[tahy-land, -luh
nd] 
| 1. | Formerly, Siam. a kingdom in SE Asia: official name of Siam 1939–45 and since 1949. 59,450,818; 198,242 sq. mi. (513,445 sq. km). Capital: Bangkok. |
| 2. | Gulf of. Also called Gulf of Siam. an arm of the South China Sea, S of Thailand. |
Thai·land (tī'lānd', -lənd)  (click for larger image in new window) A country of southeast Asia on the Gulf of Thailand (formerly the Gulf of Siam), an arm of the South China Sea. Various Thai kingdoms were founded from the 13th century on, frequently coming into conflict with neighboring Burmese and Cambodian powers. Siam remained an absolute monarchy until 1932, when the king was compelled to accept a constitution, and the country was renamed Thailand in 1939. Thailand was occupied by the Japanese in World War II, and most of its numerous postwar governments were controlled by the military. Bangkok is the capital and the largest city. Population: 65,100,000. |
Constitutional monarchy in southern Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma to the west and northwest, Laos to the north and east, Cambodia to the southeast, and the Gulf of Siam (an arm of the Pacific Ocean) and Malaysia to the south. Its capital and largest city is Bangkok.
Note: Thailand was formerly called Siam.
Note: Strongly supported the United States during the Vietnam War, Thailand was the site of American air bases until 1976, when relations with the United States deteriorated.
Note: During the early 1990s, its economy became one of the strongest in Asia, but it experienced a sharp downturn in the mid-1990s.
