# Myanmar and Thailand compared

Myanmar and Thailand side by side: 42 shared sourced indicators across 9 domains, and the 4 events their chronicles record of each other.

Canonical: https://terralore.co/compare/mmr-vs-tha
Updated: 2026-08-10 (latest of the two dossiers' refreshes and the two chronicles' verification dates)

Two sourced records set beside each other — nothing on this page was written for the pair. Every figure is the same observation, with the same source, as on the two national dossiers; every event is the same record, with the same sources, as on its own chronicle. Figures are compared, never graded. A "—" is an absence in the source data, never a zero; each value shows its own observation year — vintages differ by indicator and nation.

## Formation

- Myanmar: 1044 — Anawrahta comes to power and builds the Pagan kingdom
- Thailand: 1238 — Si Inthrathit founds the Phra Ruang dynasty at Sukhothai

## Economy

| Metric | Myanmar | Observed | Thailand | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GDP | $74 B | 2024 | $527 B | 2024 |
| GDP per capita | $1,359 | 2024 | $7,347 | 2024 |
| GDP growth | -1.0% | 2024 | 2.5% | 2024 |
| Inflation | 8.8% | 2019 | 1.4% | 2024 |
| Trade openness | — | — | 136.7% | 2024 |

## Society

| Metric | Myanmar | Observed | Thailand | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 55 m | 2024 | 72 m | 2024 |
| Life expectancy | 67.1 yrs | 2024 | 76.6 yrs | 2024 |
| Urban population | 30.4% | 2024 | 61.9% | 2024 |
| Fertility rate | 2.1 | 2024 | 1.2 | 2024 |

## Governance

| Metric | Myanmar | Observed | Thailand | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voice & accountability | 19.7 | 2024 | 47.1 | 2024 |
| Political stability | 30.2 | 2024 | 54.2 | 2024 |
| Government effectiveness | 21.0 | 2024 | 56.3 | 2024 |
| Regulatory quality | 32.5 | 2024 | 56.5 | 2024 |
| Rule of law | 25.8 | 2024 | 53.3 | 2024 |
| Control of corruption | 22.5 | 2024 | 37.2 | 2024 |

## Health

| Metric | Myanmar | Observed | Thailand | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health spending | 4.5% | 2023 | 4.5% | 2023 |
| Physicians | 0.76 | 2019 | 0.54 | 2021 |
| Under-5 mortality | 36.9 | 2024 | 9.0 | 2024 |
| Measles immunisation | 71.0% | 2024 | 93.0% | 2024 |
| Safe drinking water | 59.7% | 2024 | — | — |

## Education

| Metric | Myanmar | Observed | Thailand | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult literacy | 93.5% | 2020 | 91.1% | 2022 |
| Education spending | 2.0% | 2019 | 2.5% | 2023 |
| Primary enrolment | 120.2% | 2018 | 100.7% | 2025 |
| Secondary enrolment | 77.0% | 2018 | 92.1% | 2025 |
| Tertiary enrolment | 20.4% | 2018 | 49.1% | 2025 |

## Technology

| Metric | Myanmar | Observed | Thailand | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R&D spending | 0.0% | 2023 | 0.9% | 2023 |
| Researchers (per million) | 28 | 2023 | 1,592 | 2023 |
| Internet users | 45.4% | 2020 | 90.9% | 2024 |
| Mobile subscriptions | 114 | 2024 | 161 | 2024 |
| High-tech exports | 5.2% | 2024 | 28.3% | 2024 |

## Geography

| Metric | Myanmar | Observed | Thailand | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Land area | 652,670 km² | 2023 | 510,890 km² | 2023 |
| Forest area | 42.4% | 2023 | 38.7% | 2023 |
| Agricultural land | 19.9% | 2023 | 43.8% | 2023 |
| CO₂ per capita (t) | 0.6 | 2024 | 4.0 | 2024 |
| Renewable energy | 62.9% | 2021 | 19.0% | 2021 |

