Thailand

Economy

Thailand's economy is reliant on exports, which accounted for over 60% of the country's gross domestic
product in 2019. (GDP). Thailand is a newly industrialized country, according to the World Bank, with a
GDP of 16.316 trillion baht (US$505 billion) in 2018, making it Asia's eighth largest economy. Thailand
has an average inflation rate of 1.06 percent and a trade surplus of 7.5 percent of GDP as of 2018. In
2019, the Thai economy is predicted to rise by 3.8 percent. In 2017, the Thai Baht, the country's
currency, was the tenth most widely used payment currency in the world.

Thailand's economy is ranked 42nd in the 2021 Index for economic freedom, with a score of 69.7. Its
total score has improved by 0.3 points, owing to an increase in business freedom. Thailand is placed 9th
out of 40 Asian countries, and its overall score is higher than the regional and global averages.

Political System

The monarch is the head of state in Thailand, which is a constitutional monarchy. Since 1932, practically
every government has acknowledged constitutional authority, and the country has had 17 constitutions,
the most recent of which was drafted in 2007. All of these documents established a National Assembly
with a prime minister as the head of state. In accordance with the requirements of the constitution and
laws established by the National Assembly, the bicameral National Assembly, the Council of Ministers,
and the courts exercise power. Members of the lower house of the Assembly, the House of
Representatives, are directly elected to four-year terms, with five-sixths coming from single-member
districts and the rest based on proportional representation from political parties, according to the 2007
constitution (which is largely based on the 1997 constitution). The prime minister must also be a
member of the House of Representatives. Members of the Senate, the upper house, are elected directly
to six-year terms. The House of Representatives initiates legislation, but the Senate can amend or reject
it.

Culture

Thailand's culture has changed dramatically through time, from relative isolation during the Sukhothai
era to the more recent Ayutthaya dynasty, which absorbed influences from all over Asia. Traditional Thai
culture still bears traces of Indian, Chinese, Burmese, Khmer, and other Southeast Asian influences.
Buddhism, Animism, and Westernization are all important influences on modern culture. Thai national
culture is defined differently in different parts of Thailand, where it incorporated various regional
cultures such as Lanna, Isan, and Chinese, Portuguese, and Persian origins. During the reign of King
Chulalongkorn in the late nineteenth century, the European trend of nationalism began to have a
greater influence on Thai culture. However, after the Siamese revolution of 1932, when a series of
authoritarian regimes began to exert increasing control over people's culture and lifestyles, especially
under Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram's dictatorship, civic culture promotion reached its pinnacle.

China

Economy

China's economic freedom score is 58.4, ranking it 107th among the freest economies in the 2021 Index.
Its total score has dropped 1.1 points, owing mostly to a deterioration in fiscal health. China is placed
20th out of 40 Asian countries, and its overall score is lower than the regional and global averages.
China's economy is still largely unfree. Property rights, judicial effectiveness, and business freedom
indices have all improved in recent years, resulting in minor improvements in the country's economic
freedom score.

Political System

China, officially known as the People's Republic of China, boasts the world's largest population. It is the
world's second-largest economy, a nuclear power, and a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
It is a communist country as well. China became a communist republic in 1949, under the leadership of
Mao Zedong.

On behalf of the people, the state took ownership of factories, enterprises, and land. There was no such
thing as private ownership. The Chinese Communist Party (CPC) assumed power, and the people worked
together for the common welfare. Individual advancement at the expense of others, according to Mao,
was unacceptable.

Culture

Chinese culture dates back thousands of years, making it one of the world's oldest cultures. Ceramics,
architecture, music, literature, martial arts, food, visual arts, philosophy, and religion are all important
aspects of Chinese culture. Ethnic Groups-In China, there are 56 officially recognized ethnic groups, with
Han Chinese constituting the majority. Despite their merging into the Han identity, several ethnic groups
have retained distinct linguistic and regional cultural traditions. Even within one ethnic group, there are
likely to be numerous subgroups. Various Miao minority groups, for example, speak various varieties of
the Hmong-Mie languages, Tai-Kadai languages, and Chinese, and follow a range of cultural norms. Each
minority group usually has its own clothes, festivals, and customs.
India

Economy

India's economy is classified as a middle-income emerging market economy. It has the sixth-largest
nominal GDP and the third-largest purchasing power parity economy in the world (PPP). According to
the International Monetary Fund (IMF), India ranks 145th by nominal GDP and 122nd by nominal GDP
per capita (PPP). From 1947 through 1991, consecutive administrations advocated protectionist
economic policies that included substantial government intervention and regulation. In the form of the
License Raj, this is referred to as dirigism. Following the conclusion of the Cold War and a severe balance
of payments crisis in 1991, a major economic liberalization program was implemented.

Political System

India's politics operate under the confines of the country's Constitution. India is a parliamentary
democratic republic in which the Prime Minister of India is the head of government and the President of
India is the head of state. It is based on the federal government structure, despite the fact that the term
is not used in the Constitution. India has a dual polity structure, which is federal in nature and comprises
of a central authority and states at the periphery. The Constitution establishes the organizational powers
and limits of both the federal and state governments; it is well-known, fluid (the Constitution's preamble
being rigid and requiring subsequent amendments), and well-recognized.

Culture

Social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, belief systems, political systems, artifacts, and
technologies that originated in or are associated with the Indian subcontinent are referred to as Indian
culture. Beyond India, the word refers to countries and cultures with strong ties to India due to
immigration, colonization, or influence, particularly in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The languages,
religions, dancing, music, architecture, food, and customs of India vary from region to region. Indian
culture, which is sometimes referred to as a mash-up of several cultures, has been affected by a
millennia-long history that dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization. Many aspects of Indian culture
have had a profound impact on the Indosphere, Greater India, and the world, including Indian religions,
mathematics, philosophy, cuisine, languages, dance, music, and films.

JOANNA GAAD
BSED 4