Background A unified Thai kingdom was established in the mid-14th century. Known as Siam until 1939, Thailand is the only Southeast Asian country never to have been taken over by a European power. A bloodless revolution in 1932 led to a constitutional monarchy. In alliance with Japan during World War II, Thailand became a US ally following the conflict.

NOTE: The information regarding Thailand on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Thailand Introduction 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Thailand Introduction 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.