Every figure below carries its named source and year. The Eco Index scores twelve pillars on the same scale everywhere; seven are measured from published data with fixed thresholds, five are assessed from the named sources.
Thailand at a Glance.
The score, and the four numbers that set the tone. 12 equally-weighted pillars, every pillar sourced.
Compare with:
Renewable power
17%
of electricity
Food imported
7%
of merchandise imports · ~US$22,726m a year
The Eco Index across 12 pillars · scored 0 to 5 · World Bank, OWID, WHO/UNICEF JMP, FiBL, Protected Planet, IUCN, UNESCO (2023-24)
Water
Food & farming
Plant-based
Organic
Conservation
Wildlife
Materials
Pollution
Recycling
Energy
Culture
Heritage
Facts That Surprise People About Thailand.
The numbers and firsts that change how you see Thailand, the sobering and the remarkable. Every one is dated and linked to its source.
SoberingHealth
6.4 million Thai adults live with diabetes
The IDF estimates that about 6.36 million Thai adults aged 20 to 79 had diabetes in 2024, an age-standardised prevalence of 10.2%. A third of them (33.3%) had not been diagnosed.
Source: IDF Diabetes Atlas, Thailand country page (2025 edition) · 2024
SoberingHealth
High blood sugar touches 155,000 Thai births a year
The IDF estimates that about 155,400 live births in Thailand were affected by high blood sugar in pregnancy in 2024. It puts the prevalence of gestational diabetes at 26.5%.
Source: IDF Diabetes Atlas, Thailand country page (2025 edition) · 2024
SoberingHealth
Thai roads kill about 50 people a day
WHO estimated 18,218 road traffic deaths in Thailand in 2021, a rate of 25.4 per 100,000 people and an average of 50 a day. WHO says Thailand ranks ninth of 175 member countries for road deaths, and motorcyclists made up 83.8% of them.
Source: WHO Thailand, Road safety · 2021
RemarkableHealth
First in Asia to stop HIV passing from mother to baby
In 2016 WHO validated Thailand as the first country in Asia and the Pacific to eliminate mother to child transmission of HIV and syphilis. An estimated 1,000 children became infected with HIV in 2000, and by 2015 infections passed from mother to child had fallen to 85.
RemarkableFood
Sugary drinks are taxed by how much sugar they hold
Thailand reformed its excise tax on sugary drinks in September 2017, adding a tax based on sugar content. Drinks with more than 6 g of sugar per 100 ml pay a higher rate.
RemarkableFood
Tom yum kung is UNESCO intangible heritage
In December 2024 UNESCO inscribed Tomyum Kung, which it describes as a traditional prawn soup from Thailand, on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Source: UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, Decision 19.COM 7.b.12 · 2024
RemarkablePeople
First in Southeast Asia to allow same sex marriage
Thailand's marriage equality law came into effect on 23 January 2025. It made Thailand the first Southeast Asian nation to legalise same sex marriage, and the third in Asia after Taiwan and Nepal.
RemarkableNature
Wild tigers are coming back in western Thailand
Camera traps in the Huai Kha Khaeng area photographed 94 individual tigers in 2023, up from 75 the year before and fewer than 40 when surveys began in 2007. Tiger density in Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary rose from 1.3 to 2.9 per 100 square km.
The History of Thailand.
Thailand keeps a deep, living court and folk heritage. Classical Khon masked dance drama and Lakhon sit alongside regional forms such as the northern Fon and the Isan Mor Lam and Luk Thung song traditions, carried by Piphat ensembles.
Where the name comes from
Prathet Thai, 'land of the free'. Neighbours knew it as Siam, and that exonym was how Europe first knew it; the country took the name Thailand in 1939. Source: UK Permanent Committee on Geographical Names toponymic factfile.
The land itself: a central plain, the Khorat plateau to the east, and mountains around the rest. Its high point is Doi Inthanon, 2,565 m. Source: UK Permanent Committee on Geographical Names toponymic factfile.
Where it starts
Sundaland
A rock shelter at Lang Rongrien in Krabi holds pebble tools dated to more than 37,000 years ago, among the earliest evidence of people in the region. Tham Lod in Mae Hong Son was used for burial and tool-making across more than twenty thousand years. A burial at Moh Khiew is around 25,800 years old, from a time when this land was part of Sundaland, joined by dry ground to what are now islands. Ban Chiang, from about 2100 BC, was farming, making painted pottery and working bronze.
How it got here
Sukhothai to constitution
Mon-speaking Dvaravati polities spread Buddhism and Indian-influenced art across the central plain. The kingdom of Sukhothai was established in 1238 and the Thai script developed there. Ayutthaya, founded in 1350 to 1351 by King Ramathibodi I, grew into one of the major economic and trading centres of Asia and lasted 417 years, under 34 kings, until 1767. The capital was founded at Bangkok in 1782 under the Chakri dynasty. Absolute monarchy ended in 1932. Thailand was never formally colonised.
The timeline
Late Pleistocene
Lang Rongrien.
A rock shelter in Krabi was the first site in Thailand to yield a clearly layered, charcoal dated late Pleistocene deposit, lying beneath an early Holocene Hoabinhian one. Source
c. 34,000 to 12,000 years ago
Tham Lod.
A rock shelter in Mae Hong Son used by hunter-gatherers, who left Hoabinhian stone tools, with human remains in its upper layers dated between 19,000 and 12,000 years ago. Source
c. 25,800 years ago
Moh Khiew.
A burial in Moh Khiew Cave in southern Thailand is radiocarbon dated to about 25,800 years ago, when its people lived in part of Sundaland during the last glacial age. Source
c. 1495 BC onward
Ban Chiang.
A prehistoric farming settlement in the northeast, occupied from about 1495 BC, with early evidence of wet rice farming, pottery and bronze tool making, and later layers showing the shift from bronze to iron. Source
7th to 11th century AD
Dvaravati.
Buddhism reaches the region in the 7th century, and in the Dvaravati period communities on the Khorat Plateau raise carved sima stones to mark out sacred Buddhist sites. Source
1238 to 1438
Sukhothai.
Pho Khun Bang Klang Hao, a local Tai ruler who rallied resistance to Khmer rule, becomes the first ruler of the Sukhothai kingdom, which falls under the influence of Ayutthaya in 1438. Source
1351 to 1767
Ayutthaya.
Ayutthaya becomes one of the great powers of Asia, until Burmese forces capture and destroy the city in 1767. Source
1782
Bangkok.
Rama I overthrows Taksin and founds the Chakri dynasty, which still reigns, and Bangkok becomes the capital of the reunited kingdom. Source
1932
Constitutional monarchy.
Absolute monarchy gives way to constitutional monarchy with parliamentary government. Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia to have escaped colonial rule. Source
Nature and Biodiversity in Thailand.
About 18% of Thailand's land is protected (World Bank, 2025), including national parks such as Khao Yai and the Western Forest Complex, but marine protection is limited at around 5%. Enforcement is undercut by wildlife trafficking and tourism pressure, illustrated by the multi-year closure of Maya Bay to let reefs recover.
Is wild Thailand protected? 18.4% of the land is, against a 30% target for 2030
How protected is nature in Thailand?
Forest cover38.7%
Terrestrial protected area18.4%
Marine protected area5%
515 (mammals, birds, fish & plants) listed as threatened.
Found only here. Limestone-karst species and endemic freshwater fish, plus the critically endangered Siamese crocodile. Gurney's pitta, also critically endangered, is treated as functionally extinct in Thailand, with the last known birds recorded in 2013 to 2014.
