Thailand Vietnam Background A unified Thai kingdom was "The conquest of established in the mid-14th century. Vietnam by France Known as Siam until 1939, Thailand is began in 1858 and the only Southeast Asian country was completed by never to have been colonized by a 1884. It became part European power. A bloodless of French Indochina revolution in 1932 led to the in 1887. Vietnam establishment of a constitutional declared monarchy. In alliance with Japan independence after during World War II, Thailand became World War II, but a US treaty ally in 1954 after sending France continued to troops to Korea and later fighting rule until its 1954 alongside the US in Vietnam. Thailand defeat by communist since 2005 has experienced several forces under Ho Chi rounds of political turmoil including a MINH. Under the military coup in 2006 that ousted then Geneva Accords of Prime Minister THAKSIN Chinnawat, 1954, Vietnam was followed by large-scale street protests divided into the by competing political factions in communist North 2008, 2009, and 2010. THAKSIN's and anti-communist youngest sister, YINGLAK Chinnawat, South. US economic in 2011 led the Puea Thai Party to an and military aid to electoral win and assumed control of South Vietnam grew the government. A blanket amnesty through the 1960s in bill for individuals involved in street an attempt to bolster protests, altered at the last minute to the government, but include all political crimes - including US armed forces all convictions against THAKSIN - were withdrawn triggered months of large-scale anti- following a cease- government protests in Bangkok fire agreement in beginning in November 2013. 1973. Two years In early May 2014, YINGLAK was later, North removed from office by the Vietnamese forces Constitutional Court and in late May overran the South 2014 the Royal Thai Army, led by reuniting the country Royal Thai Army Gen. PRAYUT Chan- under communist ocha, staged a coup against the rule. Despite the caretaker government. PRAYUT was return of peace, for appointed prime minister in August over a decade the 2014. The interim military government country experienced created several interim institutions to little economic promote reform and draft a new growth because of constitution, which was passed in a conservative national referendum in August 2016. leadership policies, Elections are tentatively set for late- the persecution and Thailand Vietnam 2018. King PHUMIPHON Adunyadet mass exodus of passed away in October 2016 after 70 individuals - many of years on the throne; his only son, them successful WACHIRALONGKON South Vietnamese Bodinthrathepphayawarangkun, merchants - and ascended the throne in December growing 2016. He signed the new constitution international in April 2017. Thailand has also isolation. However, experienced violence associated with since the enactment the ethno-nationalist insurgency in its of Vietnam's ""doi southern Malay-Muslim majority moi"" (renovation) provinces. Since January 2004, policy in 1986, thousands have been killed and Vietnamese wounded in the insurgency. authorities have committed to increased economic liberalization and enacted structural reforms needed to modernize the economy and to produce more competitive, export- driven industries. The communist leaders maintain tight control on political expression but have demonstrated some modest steps toward better protection of human rights. The country continues to experience small- scale protests, the vast majority connected to either land-use issues, calls for increased political space, or the lack of equitable mechanisms for resolving disputes. The small-scale Thailand Vietnam protests in the urban areas are often organized by human rights activists, but many occur in rural areas and involve various ethnic minorities such as the Montagnards of the Central Highlands, Hmong in the Northwest Highlands, and the Khmer Krom in the southern delta region. " Geography Thailand Vietnam Location Southeastern Asia, Southeastern Asia, bordering bordering the Andaman the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Sea and the Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, Thailand, southeast of as well as China, Laos, and Burma Cambodia Geographic 15 00 N, 100 00 E 16 10 N, 107 50 E coordinates Map Southeast Asia Southeast Asia references Area total: 513,120 sq km total: 331,210 sq km land: 510,890 sq km land: 310,070 sq km water: 2,230 sq km water: 21,140 sq km Area - about three times the size about three times the size of comparative of Florida; slightly more Tennessee; slightly larger than New Mexico Thailand Vietnam than twice the size of Wyoming Land total: 5,673 km total: 4,616 km boundaries border countries border