Thailands 'primary' source of income?

**Unregistered** · 5th February 2007 07:57

Just wondering, what particular area of trade generates the most income for the country.

Most people in the west would think of the tourist industry, however I am not sure that is true. Tourism is without doubt an important industry for Thailand, but I'm not sure that it generates the most income.

I am guessing agriculture, seefood or perhaps the export of gem's?

**barfomcgee** · 5th February 2007 08:02

From Wikipedia:

Thailand exports over $105 billion worth of products annually [12]. Major exports include rice, textiles and footwear, fishery products, rubber, jewelry, automobiles, computers and electrical appliances. Thailand is the world’s no.1 exporter of rice, exporting 6.5 million tons of milled rice annually. Rice is the most important crop in the country. Thailand has the highest percent of arable land, 27.25%, of any nation in the Greater Mekong Subregion [13]. About 55% of the available land area is used for rice production [14].
Substantial industries include electric appliances, components, computer parts and automobiles, while tourism contributes about 5% of the Thai economy's GDP. Long stay foreign residents also contribute heavily to GDP.

**mig** · 5th February 2007 08:46

Prostitution – obviously.

**jonny danger** · 5th February 2007 08:57

drugs

**chelsearentboy** · 5th February 2007 09:11

Originally Posted by mig

Prostitution – obviously.

The income derived from prostitution is actually relatively small when compared to the rest of the enconomy.

**defender** · 5th February 2007 09:16

Not sure about these days, but Thailand (at the outbreak of bird flu) was the world's fourth largest exporter of chickens.

**mig** · 5th February 2007 09:43

Originally Posted by chelsearentboy

The income derived from prostitution is actually relatively small when compared to the rest of the enconomy.

No!

**SalonKitty** · 5th February 2007 09:54

Originally Posted by mig

No!

.....

According to a study by Chulalongkorn University, the annual income from prostitution is about 500 billion Bath, or about 10-14 per cent of the country’s GDP. About 12 billion Bath are send annually to rural families by women working in the sex sector. 95% of all Thai men at least one in their life purchased sex. 4.6 million Thai men regularly and about 500,000 tourists annually engage with Thai woman and children in prostitution - 65% of all tourist arrivals are unaccompanied males.

**reg the wedge** · 5th February 2007 10:24

So som tam isn't that high on the list. I'm surprised.

**Arnold!** · 5th February 2007 10:37

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Just wondering, what particular area of trade generates the most income for the country.

Most people in the west would think of the tourist industry, however I am not sure that is true. Tourism is without doubt an important industry for Thailand, but I'm not sure that it generates the most income.

I am guessing agriculture, seefood or perhaps the export of gem's?

Good OP, Unregistered.

I suppose google or some site will have this.

AJ · 5th February 2007 10:51

Originally Posted by barfomcgee

From Wikipedia:
Thailand exports over $105 billion worth of products annually [12]. Major exports include rice, textiles and footwear, fishery products, rubber, jewelry, automobiles, computers and electrical appliances...

According to a study by Chulalongkorn University, the annual income from prostitution is about 500 billion Bath, or about 10-14 per cent of the country’s GDP. About 12 billion Bath are send annually to rural families by women working in the sex sector...

So the income from prostitution, Thai men and foreigners (mostly men), is roughly the same as the income from the export of rice...

**SageAndOnion** · 5th February 2007 10:53

Originally Posted by barfomcgee

Long stay foreign residents also contribute heavily to GDP.

I expect this was written by a long term foreign resident.

**chelsearentboy** · 5th February 2007 11:02

Originally Posted by reg the wedge

So som tam isn't that high on the list. I'm surprised.

You're obviously new to Thailand, cos ST in it's final form doesn't travel well, which makes it a poor choice for exporters! However, if you care to look at the export figures for papayas, an important ingredient in ST ... they might surprise you.

AJ · 5th February 2007 11:05

Originally Posted by SageAndOnion

I expect this was written by a long term foreign resident.

Good ol' Stickman once estimated the number of long-term foreign residents to be around 300,000.

If each of them spends 400,000 baht per year, then this would add up to 120,000,000,000 (120 billion Thai baht, or roughly 3.3 billion US dollars)...

If the GDP is 5,000 billion baht, then 120 billion baht would be roughly 2.4% of GDP (?)

Would a mass exodus of expats damage Thailand's economy as a whole - no. But would a couple of local businesses in Pattaya, Phuket, Hua Hin and Chiang Mai (and some ol' trades) lose income - yes.