The watchlist
ThreatenedTsaine (Bos javanicus) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Thailand in GBIF occurrence data (mammal).
ThreatenedSpoonbill Sandpiper (Calidris pygmaea) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Thailand in GBIF occurrence data (bird).
ThreatenedYellow-headed Temple Turtle (Heosemys annandalii) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Thailand in GBIF occurrence data (turtle).
ThreatenedRhynchobatus australiae Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Thailand in GBIF occurrence data (shark or ray).
ThreatenedSiamese Crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Thailand in GBIF occurrence data (species).
ThreatenedPangasianodon gigas Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Thailand in GBIF occurrence data (species).
ThreatenedEmberiza aureola Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Thailand in GBIF occurrence data (bird).
ThreatenedYellow Tortoise (Indotestudo elongata) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Thailand in GBIF occurrence data (turtle).
What is still here, and what is gone?
Tap a species for the honest status.
Closest to being lost, by name
Tsaine (Bos javanicus)
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Thailand. GBIF holds 52 verified occurrence records.
Spoonbill Sandpiper (Calidris pygmaea)
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Thailand. GBIF holds 84 verified occurrence records.
Yellow-headed Temple Turtle (Heosemys annandalii)
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Thailand. GBIF holds 180 verified occurrence records.
Rhynchobatus australiae
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Thailand. GBIF holds 5 verified occurrence records.
Species named here are drawn from GBIF occurrence records for Thailand filtered to the IUCN Red List threatened categories. Species are listed where GBIF holds occurrence records for them in this country. Record counts are not published here because the figure cannot be reproduced from a public GBIF query.
Who is putting it back
National park in Mueang Chiang Mai District, mapped and named in the open record for Thailand. OpenStreetMap.
Nature reserve, mapped and named in the open record for Thailand. OpenStreetMap.
Nature reserve, mapped and named in the open record for Thailand. OpenStreetMap.
Nature reserve in Thalang District, mapped and named in the open record for Thailand. OpenStreetMap.
Water and Ocean in Thailand.
Thailand is watered by the monsoon and by rivers such as the Chao Phraya and Mekong tributaries, so overall supply is generally ample. However the pronounced wet and dry seasons bring both major flooding, as in 2011, and dry-season drought and saltwater intrusion, and tap water is not recommended for drinking even though basic access is near universal.
Does Thailand have enough fresh water? Under pressure
Bottled water; vendor ice is factory-made and safe.
Cleanest water: The Similan and Surin islands and Khao Sok.
How much fresh water does Thailand have, per person?
3,130 m³
Thailand
1,000 m³
the UN “water scarce” line
Thailand withdraws about 57,307 million cubic metres of fresh water a year (2022). That is 23.0% of the fresh water actually available to it, which FAO counts as medium water stress. Of what is taken, farming takes 90%, homes and towns 5%, industry 5%. Source: FAO AQUASTAT.
What are the rules on Thailand beaches?
✕Tap water: Not drinkable.
✓Plastic rules: Partial: a 2020 major-retailer plastic-bag ban and a roadmap to phase out single-use plastics by 2027..
✓Solo travel: rated easy on the record for this destination.
✕Marine protection: 5% of the sea is protected. The 30x30 pledge for 2030 is not met yet.
Named on the open map: Ao Sai Beach, Ao Thungsang Beach, Ban Sang Beach, Cocoa Beach, Coral Beach, Golden Buddha Beach, Half Moon Beach, Jamson Bay Beach. That is 13 named beaches in the public record for Thailand, each one a place you can look up before you go. OpenStreetMap.
Where does the sewage go?
26.7%
of people have safely managed sanitation
26.7% of people here use a safely managed sanitation service, meaning waste is contained, emptied and treated rather than reaching the ground or the sea untreated (2024, World Bank / WHO-UNICEF JMP, SDG 6.2.1). The rest is what the rivers and the coast receive.
How is the sea around Thailand doing?
One cross-section, every answer measured.
Surface
What the coast carries
Cool-dry Nov–Feb, hot Mar–May, monsoon May–Oct, the islands vary coast to coast.
Nearshore
Protected water
5% of territorial waters are protected, against the 30% pledged for 2030 under the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Cleanest
Where the water is cleanest
The Similan and Surin islands and Khao Sok..
The record
Measured
Thailand is watered by the monsoon and by rivers such as the Chao Phraya and Mekong tributaries, so overall supply is generally ample. However the pronounced wet and dry seasons bring both major flooding, as in 2011, and dry-season drought and saltwater intrusion, and tap water is not recommended for drinking even though basic access is near universal.
Thailand scored 70 out of 100 on the Ocean Health Index in its 2025 assessment, below the global average of 72, and ranked 131st of 220 coastal regions. The index team says it is no longer updating scores, so the 2025 figures may be the last.
Sea protected
5%
Against the 30% pledged for 2030 under the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Threatened species
515 (mammals, birds, fish & plants)
Mammals, birds, fish and higher plants on the IUCN list.
Is the tap water safe in Thailand?
The Metropolitan Waterworks Authority, which serves more than 2.6 million accounts in Bangkok, Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan, says the Department of Health certified its tap water as drinkable from 16 June 2025, after samples from all 18 of its branches passed physical, chemical, heavy metal and microbial tests. It follows the WHO Water Safety Plan approach and keeps at least 0.2 mg per litre of free chlorine in the network, which is why the water can smell faintly of chlorine. In January 2020 seawater intrusion pushed salinity in the same area beyond WHO recommended levels before the authority said quality had returned to normal. The certificate covers the utility's mains, not building tanks or pipes, which the authority says owners should clean and check, and it does not cover areas outside Greater Bangkok, so there drink bottled, boiled or filtered water unless you know the local supply.
How hard is the water supply being pushed?
Of every 10 buckets nature refills, 2 are already taken. Withdrawals run at 23% of what Thailand renews internally each year (2022, World Bank / FAO AQUASTAT). That is inside the 25% mark generally treated as water stress, so the supply has headroom.
When is the best time to visit Thailand? Tap your month.
Tap your month.
How much fresh water does Thailand actually have?
Nature renews about 3,130 cubic metres of fresh water per person per year here. That ranks Thailand 110 of 208 countries measured, putting it in the wetter half of the world. The UN treats anything under 1,000 cubic metres as water scarce, and this is above that line. World Bank / FAO AQUASTAT.
FAO AQUASTAT · WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme · World Bank Open Data · Daily News, MWA tap water certified drinkable by the Department of Health (24 February 2026) · The Nation via Open Development Thailand, Bangkok water quality back to WHO recommended levels, authority confirms · Ocean Health Index, Thailand region scores · Ocean Health Index, Global scores
Food and Drink in Thailand.
Thailand is one of the world's largest food exporters, shipping rice, cassava, sugar, tropical fruit and seafood, and is highly self-sufficient. Food import dependency is therefore low, so no import figure was needed to place it high.
Where does the food in Thailand come from?
6.6% imported
about US$22,726m a year
On the plate: Rice, tofu, vegetables, chillies, herbs, tropical fruit and coconut.
1 of 10
bites are imported
The island buys in more food energy than it eats. About US$22,726m a year leaves the country to pay for it. The green slice is roughly what still grows here.
Food is 6.6% of everything Thailand imports (2024, World Bank). Farming itself is 8.7% of the economy and 43.8% of the land is agricultural, of which 31% is arable. The green slice is roughly what still grows here.
What is killing people in Thailand? The imported diet.
Cause of death, and the diet behind it.
