PURPOSE: To reduce the frictional resistance between a thermal recording paper and heat generating resistors and enhance the efficiency of color development by generated heat, by producing the thermal recording paper by providing a liquid-containing layer capable of releasing a liquid in response to an external stimulus on a paper base.

CONSTITUTION: A component capable of forming a color through a reaction when being heated is applied to the upper side of a paper base 2, and a transparent coat layer 4 is provided thereon to obtain a thermal recording paper 1. More particularly, a liquid-containing layer 51 is incorporated in a color forming layer 3, the coat layer 4 or both thereof to produce the thermal recording paper 1. A preferable example of the liquid-coating layer 51 is one obtained by incorporating water into particulate microcapsules capable of being broken by a stimulus. The thermal recording paper thus obtained is set in an ordinary thermal printer, and heat value is applied to the paper by, for example, appropriately passing electric currents to heat generating resistors according to a signal, thereby causing the resistors to generate heat.