Thailand's population may have reached its highest point and could now be starting to shrink. Unlike a temporary shock such as a war or famine, this decline reflects a sustained structural shift, in which fewer children are born in each generation. Many countries are in a similar position, where falling fertility and longer lives mean the population is ageing and eventually decreasing. Demographers watch these trends closely because they affect workforces, pensions and the size of towns and cities. The analysis from Our World in Data places Thailand within this wider global pattern.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.