Non-communicable diseases, all combined67.8%
Diabetes10.2%
There is no current national count of diabetes related amputations. The Thailand Diabetes Registry, which covered 9,419 diabetic patients at hospitals across the country in 2003, found that 1.5 per cent had already lost part of a lower limb, and that 22.1 per cent of those with a history of foot ulcers had undergone an amputation. Source: Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand, 2006.
Adults living with overweight or obesity. 45.7%.
Can Thailand feed itself?
31.0%
Arable land
43.8%
Agricultural land
11,671,483
Farmers
39,129,571
Arable acres
8.8%
Agriculture, share of GDP
Harvest: Main rice harvest around November to December; tropical fruit such as durian and mangosteen April to June.
Feeding itself
Thailand is one of the world's largest food exporters, shipping rice, cassava, sugar, tropical fruit and seafood, and is highly self-sufficient. Food import dependency is therefore low, so no import figure was needed to place it high.
Certification
About 0.7% of agricultural land is certified organic (FiBL, 2020 data), though the country actively promotes organic jasmine rice for export.
Water for crops
Thailand is watered by the monsoon and by rivers such as the Chao Phraya and Mekong tributaries, so overall supply is generally ample. However the pronounced wet and dry seasons bring both major flooding, as in 2011, and dry-season drought and saltwater intrusion, and tap water is not recommended for drinking even though basic access is near universal.
Why the organic number looks like that. Certification covers only part of what is grown cleanly, so a small certified share is a gap in the paperwork rather than proof that nothing is. What the official land record does show: 43.8% of the country is agricultural land and 31% is arable (2023, World Bank). Certification is paid for per farm per year by a foreign body, which prices out smallholders, so the organic number reads worse than the practice.
What actually grows here
SugarcaneRiceCassavaOil palm fruitMaizeRubberTropical fruitsMangoes/guavasFruits
The food that already fits
The plant-based kitchen here is not an import. By tonnage, the largest crops grown in Thailand are sugarcane, rice, cassava and oil palm fruit (FAO, FAOSTAT crop production, 2024). That is what the land itself puts on a plate.
Buy direct where residents buy: Banzaan Fresh Market (Night), Bon Marché Market Park, Diamond Market, Doi Mae Salong Morning Market, Doi Saket Market, Kim Yong Market. Each is a mapped, named marketplace, so the money stays with the seller rather than the importer. OpenStreetMap.
Not yet checked by us. Plant based kitchens listed publicly: Vegan Pranakhon, vegan restaurant on Tanao Road near Khaosan in Bangkok: modern Thai dishes such as northern curried noodles and Panang curry ramen; Tammang Rama2 Issan Vegan, vegan restaurant in Chom Thong, Bangkok: Isaan som tum, laap and sticky rice with house made vegan fish sauce; May Veggie Home, vegan restaurant off Sukhumvit 23 in Bangkok: khao soi, pad kra pao and noodles; Jae Oa Vegetarian, vegetarian kitchen on Yaowarat Road in Bangkok: Thai and Chinese stir fries and noodle soups with mock meat; Golden State Vegan Restaurant, vegan restaurant off Sukhumvit 33 in Bangkok: fusion sushi, tacos and noodles. Tell us how they are.
Is this grown in Thailand?
Tap a food for the honest answer.
RiceTofuVegetablesChilliesHerbsTropical fruitCoconut
World Bank Open Data · FAO, FAOSTAT crop production · World Health Organization · FAO AQUASTAT · Spinach, Vegan Pranakhon, Bangkok · Spinach, Tammang Rama2 Issan Vegan, Bangkok · Spinach, May Veggie Home, Bangkok · Spinach, Jae Oa Vegetarian, Bangkok · Spinach, Golden State Vegan Restaurant, Bangkok · J Med Assoc Thai 2006, Thailand diabetes registry project: prevalence and risk factors associated with lower extremity amputation in Thai diabetics
Climate and Energy in Thailand.
Thailand's power system leans heavily on natural gas, which supplies roughly 60% of generation, while low-carbon sources such as hydro, solar, biomass and wind provided only about 15% in 2024. Territorial CO2 emissions sit at a moderate 3.74 tonnes per person (2024), below the world average. At COP30 in November 2025 Thailand brought its net-zero greenhouse gas target forward to 2050 from the previous 2065, alongside a pledge to cut emissions 47% by 2035 conditional on international support. The direction of travel is credible, but the fossil-heavy grid and modest renewables keep the country mid-table for now.
What powers Thailand?
Renewable 16.6%Fossil 83.4%
Thailand's grid is run by three utilities that are 100 per cent state owned: the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), the Metropolitan Electricity Authority and the Provincial Electricity Authority. The Energy Regulatory Commission regulates them. In October 2025 the commission published draft rules for direct power purchase deals over the state grid, a pilot capped at 2,000 MW for new renewable plants supplying large data centres. In July 2026 the National Energy Policy Council agreed in principle to open the scheme to other industrial users, and in August 2026 regulators said the grid use charges were still being finalised. Also in July 2026 a government MP proposed taking the three utilities out of the regulator's oversight and making them answer directly to the energy minister; this is a proposal, not policy.
Climate pollution per person
The safe amount, what the planet can absorb
2 tonnes
One person here
3.96 tonnes
The world average, for comparison
4.7 tonnes
The worst it ever got
3.96 tonnes
The grid
Thailand's power system leans heavily on natural gas, which supplies roughly 60% of generation, while low-carbon sources such as hydro, solar, biomass and wind provided only about 15% in 2024. Territorial CO2 emissions sit at a moderate 3.74 tonnes per person (2024), below the world average.
Pollution
Thailand introduced a major-retailer plastic-bag ban in 2020 and a roadmap to phase out single-use plastics by 2027, but it remains among the larger contributors of ocean plastic, and the north suffers severe seasonal crop-burning smog that pushes Chiang Mai to hazardous air for weeks. National average fine particles sit at about 21 micrograms per cubic metre (AQLI, 2022).
Water stress
Thailand is watered by the monsoon and by rivers such as the Chao Phraya and Mekong tributaries, so overall supply is generally ample. However the pronounced wet and dry seasons bring both major flooding, as in 2011, and dry-season drought and saltwater intrusion, and tap water is not recommended for drinking even though basic access is near universal.
What pollutes most here
1The grid The share of electricity still generated from fossil fuel.80.1%
2Industry Mangrove-clearing shrimp farms and seasonal crop burning of sugarcane and maize in the north..named
3Air Modelled annual mean against a WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.21.2
4On the record Thailand introduced a major-retailer plastic-bag ban in 2020 and a roadmap to phase out single-use plastics by 2027, but it remains among the larger contributors of ocean plastic, and the north suffers severe seasonal crop-burning smog that pushes Chiang Mai to hazardous air for weeks.
What has Thailand promised on climate?
Net zero, whole economy"Carbon neutrality by 2050 and net-zero emissions by 2065"
Electricity renewable today19.9% (2021)
Land protected, against a 30% target18.4% by 2025
Sea protected, against a 30% target5% by 2025
The net-zero target year on file with Climate Watch is "Carbon neutrality by 2050 and net-zero emissions by 2065", status: in policy document. Measured against it, 19.9% of electricity is already renewable (2021, World Bank), so 80.1% of the grid is still to be converted. The pledge on file is measured here against what has actually been delivered, not taken on its own (UNFCCC NDC Registry, CBD Kunming-Montreal Target 3).
The biggest line item
One return flight against a whole year of living.
A resident's entire year3.96 t CO2e
Safe-climate budget, per year2 t CO2e
New York return, economy2.51 t CO2e
Los Angeles return, economy2.4 t CO2e
London return, economy1.72 t CO2e
Paris return, economy1.7 t CO2e
Johannesburg return, economy1.62 t CO2e
How much CO2 does flying to Thailand emit?