countries (4): Burma 2,416 km, (3): Cambodia 1,158 km, Cambodia 817 km, Laos China 1,297 km, Laos 2,161 1,845 km, Malaysia 595 km km Coastline 3,219 km 3,444 km (excludes islands) Maritime territorial sea: 12 nm territorial sea: 12 nm claims exclusive economic contiguous zone: 24 nm zone: 200 nm exclusive economic continental shelf: 200-m zone: 200 nm depth or to the depth of continental shelf: 200 nm exploitation or to the edge of the continental margin Climate tropical; rainy, warm, tropical in south; monsoonal cloudy southwest monsoon in north with hot, rainy (mid-May to September); season (May to September) dry, cool northeast and warm, dry season monsoon (November to (October to March) mid-March); southern isthmus always hot and humid Terrain central plain; Khorat low, flat delta in south and Plateau in the east; north; central highlands; hilly, mountains elsewhere mountainous in far north and northwest Elevation mean elevation: 287 m mean elevation: 398 m extremes elevation elevation extremes: lowest extremes: lowest point: point: South China Sea 0 m Gulf of Thailand 0 m highest point: Fan Si Pan highest point: Doi Inthanon 3,144 m 2,565 m Thailand Vietnam Natural tin, rubber, natural gas, phosphates, coal, resources tungsten, tantalum, timber, manganese, rare earth lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, elements, bauxite, chromate, fluorite, arable land offshore oil and gas deposits, timber, hydropower, arable land Land use agricultural land: 41.2% agricultural land: 34.8% arable land 30.8%; arable land 20.6%; permanent crops 8.8%; permanent crops 12.1%; permanent pasture 1.6% permanent pasture 2.1% forest: 37.2% forest: 45% other: 21.6% (2011 est.) other: 20.2% (2011 est.) Irrigated land 64,150 sq km (2012) 46,000 sq km (2012) Natural land subsidence in Bangkok occasional typhoons (May to hazards area resulting from the January) with extensive depletion of the water flooding, especially in the table; droughts Mekong River delta Environment air pollution from vehicle logging and slash-and-burn - current emissions; water pollution agricultural practices issues from organic and factory contribute to deforestation wastes; deforestation; soil and soil degradation; water erosion; wildlife pollution and overfishing populations threatened by threaten marine life illegal hunting populations; groundwater contamination limits potable water supply; growing urban industrialization and population migration are rapidly degrading environment in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City Environment party to: Biodiversity, party to: Biodiversity, - Climate Change, Climate Climate Change, Climate international Change-Kyoto Protocol, Change-Kyoto Protocol, agreements Desertification, Endangered Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Species, Environmental Thailand Vietnam Wastes, Marine Life Modification, Hazardous Conservation, Ozone Layer Wastes, Law of the Sea, Protection, Tropical Timber Ozone Layer Protection, Ship 83, Tropical Timber 94, Pollution, Wetlands Wetlands signed, but not signed, but not ratified: none of the ratified: Law of the Sea selected agreements Geography - controls only land route extending 1,650 km north to note from Asia to Malaysia and south, the country is only 50 Singapore; ideas for the km across at its narrowest construction of a canal point across the Kra Isthmus that would create a bypass to the Strait of Malacca and shorten shipping times around Asia continue to be discussed Population highest population density though it has one of the distribution is found in and around highest population densities Bangkok; significant in the world, the population is population clusters found not evenly dispersed; througout large parts of clustering is heaviest along the country, particularly the South China Sea and Gulf north and northeast of of Tonkin, with the Mekong Bangkok and in the Delta (in the south) and the extreme southern region of Red River Valley (in the the country north) having the largest concentrations of people Demographics Thailand Vietnam Population 68,414,135 96,160,163 (July 2017 est.) note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant Thailand Vietnam mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2017 est.) Age structure 0-14 years: 16.93% (male 0-14 years: 23.55% 5,933,269/female (male 11,909,326/female 5,649,864) 10,735,324) 15-24 years: 14.17% 15-24 years: 16.23% (male 4,943,583/female (male 8,098,019/female 4,752,038) 7,509,021) 25-54 years: 46.32% 25-54 years: 45.56% (male 15,677,322/female (male 22,087,095/female 16,009,399) 21,719,615) 55-64 years: 12% (male 55-64 years: 8.55% 3,851,575/female (male 3,798,928/female 4,358,837) 4,419,837) 65 years and 65 years and