B138
THAILAND
Estimated revenue Ticals 124,060, 735; estimated expenditure Ticals 124,058,643; capital expenditure in the same period Ticals 22,889,364. A readjustment of the Thai Calendar has been made so that the year of the Buddhist Era 2484 shall begin on January 1, 1941. Thailand floated her first Internal Loan (of Ticals 10 million) in May, 1933. A proposal to adopt the gold stan- dard was mooted in 1899, but did not come to anything till November, 1902, when the Mint was closed to the free coinage of silver. The gold standard was abandoned by force of economic pressure on May 11th, 1932 and the currency was linked to Sterling. The annual capitation tax formerly paid by all under Thai jurisdiction has been abolished. The fiscal system of the country has now been reorganised under Revenue Code promulgated in 1939 (comprising income tax, business tax, stamp duty, etc.). Thailand entered the Universal Postal Union on the 1st, July, 1885.
The first railway line, from Bangkok to Paknam, was opened by the King on the 11th, April, 1893. Another railway, a Government line via Ayuthia to Korat, was the first important line completed. The first section, from Bangkok to Ayuthia, a distance of about 50 miles, was opened on the 26th, March, 1897. Another section, to Gengkoi, was opened on November 1st, 1897, a third, to Hinlap, on April 1st, 1898, and the whole line was opened to traffic in Novem- ber, 1900. The construction of a line branching off the Korat line near Ayuthia and intended to open up the country to Chiengmai was commenced in June, 1898, and the first section (42 kilometres) to Lopburi was opened to traffic on 1st, April, 1901. The next section, Lopburi-Paknampo (118 km.), was opened to traffic in November, 1905, the section to Pitsanulok in 1907, and the last section to Chiengmai on January 1st, 1922. The line running south-west to Petchaburi, via Ratburi, 152 km. long, was opened to traffic in the early part of 1903. In 1909 the construction of this Southern line was continued from Petchaburi, and has now been completed to the Kedah frontier at Padang Besar and to the Kelantan frontier at Sungei Golok. A through rail service between Bangkok and Penang was opened on July 1st, 1918, and the journey only takes 26 hours. A bi-weekly International express runs regularly from Bangkok-Penang and Penang-Bangkok. The Eastern line from Bangkok to Petriew was completed in 1908. It has now been continued to Aranya Prades near the Cambodian frontier. The Korat line has been continued to Ubon. A further section of the North line, to Ban Dara, was opened in November, 1908, and a section to Utaradit and Pang Ton Phung, with a branch line to Sawan- kalok, at the end of 1909. By November, 1913, the line was open to traffic as far as Pak Tha, and the survey of the route to Chiengmai had made good progress. The war delayed the completion of the Northern line, but through traffic was opened to Chiengmai towards the end of 1921. The total length of State railways open to traffic on March 31st, 1935, was 3,100 kms. A line from Kon Kaen to
to Udorn is nearly completed. The private railway companies comprise the Meklong and Phrabad Companies. A fleet of steam motor launches runs from the metropolis in all directions up-country. The railway from Bangkok to Paknam is now controlled by the State.
and
The total value of all imports and exports for the years 1938-40 inclusive are as follows:
1938-39 1939-40
Imports 204,422,088
Exports
(Ticals)
(Ticals)
129,630,731
216,267,856
""
194,685,938
PRINCIPAL EXPORTS
Bullion & Coin
(Ticals)
1935-39 27,661,554
1939-40
(Ticals)
2,268,788
Rice
97,419,341
""
113,044,984
1
Rubber
""
25,101,073
>>
2o,148,934
Tin
30,813,762
??
41,331,369
Teak
6,694,205
""
7,765,008
Information regarding the Armed Forces of Thailand is not published, but they are expanding, and additions to the Royal Thai Navy are constantly being made.
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