Tap where you would fly from. One return flight, economy.
Firsts on climate finance. In August 2020 Thailand's Public Debt Management Office issued the country's first sustainability bond, THB 30 billion (about US$964 million) in two tranches, which the Asian Development Bank called a first of its kind for a sovereign in Southeast Asia. On 25 November 2024 it issued a THB 30 billion, 15 year sustainability linked bond, which ADB describes as the first sovereign bond of its kind in Asia and the third in the world after Chile and Uruguay; its terms are tied to cutting greenhouse gas emissions 30 per cent below business as usual and adding 440,000 zero emission vehicles by 2030. A second, THB 25 billion sustainability linked bond followed in 2026, which Standard Chartered says is the first sovereign bond in Asia to embed biodiversity targets, including protecting at least 30 per cent of the land by 2030.
Climate Watch (WRI) · UNFCCC NDC Registry · World Bank Open Data · UK DESNZ greenhouse gas conversion factors · Thairath, EGAT, MEA and PEA ERC oversight proposal (3 July 2026) · Hunton Andrews Kurth, Thailand's draft regulation on direct power purchase agreements via third party access for data centers · The Nation, Thailand unlocks direct green power deals to modernise grid · Asian Development Bank, ADB supports Thailand green, social and sustainability bonds for COVID-19 recovery · Asian Development Bank, ADB supports Asia's first sovereign sustainability linked bond in Thailand · Standard Chartered, Supporting Thailand's second sustainability linked bond
AI and Data Centres in Thailand.
Every prompt runs on a machine in a building on somebody’s grid. What that costs the planet depends less on the prompt than on what is burning to power it. Here is what would power one in Thailand.
Data centres
41
Registered colocation and interconnection facilities, PeeringDB, 2026
Grid renewable
16.6 %
What a machine here runs on.
What powers a data centre in Thailand?
Almost everything a machine here consumes is burned fossil fuel.
Renewable 16.6%Fossil 83.4%
Cooling water. Every one of those halls runs on the national grid, which is 19.9% renewable today (World Bank). A data centre is only as clean as the electricity behind it, so the same figure that decides this country's climate score also decides the footprint of the AI running inside it. Cooling water use is not separately published by facility, and no operator here reports it.
The rules. Thailand has 41 colocation and interconnection facilities on the public PeeringDB register, concentrated in Bangkok (21), Chon Buri (4), Pakkret (3), alongside 12 internet exchanges (THAILAND IX (TH-IX), BKNIX (Thailand), SYMPHONY THAI - IX BANGKOK - 1, CSL Thai-IX Malaysia). Named sites include TCC Technology Data Center, Bangkok,Thailand (TCC ETDC, TCCtech), CS LoxInfo Data Center, CW Tower, UIH BCH4 IDC - Bangkok, Thailand, TCIF Building.
Where the cables land. 7 landing points · Chumphon, Koh Samui, Phetchaburi, Rayong
Economy and Tourism in Thailand.
64% residents to 36% visitors across a year. 39,916,000 international arrivals in 2019 against 71,619,863 people who live here (2025, World Bank / UN Tourism).
Where a visitor dollar goes in Thailand
39,916k
Visitors a year
0.6
Visitors per resident
How deep in debt is Thailand?· for every $100 Thailand earns in a year, it owes…
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · today
$ 67What is owed now, for every $100 of national income (2026).
IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026signed, the creditors
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · projected 2031
$ 70The IMF's own forecast has this rising to $70 by 2031.
IMF World Economic Outlook projection, 2031signed, the forecast
For every $100 Thailand earns in a year, it owes $67 (2026, IMF World Economic Outlook). The interest on that is paid before schools, clinics or coastline get their turn.
Where does a tourist dollar actually go in Thailand?
Play one tourist dollar around the board. Every square is a measured fact from this page.
START!
1
GO: a visitor lands
$100 goes on the table. 39,916,000 international arrivals in 2019 against 71,619,863 residents, 0.6 visitors for every resident (World Bank / UN Tourism).
$100 in play2
The bed
Who owns the largest places to stay in Thailand is not published in the records we can check, so this square is left open rather than guessed. Where a listing names its owner, it is shown in the ownership table below.
not published3
The plate
Food is only 6.6% of everything Thailand imports (2024, World Bank), so most of a meal is bought from producers inside the country. Eating what the land here actually grows, sugarcane, rice, cassava, oil palm fruit, maize, rubber, tropical fruits, mangoes/guavas, fruits, keeps that money with the grower.
mostly home-grown4
The power
80.1% of the electricity is fossil (2021, World Bank). Lighting, cooling and hot water are paid for largely in imported fuel.
burns away5
What actually stays
On the parts that can be measured, the power leaves and the plate stays. It is genuinely a coin toss, decided by what you book.
split6
Pay the bank first
Thailand owes $67 for every $100 it earns (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026 projection). The interest is paid before anything else on this board.
$67 per $1007
A spread hand
The largest single export, electrical machinery and electronics, is 18.6% of the total (2025, UN Comtrade). No one shock can take the whole board.
top export 17.5%8
Community chest
Tourism earns 6% of everything Thailand makes from exports (2020, World Bank / UN Tourism). That is how much of the economy depends on the game continuing.
6% of exports9
The flight
Getting here is usually the biggest single line on the bill. From New York a return economy seat is 2.51 t CO2, on the UK Government's published conversion factors. It is the one part of the trip this board cannot reduce.
2.51 t CO210
Back to GO
The economy turns over about US$580 billion a year (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026 projection). Every lap of this board is a choice about how much of it stays.
US$580bnGDPUS$577.0bn
Agriculture, share of GDP8.8%
Visitors a year39,916,000
Visitors per resident0.6
Residents~71,619,863
Agriculture
Farming is 8.8% of the economy. Thailand is one of the world's largest food exporters, shipping rice, cassava, sugar, tropical fruit and seafood, and is highly self-sufficient.
Natural materials
Living textile traditions are strong, from Isaan mudmee silk, a distinctive tie-dye ikat, to handwoven cotton, hill-tribe hemp among the Hmong and Karen, and widespread basketry and water-hyacinth weaving. These remain everyday crafts and cottage industries.
Energy
Thailand's power system leans heavily on natural gas, which supplies roughly 60% of generation, while low-carbon sources such as hydro, solar, biomass and wind provided only about 15% in 2024. Territorial CO2 emissions sit at a moderate 3.74 tonnes per person (2024), below the world average.
Who owns the biggest hotels in Thailand?
By rooms · company records and press.
Garrya Tongsai Bay Samui · ~83 roomsCorporatenot published
Elephant Nature Park · ~30 roomsIndependentnot published
Faasai Resort and Spa · ~14 roomsIndependentnot published
Visitors, over time
201424,810k
201529,923k
201632,530k
201735,592k
201838,178k
201939,916k
International tourism receipts run at about US$15.36 billion in 2020 (World Bank / UN Tourism). That is 6% of everything the country earns from exports.
How much of your money actually stays here?
Tap the holiday you are planning.
Visiting Thailand, whoever you are.
Resort guest, villa renter, family, nomad or backpacker. The honest playbook for each, from the same sourced numbers.
Already booked a resort? · the rescue list
Five swaps that move your money back on-island
1. Eat where the country eats Choose kitchens cooking what the land here grows, sugarcane, rice, cassava, oil palm fruit, maize, rubber, tropical fruits, mangoes/guavas and fruits, over an imported menu.
