THB
…
VND
…
Land Area
Thailand
513,120 km²
Largest
Vietnam
331,212 km²
64.5% of largest
Thailand is 1.55× larger than Vietnam
Population
Vietnam
LARGEST
101.6M
PEOPLE
Thailand
70.5% OF LARGEST
71.62M
PEOPLE
Vietnam has 1.42× the population of Thailand
GDP
Thailand
LARGEST
$577.01B
Vietnam
89.2% OF LARGEST
$514.7B
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
Vietnam
LARGEST
482K
TROOPS
Thailand
74.9% OF LARGEST
360.85K
TROOPS
Vietnam has 1.34× the active personnel of Thailand
Air Force
Thailand
LARGEST
555
AIRCRAFT
Vietnam
57.3% OF LARGEST
318
AIRCRAFT
Thailand has 1.75× the aircraft of Vietnam
Naval Assets
Thailand
Vietnam
Wealth
Gold Reserves
Thailand
LARGEST
234.5
Metric Tonnes
Vietnam
0.0% OF LARGEST
0.0
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
Thailand
LARGEST
$217B
Reserves · excl. gold
Vietnam
38.2% OF LARGEST
$83B
Reserves · excl. gold
Trade (Import/Export)
Thailand
$368.8B
Exports
$368.8B
Imports
$351.2B
Trade Balance
+$17.7B
Trade Surplus
Vietnam
$429.5B
Exports
$429.5B
Imports
$398.8B
Trade Balance
+$30.7B
Trade Surplus
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
Vietnam
supply
Thailand
supply
Tea
kg / person / yr
Thailand
supply
Vietnam
supply
Beer
litres / person / yr
Vietnam
consumption
Thailand
consumption
Wine
litres / person / yr
Vietnam
supply
Thailand
supply
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
Vietnam
consumption
Thailand
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
Vietnam
Thailand
Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol; smoking = % of adults 15+ (WHO)
Olympic Medals
Thailand
11
Gold
11
Silver
19
Bronze
41
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 41
❄ Winter: 0
Vietnam
1
Gold
3
Silver
1
Bronze
5
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 5
❄ Winter: 0
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
Thailand
Vietnam
Age Demographics
Median Age
Thailand
40.2
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Vietnam
32.8
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
Thailand is 7.4 years older (median) than Vietnam
Youth Population
Vietnam has the highest youth population at 46.3% (under 30)
Elderly Population
Thailand has the highest elderly population at 18.5% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
Thailand
|
Vietnam
|
|---|---|---|
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time |
0
|
1
|
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide |
2
|
0
|
| UNESCO Heritage Sites inscribed sites |
8
|
9
|
Figures as of 2026. Sources: IMF, EIA/OPEC, Henley Passport Index, UNWTO, Forbes, Michelin Guide, Nobel Foundation, UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
Cost of Living
|
Metric
All indices use New York City as base (100)
Lower values indicate lower costs.
|
Thailand
|
Vietnam
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index |
|
|
| Rent Index |
|
|
| Groceries Index |
|
|
| Restaurant Price Index |
|
|
| Local Purchasing Power |
|
|
| Common Expenses Comparison | ||
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | $5 | $3 |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | $25 | $15 |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | $600 | $400 |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $400 | $250 |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $80 | $60 |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $25 | $20 |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $20 | $12 |
Health
Healthcare spending, capacity and outcomes. Sources: World Bank / WHO — the year tag shows each figure’s vintage; “—” means the country doesn’t report that metric.
Health spending / person
Thailand
Vietnam
Physicians per 1,000
Vietnam
Thailand
Hospital beds per 1,000
Vietnam
Thailand
Diabetes prevalence
Thailand
Vietnam
Obesity prevalence
Thailand
Vietnam
Suicide rate per 100k
Thailand
Vietnam
Want the long view?
GDP, population, reserves & trade for Thailand vs Vietnam — charted over the decades.
Basic Information
| Metric | Thailand | Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 71619863 | 101598527 |
| Area (sq km) | 513120 | 331212 |
| Capital | Bangkok | Hanoi |
| Official Language | Thai | Vietnamese |
| Currency | Thai Baht (THB) | Vietnamese Dong (VND) |
| Government Type | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy | Unitary Marxist-Leninist one-party socialist republic |
Military Strength
| Metric | Thailand | Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 360,850 | 482,000 |
| Reserve Personnel | 200,000 | 5,000,000 |
| Total Military Personnel | 560,850 | 5,482,000 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $7,300,000,000 | $5,500,000,000 |
| Tanks | 737 | 2,575 |
| Armored Vehicles | 2,614 | 2,800 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 24 | 120 |
| Towed Artillery | 426 | 1,000 |
| Rocket Projectors | 64 | 1,000 |
Economy
| Metric | Thailand | Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $577,009,981,112 | $514,697,215,165 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $8,057 | $5,066 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 0.8% | 1.5% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 33.3 | 36.1 |
| Currency | Thai Baht (THB) | Vietnamese Dong (VND) |
| Loading current exchange rates… | ||
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
Thailand is 1.5 times larger in area than Vietnam.
Vietnam has 1.4 times more people than Thailand.
Thailand has the highest GDP per capita at $8,057 among the selected countries.
Thailand has the largest economy with a GDP of
$577.01 billion.
Vietnam has the largest active military personnel with 482,000 troops.
Thailand has the largest air force with 555 aircraft.
Thailand has the largest navy with 164 vessels.
Thailand vs Vietnam: Key Comparisons
Economy: Thailand's GDP of $577B is 1.1x larger than Vietnam's $515B — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: Vietnam's population of 102M is 1.4x larger than Thailand's 72M.
Area: Thailand covers 513,120 km², making it 1.5x larger than Vietnam.
Military: Vietnam fields 480Thousand active troops vs Thailand's 360Thousand.
Trade: Thailand runs a trade surplus of $18B while Vietnam runs a trade surplus of $31B.
Life Expectancy: Thailand leads with a life expectancy of 77 years vs Vietnam's 75.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated August 2026.
Sources & methodology