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In 2018, the interim parliament voted to legalise the use of cannabis for medical reasons, making Thailand the first Southeast Asian country to allow the use of medical cannabis. Non-communicable diseases form the major burden of morbidity and mortality, while infectious diseases including malaria and tuberculosis, as well as traffic accidents, are also important public health issues. The number of international degree students in Thailand increased by 9.7 times between 1999 and 2012, from 1,882 to 20,309 students. To be brutally honest, I’m not the biggest fan of the Thai beaches and islands—I’ve been to them all—because they are all built-up tourist attractions that don’t feel like Thailand. The gulf islands of Ko Tao, Ko Samui and Ko Pha-Ngan are close together, while the islands on the Andaman coast are scattered. (The website looks like it’s from 1995, but it’s legit.) For more details, check out my guide to Khao Yai National Park. On my visit to Khao Yai National Park, I was amazed by the diversity of the wildlife sightings, including wild elephants, hornbills, gibbons, vipers and porcupines. While both UNESCO sites are worth visiting, I personally prefer Sukhothai because it’s not as crowded, and there are far fewer annoying vendors. Sukhothai was the first capital of Siam in 13th and 14th centuries, and Ayutthaya was the second. Around the 10th century, the city-states of Dvaravati merged into the mandalas of Lavo (modern Lopburi) and Suvarnabhumi (modern Suphan Buri). Dvaravati art, including the Buddha sculptures and stupas, showed strong similarities to those of the Gupta Empire of India. Some historians suggest that Lavo's capital, Lopburi, was once seized by Phrom. Thaksin sought to position Thailand as a regional leader, initiating various development projects in poorer neighbouring countries. As part of its effort to increase international ties, Thailand had reached out to such regional organisations as the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). When East Timor gained independence from Indonesia, Thailand contributed troops to the international peacekeeping effort. In the 2000s, Thailand had taken an active role on the international stage and participated fully in international and regional organisations. Thailand has developed increasingly close ties with other members, with progressing regional co-operation in economic, trade, banking, political, and cultural matters. During the Cold War, Thailand sought to prevent the spread of communism so it joined the United States, including participating in SEATO alliance, sending expeditions to Korea and Vietnam, and offering the US to use its base. The origins and ethnicity of the Syam remain unclear, with some literature suggesting that Syam refers to the Shan people, the Bru people, or the Brau people. Sujit Wongthes argues that Thai is not a race or ethnicity but a culture group. It is classified as a newly industrialised country, with manufacturing, agriculture, and tourism being the main economic sectors. Thailand is a member of the United Nations, a major non-NATO ally of the United States, and a founding member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as well as a regional power. The current constitutional structure allows de facto political influence by the Royal Thai Armed Forces. Thailand operates under the 2017 Constitution and a coalition government following the 2019 Thai general election, as well as political demonstrations demanding democracy and monarchy reform. Thailand had a 2017 GDP of US$1.236 trillion (on a purchasing power parity basis). Thailand is an emerging economy and is considered a newly industrialised country. Major exports include cars, computers, electrical appliances, rice, textiles and footwear, fishery products, rubber, and jewellery. Thailand is the 75th most peaceful country in the world, according to the 2024 Global Peace Index. Internal Security Operations Command is called the political arm of the military, which has overlapping social and political functions with civilian bureaucracy. Growing Chinese influence and capital inflow caused some members of parliament to raise the concern about "economic colony" under China after many concessions. Coal-fired power plants produce an additional 20% of electricity, with the remainder coming from biomass, hydro, and biogas. This means the country uses about twice as much biocapacity as it contains, resulting in a deficit. Bank of Thailand reported that during 2006–16, Thailand's top 5% largest companies had 85% of all corporate revenue in the nation, and only 6% of the country's companies were in export industries, which made up 60% of the country's GDP.