2. Book with a local operator Never the lobby desk. The margin on a tour is the part that stays.
3. Stay somewhere locally owned Ownership decides where the room rate books. Eco stays
4. Use the transport residents use Trains, cheap domestic flights, buses and ferries between islands, with tuk-tuks and songthaews locally.
5. Buy the craft, not the souvenir Natural-materials work made here pays the maker directly; imported gifts pay a shipping line.
Swipe
First time here
Thailand is a self-sufficient food exporter with living craft traditions and national parks, offset by ocean plastic and seasonal smog.
Best time: The cool, dry season, avoiding the June to October monsoon and the northern burning season.
Getting around
Trains, cheap domestic flights, buses and ferries between islands, with tuk-tuks and songthaews locally.
Transport is where the fare either stays or leaves.
Eating here
The everyday plate that actually grows here is sugarcane, rice, cassava, oil palm fruit, maize, rubber, tropical fruits, mangoes/guavas and fruits. Ordering those keeps the money with the grower and cuts the imported share of the meal.
Eating what the country grows is the cheapest way to cut the import bill.
Good to know
Cash everywhere, cards in malls; THB. Remove shoes at temples; the monarchy is deeply revered.
Rate my hotel. Tap yours for the honest verdict.
Ownership from company records and press.
Who owns the big hotels
Garrya Tongsai Bay SamuiCorporate · 83 rooms
Elephant Nature ParkIndependent · 30 rooms
Faasai Resort and SpaIndependent · 14 rooms
None of the 3 properties listed here publishes who ultimately owns it, so no claim is made either way. Ownership is what decides how much of a room rate stays in the country, which is why we show it when a listing states it.
Society and Governance in Thailand.
How well is Thailand actually run?
Governance, measured · World Bank WGI
Four measured answers, none of them opinion. Averaged across corruption control, delivery and accountability, Thailand scores 47 out of 100 (2024, World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators). That matters here because every pledge on this page is only as good as the machinery meant to deliver it.
What is daily life in Thailand really like? Measured
Getting around, breathing, throwing away, learning. The honest checklist.
TransportAirWaterWastePower
✓How you get around Trains, cheap domestic flights, buses and ferries between islands, with tuk-tuks and songthaews locally.
91.1%
literacy. Public spending on education runs at 2.5% of GDP and 12.6% of all government spending, and secondary enrolment stands at 92.1% gross (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2023 to 2025).
Made in Thailand.
Living textile traditions are strong, from Isaan mudmee silk, a distinctive tie-dye ikat, to handwoven cotton, hill-tribe hemp among the Hmong and Karen, and widespread basketry and water-hyacinth weaving. These remain everyday crafts and cottage industries. Every step of processing done at home is value that stops leaving the country.
What Thailand actually sells the world
The single biggest thing Thailand sells the world is electrical machinery and electronics, 17.5% of all exports in 2023 (about US$49.99 billion, UN Comtrade). The next four are machinery and mechanical appliances at 14.3%, vehicles at 12.6%, rubber at 5.9%, pearls, gemstones and precious metals at 5.2%.
Made now · natural materials
Distinctive tie-dye ikat
Worked in Thailand from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Hill-tribe hemp among the Hmong
Worked in Thailand from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Karen
Worked in Thailand from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Could make · grown here already
Rice
Grown in Thailand and mostly sold raw. Processing it here would keep the margin here.
Could make · grown here already
Tofu
Grown in Thailand and mostly sold raw. Processing it here would keep the margin here.
Could make · grown here already
Vegetables
Grown in Thailand and mostly sold raw. Processing it here would keep the margin here.
The maths for an entrepreneur. Thailand produces about US$577 billion a year, which is roughly US$8,057 per person (2025, World Bank). Farming is 8.7% of that, while food is 6.6% of everything the country imports. With 31% of the land arable, the raw material for that is already in the ground.
See the verified makersCulture in Thailand.
Khon masked dance drama
A masked dance drama that brings together music, song, literature, dance, ritual and handicraft to tell the story of Rama, inscribed by UNESCO in 2018.
Lakhon Chatri dance drama
A Central Thai dance drama that adapts folk tales to song and dance, accompanied by a Pi Phat Chatri band, and is still kept alive by traditional and modern troupes.
Isan Mo Lam
A master singer from the northeast sets Isan folk tales to melody in the local dialect, accompanied by the khaen bamboo mouth organ, for entertainment and for ritual.
Pi Phat ensemblesPi Phat ensembles of oboe, drums, xylophone, cymbals and clappers play for theatre such as Lakhon Chatri and Li-kae.
Does Thailand protect its heritage by law?
Partly, and the gaps say as much as the protections.
What is kept alive. Thailand keeps a deep, living court and folk heritage. Classical Khon masked dance drama and Lakhon sit alongside regional forms such as the northern Fon and the Isan Mor Lam and Luk Thung song traditions, carried by Piphat ensembles. Theravada Buddhism is practised in close weave with older ancestral traditions, seen in the spirit houses (san phra phum) outside almost every home and in festivals like Songkran and Loy Krathong.
Who it belongs to. Living Thai, northern Lanna, northeastern Isaan and hill-tribe cultures such as the Karen, Hmong and Akha sustain rich craft and festival traditions, and a well-developed community-based tourism network channels income to villages. This sits against very extractive mass tourism and some exploitative hill-tribe village attractions.
Only here. Thai Hom Mali jasmine rice, a fragrant long-grain variety with protected geographical status unique to Thailand..
The Future of Thailand.
Three futures for Thailand, every one run forward from measured data.
Where the making actually happens
Named cultural and craft sites on the open map: Craft Centre Kao Tao (Hua Hin City Municipality), Northeastern Craft Centre (Mueang Khon Kaen District), Arts and Craft centre (Mae Hong Son). OpenStreetMap. Named craft workshops on the open map: 15.28Studio, B. J Sport, BKK GRAFF, Baan Kang Wat, Kaewta Art Supplies, PaChaNa.
Every measured trend on one line
Run forward at the pace already recorded.
World Bank open data, recorded series
How much forest is left?
Forest cover moved from 39.5% to 38.7% across 29 recorded years.
How clean is the grid?
Renewable electricity moved from 8.74% to 19.9% across 26 recorded years.
How much climate pollution per person?
CO2 per person moved from 2.77 t to 3.96 t across 29 recorded years.
How many people visit?
Tourist arrivals moved from 6,952k to 39,916k across 24 recorded years.
How much land is protected?
Protected land moved from 18.9% to 18.4% across 12 recorded years.
How many people still farm?
Farm workforce moved from 47.5% to 28.6% across 30 recorded years.
How much sea is protected?
Protected sea moved from 1.8% to 5% across 12 recorded years.
How much land is farmed?
Agricultural land moved from 41.9% to 43.3% across 29 recorded years.
How fast is it urbanising?
Urban population moved from 24.1% to 62.8% across 30 recorded years.
Is the air getting cleaner?
Air pollution moved from 34.8 µg/m³ to 23.5 µg/m³ across 28 recorded years.
Is water getting scarcer?
Fresh water per person moved from 3,799 m³ to 3,130 m³ across 27 recorded years.
Is diet-related disease rising?
Adult overweight moved from 22.1% to 45.7% across 27 recorded years.
Who has power?
Electricity access moved from 82.1% to 100% across 24 recorded years.
Is income rising?
GDP per person moved from 2,864 to 8,057 across 30 recorded years.
How fast is it growing?
Population moved from 59,098k to 71,620k across 30 recorded years.
What share of all energy is renewable?
