In Thai, Thailand means “land of the free”.
Indeed, it is the only country in Southeast Asia that has never been a colony, which is a source of special pride for the Thais.
In the late nineteenth century, England and France made attempts to colonize Siam, but thanks to the wise policy of the royal house, the kingdom managed to preserve its sovereignty.
The capital of Thailand, Bangkok (Krung Tep in Thai – “City of Angels”), is the largest city in the country with a population of 7 million people.
Geographical location of Thailand
Thailand (historically known as Siam) is located on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia, covering an area of about 517,000 square meters. km. The country’s borders on the map resemble the head of an elephant with its trunk down (Malacca Peninsula).
Often, the Thais themselves call Thailand the Land of the Elephant, and the white elephant is the royal symbol.
The country borders Myanmar (Burma) to the north and west, Laos to the northeast, Cambodia to the southeast, and Malaysia to the south.
In the southeast, it is washed by the Gulf of Thailand, in the southwest – by the Andaman Sea.
There are hundreds of clean sandy beaches on their coasts.
In addition, there are about 70 national parks and reserves in Thailand.
The total length of the country from north to south is approximately 1860 km.
There are various geographical reliefs in Thailand – both flat areas and hilly plateaus and mountains.
The state also owns many small and large islands located in the coastal zones of the Andaman and South China Seas.
The largest of them are: Phuket (543 square kilometers), Chang (417 square kilometers), and Samui (228 square kilometers).
Population of Thailand
Today, the population of Thailand is about 68 million.
The largest ethnic group is the Thai.
The second largest are the Chinese, the vast majority of whom are concentrated in urban areas.
The kingdom is also home to the Malay, Mon, Khmer and other ethnic groups.
Ethnically, Thailand is divided into several regions, each of which speaks different dialects.
The inhabitants of the Chao Phraya River Delta, the most densely populated region of the country, which forms a small province around Bangkok, are the group to which the ruling royal house belongs.
The dialect of this group is recognized as the official language of the state.
Moreover, many of the features inherent in the central regions of the country are considered characteristic of the whole of Thailand.
The fact that the language and culture of the inhabitants of the northern regions of the kingdom are similar to the Lao is due to the neighborhood of Laos.
In addition, northern Thais have lighter skin, so they are considered very beautiful in the country.
In the south of Thailand, the Malay-Islamic influence is very noticeable.
Southerners speak incredibly fast and rarely leave their homes, unlike residents of other areas.
Thais are a very religious nation.
The overwhelming majority of Thai people (94%) profess Buddhism, which is the most widespread religion in the kingdom.
Buddhist monks are highly respected by the people, and giving alms to a monk is considered a godly thing and a great merit of a layman.
And carelessness in dress when visiting temples and intemperance in behavior deserve universal condemnation.
About 4% of the population are Muslims, the remaining 2% are Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, animists, and atheists.
According to the Constitution, the king acts as the patron saint and protector of all faiths.
The state system of Thailand
Since 1932, the Kingdom of Thailand (locally known as Prathet Thai) has been a constitutional monarchy.
The king is nominally the head of state.
However, the legislative functions are performed by the supreme body – the bicameral National Assembly, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Executive power is vested in the Cabinet of Ministers, headed by the Prime Minister.
The country is administratively divided into 76 provinces (changwats).
Each of them includes several districts (amphoi), which in turn are divided into sub-districts (tambon) and villages (muban).
Bangkok’s administration is headed by the governor.
He also appoints representatives of the authorities to manage the remaining 75 provinces.
The national flag of Thailand consists of five horizontal stripes – two red (at the edges), two white and a central blue (twice as wide as the others).
The blue color represents the monarchy, white has always been a symbol of Buddhism, and red is considered the color of the nation.
The King is the undisputed leader, the national symbol of Thailand.
He is above politics, and therefore intervenes in political affairs only in exceptional cases when it is absolutely necessary, for example, if it is necessary to prevent bloodshed.
Currently, the throne of the kingdom belongs to the ninth representative of the Chakri dynasty, King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
Thais sincerely honor not only His Majesty but also the entire royal family.
In no case is it permissible for the population to condemn or criticize the actions and statements of the royal family members, or even to discuss them.
The popularity of the king and the love and respect shown to the royal house are explained by his deep interest in the life of the people and the welfare of the nation.
The royal couple has been working hard to improve the welfare of the Thai people.
Currency of Thailand
The currency of Thailand is the baht (internationally known as THB). Exchange rate: the cost of $1 ranges from 33 to 36 baht. One baht is divided into 100 satangs. Banknotes are issued in denominations of 20 baht (green), 50 baht (blue), 100 baht (red), 500 baht (purple), and 1000 baht (brown). There are 25 and 50 baht yellow alloy coins, 1, 2 and 5 baht nickel coins, and a 10 baht bimetallic coin (yellow alloy center and nickel rim) in circulation. The most favorable exchange rate is in tourist centers. In hotels, it is usually lower than that offered by banks and official exchange offices. An important aspect: exchanging 100-dollar bills issued before 1996 may cause problems. It should also be borne in mind that in Thailand, money of different denominations is exchanged at different rates: the lower the denomination, the lower the rate – so it is better to exchange large bills. Most banks, shopping centers and hotels accept major international credit cards such as American Express, MasterCard, Visa.
Language of Thailand
The official language of Thailand is Thai (Siamese).
English, Chinese and Japanese are also widely spoken in cities.
Thai consists mainly of monosyllabic words.
Since there are few options for sound combinations to form syllables, the language uses numerous tone combinations.
In this regard, most place names are quite difficult for foreigners to understand and, for example, in European and Russian transcriptions, they have several spellings and pronunciations.
The written language is characterized by a large number of graphic symbols for conveying sounds and tones.
For example, the 21 consonant sounds of the Thai language are represented by 44 letters.
Plus, there are numerous diacritics that indicate the length of the sound of a particular sound.
Consonants are written horizontally from left to right, vowels are written above, below, to the right, or to the left of the consonant.
The economy of Thailand
The essence of Thailand’s economic policy is to actively attract foreign investment to the domestic market, expand the volume and structure of exports, systematically create the most favorable conditions for private entrepreneurship, and develop foreign tourism.
The main industries that generate revenue for the state are agriculture and maritime fishing.
The agricultural sector employs more than half of the Thai population.
Agricultural products (primarily rice, tapioca, rubber, coconuts) are the most important component of national exports.
Large exports of fish and seafood were made possible by the active development of the fishing fleet and food processing industry.
Modern industries also play a significant role in the country’s economy: textile, jewelry (gem processing), and electronics.
Since the late 80s, tourism has become an important source of foreign exchange earnings.
Most tourists come to Thailand from Southeast Asia, primarily from China, Japan, Singapore and Taiwan.
But recently, the flow of tourists from the CIS countries has increased significantly.
What is a vacation in Thailand?
*Vacation in Thailand means blue, warm waters of the sea, mesmerizing landscapes. *A vacation in Thailand is a vacation in a country where your dreams will come true. *Vacation in Thailand is a super comfortable vacation. *Vacationing in Thailand means an unprecedented selection of goods in stores and markets.
And the prices are pleasantly surprising in their modesty. *Vacation in Thailand is a super modern hotel service that meets any financial capabilities of tourists and businessmen. *A vacation in Thailand is an opportunity to combine relaxation with shopping. *Vacation in Thailand means yachts, rafting, scuba diving, windsurfing, skiing!
and other water sports. *A vacation in Thailand is about enjoying the courtesy and hospitality of the staff.