## Resources

| Metric | Myanmar | Observed | Thailand | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resource rents | 8.7% | 2021 | 1.8% | 2021 |
| Oil rents | 0.1% | 2021 | 0.5% | 2021 |
| Mineral rents | 2.0% | 2021 | 0.0% | 2021 |
| Forest rents | 2.2% | 2021 | 0.4% | 2021 |
| Electricity access | 76.8% | 2023 | 100.0% | 2023 |
| Rare earths | 22.0 kt | 2025 | 4,800 t | 2025 |

## Military

| Metric | Myanmar | Observed | Thailand | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Military burden | 6.8% | 2024 | 1.1% | 2024 |
| Defense spending | $5.0 B | 2024 | $5.5 B | 2024 |
| Armed forces | 463,000 | 2020 | 455,000 | 2020 |

Each metric is also ranked across all nations: https://terralore.co/rankings (markdown twins at /rankings/<metric>.md). Full dossiers: https://terralore.co/country/MMR.md and https://terralore.co/country/THA.md.

## Entangled histories (4 events)

Events in which either nation's sourced chronicle names the other — including under earlier names of the same state. Each is the record exactly as its own chronicle carries it, with that chronicle's sources.

- 1551-1581 CE: **Reign of Bayinnaung** — Bayinnaung of the Toungoo dynasty reunifies Myanmar and conquers the Shan states and Siam, building the most powerful empire in mainland Southeast Asia. (from the Myanmar chronicle; sources: Bayinnaung; Toungoo dynasty)
- 1569: **First Burmese conquest of Ayutthaya** — Burmese forces capture Ayutthaya and reduce it to vassalage; the kingdom later recovers its full independence under King Naresuan. (from the Thailand chronicle; sources: Thailand)
- 1767: **Sack of Ayutthaya by Burma** — A Burmese army storms and burns Ayutthaya after a prolonged siege, ending the kingdom and leaving the celebrated city in ruins. (from the Thailand chronicle; sources: Thailand; Taksin; Historic City of Ayutthaya)
- 1767: **Taksin establishes Thonburi** — Taksin rallies resistance after the fall of Ayutthaya, drives out the Burmese, and founds a new capital at Thonburi, where he is crowned king. (from the Thailand chronicle; sources: Taksin)

## Sources

- World Development Indicators — World Bank · CC BY 4.0 · accessed 2026-06-14 · https://data.worldbank.org
- Worldwide Governance Indicators (via World Bank API) — Worldwide Governance Indicators / World Bank · CC BY 4.0 · accessed 2026-08-10 · https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/worldwide-governance-indicators
- Global Health Observatory (WHO, via World Bank WDI) — WHO / World Bank · CC BY 4.0 · accessed 2026-08-10 · https://www.who.int/data/gho
- Child mortality & immunisation estimates (UN IGME and WHO/UNICEF, via World Bank WDI) — UNICEF and WHO / World Bank · CC BY 4.0 · accessed 2026-08-10 · https://childmortality.org
- R&D statistics (UNESCO UIS, via World Bank WDI) — UNESCO Institute for Statistics / World Bank · CC BY 4.0 · accessed 2026-06-15 · https://uis.unesco.org
- ICT indicators (ITU, via World Bank WDI) — ITU / World Bank · CC BY 4.0 · accessed 2026-06-15 · https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics
- Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 — U.S. Geological Survey · Public domain (U.S. Government work) · accessed 2026-08-10 · https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center
- Military Expenditure Database (via World Development Indicators) — SIPRI / World Bank · CC BY 4.0 · accessed 2026-06-14 · https://www.sipri.org/databases/milex

Chronicle references are cited inline above and resolve in full at https://terralore.co/country/MMR/chronicle.md and https://terralore.co/country/THA/chronicle.md.

Citation template: Terralore, "Myanmar and Thailand compared", terralore.co/compare/mmr-vs-tha, retrieved <YYYY-MM-DD>.