Renewable energy use moved from 22.6% to 19% across 26 recorded years.
How much energy does one person use?
Energy per person moved from 1,052 kg to 1,835 kg across 29 recorded years.
How much land and sea is protected together?
Protected area, total moved from 12.5% to 13.4% across 12 recorded years.
How long do people live?
Life expectancy moved from 69.8 yrs to 76.6 yrs across 29 recorded years.
How much does a hectare of cereal produce?
Cereal yield moved from 2,442 kg/ha to 3,085 kg/ha across 29 recorded years.
How much fertiliser goes on the land?
Fertiliser use moved from 88.5 kg/ha to 171 kg/ha across 29 recorded years.
How many people still live rurally?
Rural population moved from 75.9% to 37.2% across 30 recorded years.
How much value per cubic metre of water?
Water productivity moved from 5.57 $/m3 to 7.86 $/m3 across 15 recorded years.
How much goes on health?
Health spending moved from 3.1% to 4.54% across 23 recorded years.
How much forest is there in total?
Forest area moved from 202,000 km2 to 196,475 km2 across 30 recorded years.
How much electricity per person?
Electric power use moved from 1,256 kWh to 3,080 kWh across 29 recorded years.
How have agriculture emissions moved?
Agriculture emissions moved from 68.08 to 82.6 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have building emissions moved?
Building emissions moved from 6.44 to 8.23 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have electricity/heat emissions moved?
Electricity/Heat emissions moved from 30.83 to 101.4 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have energy emissions moved?
Energy emissions moved from 89.17 to 264.52 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have industrial processes emissions moved?
Industrial Processes emissions moved from 6.99 to 45.76 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have manufacturing/construction emissions moved?
Manufacturing/Construction emissions moved from 15.04 to 50.25 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
Worst caseCurrent pathBest case
Worst case
Every measured decline continues at the pace already recorded. The weakest pillar, organic farming at 1/5, is the one that gives way first.
Computed from: recorded series extended with no policy change
What the best case actually asks for
Lift organic farming
It scores 1 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Thailand's record. About 0.7% of agricultural land is certified organic (FiBL, 2020 data), though the country actively promotes organic jasmine rice for export.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift energy
It scores 1 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Thailand's record. Thailand's power system leans heavily on natural gas, which supplies roughly 60% of generation, while low-carbon sources such as hydro, solar, biomass and wind provided only about 15% in 2024.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift pollution
It scores 2 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Thailand's record. Thailand introduced a major-retailer plastic-bag ban in 2020 and a roadmap to phase out single-use plastics by 2027, but it remains among the larger contributors of ocean plastic, and the north suffers severe seasonal crop-burning smog that pushes Chiang Mai t…
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Government and Goals in Thailand.
Who is in charge of Thailand now · Office-holders from the UN Protocol and Liaison Service public list of Heads of State and Heads of Government, 20 October 2026. Legislature and election dates from IFES ElectionGuide. Constitution dates from the Constitute Project. Governance scores from the World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators 2024.
Anutin Charnvirakul
Prime Minister
Anutin Charnvirakul is the head of government of Thailand, in office since 5 Sep 2025. Every climate, protection and energy pledge on this page is delivered, or not, under this administration.
Public opinion, measured
Voice and accountability, the freedom to question government scores 48.2 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Up from 47.6 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Control of corruption scores 38.1 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Up from 37.4 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Political stability and absence of violence scores 55.8 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Up from 55.5 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Rule of law scores 56.6 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Up from 55.5 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Regulatory quality scores 57.6 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Up from 57.4 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Anutin CharnvirakulPrime Minister
National Assembly (Rathhasapha)Legislature, bicameral
Last election8 February 2026
Constitution2017
Government typeconstitutional monarchy
Thailand national goals: climate commitments on record · as recorded by Climate Watch, World Resources Institute
Plain Answers About Thailand.
The questions people actually type, answered in full sentences from the sourced data above.
Swipe
Is Thailand sustainable?
Thailand scores 62 out of 100 on the Throne Eco Index, across twelve equally weighted pillars. Thailand is a self-sufficient food exporter with living craft traditions and national parks, offset by ocean plastic and seasonal smog.
Is the water in Thailand safe and plentiful?
Thailand is watered by the monsoon and by rivers such as the Chao Phraya and Mekong tributaries, so overall supply is generally ample. However the pronounced wet and dry seasons bring both major flooding, as in 2011, and dry-season drought and saltwater intrusion, and tap water is not recommended for drinking even though basic access is near universal.
Can Thailand feed itself?
Thailand is one of the world's largest food exporters, shipping rice, cassava, sugar, tropical fruit and seafood, and is highly self-sufficient. Food import dependency is therefore low, so no import figure was needed to place it high.
Is it easy to eat plant-based in Thailand?
Markets overflow with vegetables, tofu, rice, herbs and tropical fruit, and a strong Buddhist vegetarian tradition peaks in the nine-day Vegetarian (Jay) Festival, so plant eating is easy and vegan options are growing. Default cooking does lean on fish sauce and shrimp paste, so care is needed for strict plant-based diets.
How much of Thailand is actually protected?
About 18% of Thailand's land is protected (World Bank, 2025), including national parks such as Khao Yai and the Western Forest Complex, but marine protection is limited at around 5%. Enforcement is undercut by wildlife trafficking and tourism pressure, illustrated by the multi-year closure of Maya Bay to let reefs recover.
What wildlife is left in Thailand?
Thailand holds rich Indomalayan wildlife, including wild Asian elephants, hornbills, gibbons and one of Southeast Asia's most important tiger populations in the Huai Kha Khaeng and Western Forest Complex, where tiger numbers have recovered. Populations remain under trafficking and habitat pressure and endemism is moderate.
Is Thailand on clean energy?
Thailand's power system leans heavily on natural gas, which supplies roughly 60% of generation, while low-carbon sources such as hydro, solar, biomass and wind provided only about 15% in 2024. Territorial CO2 emissions sit at a moderate 3.74 tonnes per person (2024), below the world average. At COP30 in November 2025 Thailand brought its net-zero greenhouse gas target forward to 2050 from the previous 2065, alongside a pledge to cut emissions 47% by 2035 conditional on international support.
How polluted is Thailand?
Thailand introduced a major-retailer plastic-bag ban in 2020 and a roadmap to phase out single-use plastics by 2027, but it remains among the larger contributors of ocean plastic, and the north suffers severe seasonal crop-burning smog that pushes Chiang Mai to hazardous air for weeks. National average fine particles sit at about 21 micrograms per cubic metre (AQLI, 2022).
Does recycling work in Thailand?
Thailand has a sizeable plastics-recycling industry and an informal buy-back sector that recover a meaningful share of materials, but municipal separation is inconsistent and much waste is still open-dumped or mismanaged.
Is the farming in Thailand organic?
About 0.7% of agricultural land is certified organic (FiBL, 2020 data), though the country actively promotes organic jasmine rice for export.
Are there natural materials and craft in Thailand?
Living textile traditions are strong, from Isaan mudmee silk, a distinctive tie-dye ikat, to handwoven cotton, hill-tribe hemp among the Hmong and Karen, and widespread basketry and water-hyacinth weaving. These remain everyday crafts and cottage industries.
Is there living culture in Thailand?
Living Thai, northern Lanna, northeastern Isaan and hill-tribe cultures such as the Karen, Hmong and Akha sustain rich craft and festival traditions, and a well-developed community-based tourism network channels income to villages. This sits against very extractive mass tourism and some exploitative hill-tribe village attractions.
