ty (Prachachon) 17,
Force of Truth Party (Phalang Dharma) 15, United Democracy Party 5,
Mass Party 5, Liberal 3, Social Democratic Force 1; note--the
House of Representatives was dissolved 23 February 1991; the
new interim National Legislative Assembly has 292 seats with 148 of
the seats held by active and retired military officers

_#_Communists: illegal Communist party has 500 to 1,000 members;
armed Communist insurgents throughout Thailand total 300 to 500
(est.)

_#_Member of: APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO

_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador-designate PHIRAPHONG
Kasemsi; Embassy at 2300 Kalorama Road NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 483-7200; there are Thai Consulates General in Chicago,
Los Angeles, and New York;

US--Ambassador Daniel A. O'DONAHUE; Embassy at 95 Wireless Road,
Bangkok (mailing address is APO San Francisco 96346); telephone [66] (2)
252-504019; there is a US Consulate General in Chiang Mai and Consulates
in Songkhla and Udorn

_#_Flag: five horizontal bands of red (top), white, blue (double
width), white, and red

_*_Economy
_#_Overview: Thailand, one of the more advanced developing countries
in Asia, enjoyed a year of 9% growth in 1990, although down from the
double-digit rates of 1987-89. The increasingly sophisticated
manufacturing sector benefited from export-oriented investment, but
the agricultural sector contracted 2%, primarily because of weaker
demand in Thailand's major overseas markets for commodities such as
rice. The trade deficit almost doubled in 1990, to $9 billion, but
earnings from tourism ($4.7 billion), remittances, and net capital
inflows helped keep the balance of payments in surplus. The government
has followed fairly sound fiscal and monetary policies, aided by
increased tax receipts from the fast-moving economy. In 1990 the
government approved new projects--especially for telecommunications
and roads--needed to refurbish the country's now overtaxed
infrastructure. Although growth in 1991 will slow further, Thailand's
economic outlook remains good, assuming the continuation of prudent
government policies in the wake of the 23 February 1991 military coup.

_#_GNP: $79 billion, per capita $1,400; real growth rate 10% (1990
est.)

_#_Inflation rat