Thailand

American  

[tahy-land, -luhnd] / ˈtaɪˌlænd, -lənd /

noun

1. 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.

2. Also called Gulf of Siam.  Gulf of. an arm of the South China Sea, S of Thailand.

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Thailand British  

/ ˈtaɪˌlænd /

noun

1. 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)

2. Former name: Gulf of Siam.  an arm of the South China Sea between the Malay Peninsula and Indochina

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Thailand Cultural  

1. Constitutional monarchy in southern Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma to the west and northwest, Laos to the north and east, Cambodia to the southeast, and the Gulf of Siam (an arm of the Pacific Ocean) and Malaysia to the south. Its capital and largest city is Bangkok.

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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

Bangladesh has shut universities and capped fuel prices; Pakistan has introduced a shortened workweek; and Thailand ordered civil servants to work from home.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 2, 2026

The U.S. tech giant said it plans to invest more than $1 billion in Thailand over the next two years, as demand for AI computing continues to grow in the region.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

Broadcasters from 10 countries in the region, including South Korea, Bhutan, Thailand and the Philippines have confirmed that they will be taking part.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

Thailand has ordered civil servants to work from home and raised air-conditioning temperature limits.

From Barron's • Mar. 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