What heritage does Thailand keep alive?
Thailand keeps a deep, living court and folk heritage. Classical Khon masked dance drama and Lakhon sit alongside regional forms such as the northern Fon and the Isan Mor Lam and Luk Thung song traditions, carried by Piphat ensembles. Theravada Buddhism is practised in close weave with older ancestral traditions, seen in the spirit houses (san phra phum) outside almost every home and in festivals like Songkran and Loy Krathong.
So is Thailand actually green? The measured answer
What is working: the record is thin on the headline measures, and the sourced numbers below say why.
What is not: sea protected at 5% against a 30% mark, renewable electricity at 19.9% against a 100% mark.
How Thailand Ranks, region and world.
Where Thailand sits on the Eco Index, against its Asia neighbours and the 77 destinations scored worldwide.
How does Thailand compare in Asia?
1India67
2Sri Lanka65
3Laos63
4Cambodia62
Scored Asia destinations, Eco Index.
The global top 10 of the 77 destinations scored
1Switzerland78
2France78
3Finland77
4Slovenia77
5Australia77
6Portugal75
7Germany75
8New Zealand75
9Italy73
10Spain73
Thailand sits 47 of 77 at 62/100. Every name links to its own destination page, built exactly like this one. The full ranking
What is Thailand particularly good at?
✓ Food and farming, scored 5/5. Thailand is one of the world's largest food exporters, shipping rice, cassava, sugar, tropical fruit and seafood, and is highly self-sufficient. Food import dependency is therefore low, so no import figure was needed to place it high.
✓ Heritage, scored 5/5. Thailand keeps a deep, living court and folk heritage. Classical Khon masked dance drama and Lakhon sit alongside regional forms such as the northern Fon and the Isan Mor Lam and Luk Thung song traditions, carried by Piphat ensembles. Theravada Buddhism is practised in close weave with older ancestral traditions, seen in the spirit houses (san phra phum) outside almost every home and in festivals like Songkran and Loy Krathong. Ancestral knowledge also survives in Nuad Thai traditional massage and in the living cultures of the Karen, Hmong, Akha and Lisu peoples of the north.
✓ Plant-based eating, scored 4/5. Markets overflow with vegetables, tofu, rice, herbs and tropical fruit, and a strong Buddhist vegetarian tradition peaks in the nine-day Vegetarian (Jay) Festival, so plant eating is easy and vegan options are growing. Default cooking does lean on fish sauce and shrimp paste, so care is needed for strict plant-based diets.
Where does Thailand score worst?
✕ Organic farming, scored 1/5. About 0.7% of agricultural land is certified organic (FiBL, 2020 data), though the country actively promotes organic jasmine rice for export.
✕ Energy, scored 1/5. Thailand's power system leans heavily on natural gas, which supplies roughly 60% of generation, while low-carbon sources such as hydro, solar, biomass and wind provided only about 15% in 2024. Territorial CO2 emissions sit at a moderate 3.74 tonnes per person (2024), below the world average. At COP30 in November 2025 Thailand brought its net-zero greenhouse gas target forward to 2050 from the previous 2065, alongside a pledge to cut emissions 47% by 2035 conditional on international support. The direction of travel is credible, but the fossil-heavy grid and modest renewables keep the country mid-table for now.
✕ Pollution, scored 2/5. Thailand introduced a major-retailer plastic-bag ban in 2020 and a roadmap to phase out single-use plastics by 2027, but it remains among the larger contributors of ocean plastic, and the north suffers severe seasonal crop-burning smog that pushes Chiang Mai to hazardous air for weeks. National average fine particles sit at about 21 micrograms per cubic metre (AQLI, 2022).
A note from the lens of mother natureSwipe
Organic farming, 1/5
About 0.7% of agricultural land is certified organic (FiBL, 2020 data), though the country actively promotes organic jasmine rice for export.
Consequence: It is the lowest-scoring part of Thailand's record, so it is where the score moves first.
Energy, 1/5
Thailand's power system leans heavily on natural gas, which supplies roughly 60% of generation, while low-carbon sources such as hydro, solar, biomass and wind provided only about 15% in 2024. Territorial CO2 emissions sit at a moderate 3.74 tonnes per person (2024), below the world average.
Pollution, 2/5
Thailand introduced a major-retailer plastic-bag ban in 2020 and a roadmap to phase out single-use plastics by 2027, but it remains among the larger contributors of ocean plastic, and the north suffers severe seasonal crop-burning smog that pushes Chiang Mai to hazardous air for weeks.
The Thailand Directory.
Everything on Hold The Throne that sits in Thailand, checked and listed.
How the rest of the world scores Thailand
Independent global indices, for calibration.
Forest cover
38.7
World Bank, 2024.
Protected land
18.4
World Bank, 2025.
Protected sea
5.0
World Bank, 2025.
Renewable grid
19.9
World Bank, 2021.
CO2 per person
4.0 t (2024)
World Bank, 2024.
Threatened species
515 (mammals, birds, fish & plants)
Recorded figure, sourced on this page.
Control of corruption
38.1 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Government effectiveness
57.7 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Rule of law
56.6 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Political stability
55.8 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Voice and accountability
48.2 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Environmental Performance Index
43.7 / 100 · 74 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 74 of 177 countries assessed.
Ecosystem vitality
41.2 / 100 · 106 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 106 of 177 countries assessed.
Biodiversity and habitat
47.1 / 100 · 77 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 77 of 177 countries assessed.
Air quality
36.8 / 100 · 90 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 90 of 177 countries assessed.
Terrestrial biomes protected
60.0 / 100 · 78 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 78 of 177 countries assessed.
Marine habitat protected
33.5 / 100 · 37 of 111
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 37 of 111 countries assessed.
How Thailand Is Scored. The Throne Standard.
Every destination on the index is scored the same way, so a 4 in Barbados means exactly what a 4 means in Iceland. No self-declared data and no brochure claims are accepted. Seven pillars are scored from published measurements with the same fixed thresholds everywhere: energy (low-carbon share of electricity, 90% or more scores 5, 70% 4, 50% 3, 25% 2), conservation (land and sea protected), water (safe drinking water, wastewater treated, water stress), organic farmland, recycling, food import dependence and air quality. Where a measurement is not published for a place, that pillar keeps its source-assessed score and is labelled as such. Wildlife, culture, heritage, materials and plant-based eating have no comparable measurement and are assessed from the named sources. The Eco Index is the average of the twelve pillar scores multiplied by 20. Every figure on this page carries its named source and year, and the history on each page names what empire took as plainly as it scores the present.
The 12 pillars every destination is scored on, equally weighted
01
Water
Safe drinking water, wastewater treated and water stress. Measured.
02
Food & farming
How much of the import bill is food: whether the place feeds itself. Measured.
03
Plant-based
How easy it is to eat plant-based, from documented sources.
04
Organic
Certified organic share of farmland. Measured.
05
Conservation
Land and sea legally protected, against the 30 by 30 goal. Measured.
06
Wildlife
What survives, what is endemic, what is lost, from documented sources.
07
Materials
Local natural fibres and craft, from documented sources.
08
Pollution
Air quality (PM2.5, measured) and plastics and waste policy.
09
Recycling
Share of municipal waste recycled. Measured.
10
Energy
Low-carbon share of electricity, nuclear included. Measured.
11
Culture
Living culture and community-led visits, from documented sources.
12
Heritage
What the law keeps standing, from documented sources.
What each 0 to 5 pillar score means, in plain words
0
Absent
nothing verifiable exists
1
Failing
measurably going the wrong way
2
Weak
claims outrun delivery
3
Fair
real effort, mixed results
4
Strong
genuinely good, evidence named
5
Leading
world class, and the trend holds
Where the numbers come from.
