Thailand
Americannoun
-
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.
-
Also called Gulf of Siam. Gulf of. an arm of the South China Sea, S of Thailand.
noun
-
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)
-
Former name: Gulf of Siam. an arm of the South China Sea between the Malay Peninsula and Indochina
Discover More
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.
Find insight on Airports of Thailand, Qantas Airways, SpaceX and more in the latest Market Talks covering Auto and Transport.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
Elsewhere fund managers booking gains in SK Hynix and Samsung have explored selected tech stocks in Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026
Given factors including improved earnings quality, the brokerage believes Airports of Thailand deserves a valuation re-rating.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
Specialist divers from countries including Thailand, Indonesia, France and Australia landed in Laos to provide extra expertise.
From BBC • May 30, 2026
It will not arouse suspicion if we disappear one night and head for Thailand.
From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung
![]()
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.