice Thailand ranks at the bottom of the top 10 world rice producers in terms of rice productivity producing 430kg per rai while China produces 1,000kg per rai, Vietnam 778kg, India 658kg, Brazil 648 and Bangladesh 619kg per rai.
(United States Department of Agriculture)
• Udon Thani is Thailand’s second largest city in terms of population but is still 30 times smaller than the Greater Bangkok Metropolitan Area.
(Encyclopedia Britannica)
Dr. Thomas Fuller
• Bangkok and it’s neighbouring provinces of Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Pathum Thani, Nakhon Phanom and Nonthaburi have the highest daily minimum wage in Thailand at Bt195 while Nan and Phayao provinces in the north have the lowest at Bt144.
(Labour Ministry)
• In 2007 there were 327 accidents killing 45 people and injuring 143 at Thailand’s railway crossings.
(State Railway of Thailand)
• Thailand’s first woman member of parliament was elected in 1949.
• Approximately 30% of Thailand’s population are carriers of Thalassaemia disease.
(Bangkok Post, April 8 2008)
• Thailand is the third most popular international travel destination for Indian tourists behind Singapore and the United States. 536,356 Indians visited Thailand in 2007.
(Tourism Authority of Thailand)
• Approximately 1 million Chinese visited Thailand in 2007, a decrease of 2.9% from 2006.
(Tourism Authority of Thailand)
• There are approximately 3.6 million rice farming families in Thailand totally around 20 million people.
(Bangkok Post, April 23 2008)
• There are approximately 30,000 registered internet cafes in Thailand using 450,000 computers.
(Mahidol University Institute for Child and Family Development)
• More than 13,000 prisoners of war and 200,000 Asian labourers died during the construction of the “Death Railway” linking Thanbyuzayat in Burma with Ban Pong in Thailand.
(Bangkok Post, April 25 2008)
• Since 2003 there have been 1,006 people reported missing in Thailand, 589 being children and teenagers. 80 children have been reported missing in the first three months of 2008.
(Missing Persons Centre)
• Bhumibol dam in Tak province is Thailand’s largest dam. The current level is 2.89 billion cubic metres.
(Bangkok Post, April 25 2008)
• In 2007 there was an estimated16 million computers users in Thailand (26.8% of the population) up from 15.39 million in 2006.
(Thailand National Statistics Office)
• In 2007 there was an estimated 9 million internet users up from 8 million in 2006.
(Thailand National Statistics Office)
• Thailand's household indebtedness rose to an average Bt116,681 (US$3,700) per family last year from Bt68,405 (US$2166) in 2000.
(Thailand National Statistics Office)
• 757,734 Scandinavians visited Thailand in 2007 up from 645,361 in 2006 of which 374,000 were from Sweden.
(Tourism Authority of Thailand)
• 45% of all Swedish investment in Thailand is in Rayong.
(Colliers International Thailand)
• Kan-Yao durian is the most expensive fruit in Thailand and can retail for up to Bt7,000 per kilogramme.
• Approximately 1.35 million tonnes of rice seeds and 2.35 million tonnes of fertilizers will be required in Thailand for rice production in 2008.
(Agricultural Economics Office)
• Despite being the world’s leading producer of rice Thailand ranks at the bottom of the top 10 world rice producers in terms of rice productivity producing 430kg per rai while China produces 1,000kg per rai, Vietnam 778kg, India 658kg, Brazil 648 and Bangladesh 619kg per rai.
(United States Department of Agriculture)
• Udon Thani is Thailand’s second largest city in terms of population but is still 30 times smaller than the Greater Bangkok Metropolitan Area.
(Encyclopedia Britannica)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)