Thailand
Americannoun
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Formerly Siam. a kingdom in SE Asia: official name of Siam 1939–45 and since 1949. 198,242 sq. mi. (513,445 sq. km). Bangkok.
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Also called Gulf of Siam. Gulf of. an arm of the South China Sea, S of Thailand.
noun
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Former name (until 1939 and 1945–49): Siam. a kingdom in SE Asia, on the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand: united as a kingdom in 1350 and became a major SE Asian power; consists chiefly of a central plain around the Chao Phraya river system, mountains rising over 2400 m (8000 ft) in the northwest, and rainforest the length of the S peninsula. Parts of the SW coast suffered badly in the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004. Official language: Thai. Official religion: (Hinayana) Buddhist. Currency: baht. Capital: Bangkok. Pop: 67 448 120 (2013 est). Area: 513 998 sq km (198 455 sq miles)
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Former name: Gulf of Siam. an arm of the South China Sea between the Malay Peninsula and Indochina
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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.
During the early 1990s, its economy became one of the strongest in Asia, but it experienced a sharp downturn in the mid-1990s.
Thailand was formerly called Siam.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Bank of Thailand is expected to keep interest rates unchanged Wednesday as it balances inflation pressures against uneven and subdued economic growth, DBS economists said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
After Bowdoin College, he reported from Thailand before winning the “industry lottery” by getting a job as a temporary night clerk on the New York Times foreign desk.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
Thailand has advised its citizens to postpone non-essential travel to parts of Europe rocked by protests, while Malaysia also warned its nationals about visiting France.
From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026
Thailand received an IMF loan three decades ago but paid this off in 2003.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
I hope before the world ends, they drop me off somewhere I’ve never been—Paris or Thailand or Brazil.
From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson
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