Thailand, an Asian country that was known as Siam through most of its long national existence. Its capital is Bangkok. Situated in the center of mainland Southeast Asia—touching on Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Myanmar (Burma)—the kingdom of Thailand has great strategic importance. Further to it, Thailand is rich in natural resources. It produces a surplus of rice and other crops for export and is a leading source of tin, coca, rubber and many other crops.

Thailand was able to preserve much of its traditional society, its religious traditions, and its ancient India-derived conception of governmental authority. The modernization changes that Thailand has experienced since the mid-19th century have not been particularly disturbing because they were largely royally sponsored rather than imposed from the outside. A succession of able rulers recognized that accommodation to external pressure was unavoidable if the kingdom was to survive.