The duel
Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
The United Kingdom fits inside Thailand 2.1 times.
Thailand: 513,115 km² (2023) · United Kingdom: 243,610 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
The United Kingdom’s coastline is 3.9 times as long as Thailand’s.
Thailand: 3,219 km (2026 edition) · United Kingdom: 12,429 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Thailand’s highest peak towers 1,220 m above the United Kingdom’s.
Thailand: 2,565 m (2026 edition) · United Kingdom: 1,345 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Thailand has 3% more people than the United Kingdom.
Thailand: 71.6 million (2025) · United Kingdom: 69.5 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
The United Kingdom is 2 times as densely populated as Thailand.
Thailand: 140 per km² (2025) · United Kingdom: 287 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in the United Kingdom are 6.6 cm taller than in Thailand.
Thailand: 171.6 cm (2019) · United Kingdom: 178.2 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in the United Kingdom are 4.5 cm taller than in Thailand.
Thailand: 159.4 cm (2019) · United Kingdom: 163.9 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The United Kingdom and Thailand are practically level.
Thailand: 39.7 years (2023) · United Kingdom: 39.8 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in the United Kingdom have 0.3 more children on average than in Thailand.
Thailand: 1.2 children per woman (2024) · United Kingdom: 1.55 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
20% of people in the United Kingdom are 65 or older, versus 16% in Thailand.
Thailand: 16% (2025) · United Kingdom: 19.7% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
The United Kingdom has produced 15.8 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Thailand none.
Thailand: 0 (2025) · United Kingdom: 15.8 (2025)
How many official languages?
Thailand and the United Kingdom are practically level.
Thailand: 1 (2026) · United Kingdom: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
The United Kingdom’s economy is 6.9 times the size of Thailand’s.
Thailand: $577 billion (2025) · United Kingdom: $4 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
The United Kingdom produces 2.5 times as much per person as Thailand.
Thailand: Int$26,250 (2025) · United Kingdom: Int$64,607 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Thailand than in the United Kingdom (Gini 0.9 points higher).
Thailand: 33.3 (2024) · United Kingdom: 32.4 (2021)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 4.7% in the United Kingdom, versus 0.8% in Thailand.
Thailand: 0.8% (2025) · United Kingdom: 4.7% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
The United Kingdom spends 2.3% of its GDP on the military, Thailand 1.1%.
Thailand: 1.1% (2024) · United Kingdom: 2.3% (2024)
How expensive is it?
The United Kingdom’s price level (US = 100) is 2.9× Thailand’s.
Thailand: 31% (2025) · United Kingdom: 89% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
The United Kingdom spends 18 times as much on health per person as Thailand.
Thailand: $327 (2023) · United Kingdom: $5,860 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in the United Kingdom live 4.8 years longer than in Thailand.
Thailand: 76.6 years (2024) · United Kingdom: 81.4 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Thailand is 88% more likely to die before turning one than in the United Kingdom.
Thailand: 7.7 per 1,000 (2024) · United Kingdom: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
The United Kingdom has 6.1 times as many doctors per person as Thailand.
Thailand: 0.5 per 1,000 (2021) · United Kingdom: 3.3 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is obesity?
29% of adults in the United Kingdom are obese, versus 16% in Thailand.
Thailand: 15.5% (2024) · United Kingdom: 29.2% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
18% of adults in Thailand smoke, versus 13% in the United Kingdom.
Thailand: 17.8% (2024) · United Kingdom: 12.8% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in the United Kingdom rate their lives 0.40 points higher than in Thailand.
Thailand: 6.30 (2025) · United Kingdom: 6.69 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in the United Kingdom drink 32% more alcohol than in Thailand.
Thailand: 7.9 litres (2023) · United Kingdom: 10.4 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
The United Kingdom has 3.4 times as much meat per person as Thailand.
Thailand: 24.5 kg (2023) · United Kingdom: 84.4 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
The United Kingdom has 579 kcal more food per person per day than Thailand.
Thailand: 2,855 kcal (2023) · United Kingdom: 3,435 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Thailand put in 654 more hours a year than in the United Kingdom.
Thailand: 2,177 hours (2023) · United Kingdom: 1,523 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in the United Kingdom went to school 4.5 years longer than in Thailand.
Thailand: 9 years (2023) · United Kingdom: 13.5 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Thailand welcomed 1% more tourists per resident than the United Kingdom (2019).
Thailand: 0.56 (2019) · United Kingdom: 0.55 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
95% of people in the United Kingdom are online, versus 91% in Thailand.
Thailand: 91% (2024) · United Kingdom: 95% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Thailand and the United Kingdom are practically level.
Thailand: 100% (2024) · United Kingdom: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
83% of people in the United Kingdom live in cities, versus 63% in Thailand.
Thailand: 63% (2025) · United Kingdom: 83% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Thailand has 161 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, the United Kingdom 122.
Thailand: 161 (2024) · United Kingdom: 122 (2024)
How much railway is there?
The United Kingdom’s railway network is 4 times as long as Thailand’s.
Thailand: 4,092 km (2017) · United Kingdom: 16,179 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from the United Kingdom fly 2.4 times as many passengers per resident as those from Thailand.
Thailand: 0.72 (2023) · United Kingdom: 1.71 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 39% of Thailand, but only 13% of the United Kingdom.
Thailand: 38.7% (2023) · United Kingdom: 13.3% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in the United Kingdom emits 21% more CO₂ than someone in Thailand.
Thailand: 3.7 t (2024) · United Kingdom: 4.5 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
52% of the United Kingdom’s electricity is renewable, versus 17% in Thailand.
Thailand: 16.6% (2025) · United Kingdom: 52% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Thailand carries 2.6 times as much fine dust as in the United Kingdom.
Thailand: 23.3 µg/m³ (2024) · United Kingdom: 8.8 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
Thailand: no data · United Kingdom: 1.1 per 100k (2021)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Thailand are 11 times as deadly as in the United Kingdom.
Thailand: 25.4 per 100k (2021) · United Kingdom: 2.4 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Thailand is on average 16.8 °C warmer than the United Kingdom.
Thailand: 26.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · United Kingdom: 9.9°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Thailand gets 55% more rain than the United Kingdom.
Thailand: 1,657 mm (2016–2025 avg) · United Kingdom: 1,070 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Thailand bigger than the United Kingdom?
Thailand is larger. The United Kingdom fits inside Thailand 2.1 times.
Which has more people, Thailand or the United Kingdom?
Thailand has 3% more people than the United Kingdom (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Thailand or the United Kingdom?
People in the United Kingdom live 4.8 years longer than in Thailand. Life expectancy at birth is 76.6 years in Thailand and 81.4 in the United Kingdom.
Are people taller in Thailand or the United Kingdom?
Men in the United Kingdom are 6.6 cm taller than in Thailand (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