The institutions above are the ones cited on this page, ranked by how many of its figures they carry. This same sectioned page renders for all 77 scored destinations, each with its own researched history, comparison charts and three-way future. Read the full methodology
Every figure on this page, and where it came from: 70 sources across 25 institutions
World Bank18 FIGURES
- Forest area (% of land area) AG.LND.FRST.ZS, 2023 check
- Terrestrial protected areas (% of land) ER.LND.PTLD.ZS, 2025 check
- Marine protected areas (% of territorial waters) ER.MRN.PTMR.ZS, 2025 check
- Renewable electricity output (% of total) EG.ELC.RNEW.ZS, 2021 check
- Threatened species (mammals EN.MAM.THRD.NO, birds EN.BIR.THRD.NO, fish EN.FSH.THRD.NO, higher plants EN.HPT.THRD.NO), 2022 check
- CO2 emissions per capita EN.GHG.CO2.PC.CE.AR5, 2024 check
- GDP (current US$) NY.GDP.MKTP.CD, 2025 check
- International tourist arrivals ST.INT.ARVL, 2019 check
- Agricultural land (% of land area) AG.LND.AGRI.ZS, 2023 check
- Arable land (% of land area) AG.LND.ARBL.ZS, 2023 check
- Agriculture, value added (% of GDP) NV.AGR.TOTL.ZS, 2025 check
- Adult literacy rate SE.ADT.LITR.ZS, 2022 check
- Renewable internal freshwater per capita (m3) ER.H2O.INTR.PC, 2022 check
- Safely managed sanitation (% of population) SH.STA.SMSS.ZS, 2024 check
- Overweight prevalence, adults (%) SH.STA.OWAD.ZS, 2022 check
- Central government debt (% of GDP) GC.DOD.TOTL.GD.ZS, 2024 check
- Population total SP.POP.TOTL, 2025 check
- What a Waste 2.0 country-level dataset check
GBIF occurrence search16 FIGURES
- Thailand, IUCN category Critically Endangered, Bos javanicus, Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Thailand in GBIF occurrence data (mammal). check
- Thailand, IUCN category Critically Endangered, Bos javanicus corroboration check
- Thailand, IUCN category Critically Endangered, Bos javanicus corroboration check
- Thailand, IUCN category Critically Endangered, Bos javanicus corroboration check
- Thailand, IUCN category Critically Endangered, Calidris pygmaea, Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Thailand in GBIF occurrence data (bird). check
- Thailand, IUCN category Critically Endangered, Calidris pygmaea corroboration check
- Thailand, IUCN category Critically Endangered, Calidris pygmaea corroboration check
- Thailand, IUCN category Critically Endangered, Calidris pygmaea corroboration check
- Thailand, IUCN category Critically Endangered, Heosemys annandalii, Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Thailand in GBIF occurrence data (turtle). check
- Thailand, IUCN category Critically Endangered, Heosemys annandalii corroboration check
- Thailand, IUCN category Critically Endangered, Heosemys annandalii corroboration check
- Thailand, IUCN category Critically Endangered, Rhynchobatus australiae, Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Thailand in GBIF occurrence data (shark or ray). check
- Thailand, IUCN category Critically Endangered, Rhynchobatus australiae corroboration check
- Thailand, IUCN category Critically Endangered, Crocodylus siamensis, Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Thailand in GBIF occurrence data (species). check
- Thailand, IUCN category Critically Endangered, Crocodylus siamensis corroboration check
- Thailand, IUCN category Critically Endangered, Crocodylus siamensis corroboration check
Other published sources4 FIGURES
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 120/2013 of 11 February 2013 registering Khao Hom Mali Thung Kula Rong-Hai as a protected geographical indication, OJ L 41, 12.2.2013, pp. 3-8, Thai Hom Mali jasmine rice, a fragrant long-grain variety with protected geographical status unique to Thailan check
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 120/2013 of 11 February 2013 registering Khao Hom Mali Thung Kula Rong-Hai as a protected geographical indication, OJ L 41, 12.2.2013, pp. 3-8 corroboration check
- Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (DASTA), Thailand, English site, Designated Areas listing, DASTA runs the national CBT Thailand platform listing community-run homestays and community-tourism enterprise check
- Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (DASTA), Thailand, English site, Designated Areas listing corroboration check
UNESCO Institute for Statistics4 FIGURES
- public data API, indicator XGDP.FSGOV, Thailand, Public spending on education runs at 2.5% of GDP and 12.6% of all government spending, and secondary enrolment check
- public data API, indicator XGDP.FSGOV, Thailand corroboration check
- public data API, indicator XGDP.FSGOV, Thailand corroboration check
- public data API, indicator XGDP.FSGOV, Thailand corroboration check
BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC3 FIGURES
- UN SDG Global Database, terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas covered by protected areas (%) ER_PTD_TERR, Thailand, 2025 (68.2%), country-reported check
- UN SDG Global Database, marine Key Biodiversity Areas covered by protected areas (%) ER_MRN_MPA, Thailand, 2025 (44.0%), country-reported check
- UN SDG Global Database, freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas covered by protected areas (%) ER_PTD_FRHWTR, Thailand, 2025 (36.3%), country-reported check
FAO3 FIGURES
- FAOSTAT Trade: Crops and Livestock Products, normalised bulk dataset, 2023 values, Thailand is one of the world's largest food exporters, shipping rice, cassava, sugar, tropical fruit and seafo check
- FAOSTAT Trade: Crops and Livestock Products, normalised bulk dataset, 2023 values corroboration check
- FAOSTAT Production: Crops and Livestock Products, Asia bulk file, Thailand production 2024 corroboration check
Convention on Biological Diversity2 FIGURES
FAO, Global Forest Resources Assessment2 FIGURES
University of Chicago EPIC2 FIGURES
18.6% of exports1 FIGURE
- 2025, UN Comtrade annual data now published through 2025 check
Climate Action Tracker1 FIGURE
- Thailand net-zero targets, 2025 check
Climate Watch (WRI)1 FIGURE
- Net-Zero Tracker check
Constitute Project1 FIGURE
- Thailand 2017 check
Ember / Low Carbon Power1 FIGURE
- Thailand electricity mix, 2024 check
FiBL1 FIGURE
- The World of Organic Agriculture, organic farmland statistics check
FiBL and IFOAM1 FIGURE
- The World of Organic Agriculture (organic share of agricultural land, 2020 data) check
Fine Arts Department1 FIGURE
- Thailand, national statistical authority check
Functionally extinct in Thailand1 FIGURE
- last known birds 2013 to 2014, and no Thai GBIF record after 2013 check
IEA, World Energy Balances1 FIGURE
- UN SDG Global Database, renewable share of total final energy consumption (%) EG_FEC_RNEW, Thailand, 2023 (19.8%), modelled estimate check
IFES ElectionGuide1 FIGURE
- Thailand elections and chambers check
National Statistical Office1 FIGURE
- Thailand, national statistical authority check
Our World in Data1 FIGURE
- CO2 emissions per capita (Global Carbon Project), 2024 check
UN Protocol and Liaison Service1 FIGURE
- Heads of State, Heads of Government and Ministers for Foreign Affairs, public list dated 20 October 2026 check
UNESCO1 FIGURE
- Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, Thailand check
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme1 FIGURE
- UN SDG Global Database, population using safely managed sanitation (%) SH_SAN_SAFE, Thailand, 2024 (26.7%), modelled estimate check