Part 736

External debt: $53.7 billion (1994)

Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $624 million (1993)

Currency: 1 baht (B) = 100 satang

Exchange rates: baht (B) per US$1 - 25.300 (January 1996), 25.000 (1995 est.), 25.150 (1994), 25.319 (1993), 25.400 (1992), 25.517 (1991)

Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September

Transportation --------------

Railways: total: 4,623 km narrow gauge: 4,623 km 1.000-m gauge (99 km double track)

Highways: total: 54,388 km paved: 48,786 km (including 171 km of expressways) unpaved: 5,602 km (1992 est.)

Waterways: 3,999 km principal waterways; 3,701 km with navigable depths of 0.9 m or more throughout the year; numerous minor waterways navigable by shallow-draft native craft

Pipelines: petroleum products 67 km; natural gas 350 km

Ports: Bangkok, Laem Chabang, Pattani, Phuket, Sattahip, Si Racha, Songkhla

Merchant marine: total: 259 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,559,037 GRT/2,498,812 DWT ships by type: bulk 32, cargo 143, chemical tanker 3, container 11, liquefied gas tanker 12, oil tanker 45, passenger 1, refrigerated cargo 7, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 2 (1995 est.)

Airports: total: 98 with paved runways over 3 047 m: 6 with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 9 with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 12 with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 22 with paved runways under 914 m: 36 with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 1 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 12 (1995 est.)

Heliports: 2 (1995 est.)

Communications --------------

Telephones: 1,553,200 (1994 est.)

Telephone system: service to general public inadequate; bulk of service to government activities provided by multichannel cable and microwave radio relay network domestic: microwave radio relay and multichannel cable; domestic satellite system being developed international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 200 (in government-controlled network), FM 100 (in government-controlled network), shortwave 0

Radios: 10.75 million (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 11 (in government-controlled network)

Televisions: 3.3 million (1993 est.)

Defense -------

Branches: Royal Thai Army, Royal Thai Navy (includes Royal Thai Marine Corps), Royal Thai Air Force, Paramilitary Forces

Manpower availability: males age 15-49: 16,835,334 males fit for military service: 10,182,904 males reach military age (18) annually: 592,268 (1996 est.)

Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $4.0 billion, 2.5% of GDP (FY94/95)

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@The Bahamas -----------

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