THAILAND

GEOGRAPHY Location: Officially the Kingdom of Thailand, formerly Siam, is a country in the Southeast Asian peninsula. It is bordered to the north-west by Burma, Laos inthe north and east, and Cambodia is on Southeast, Malaysia in the South, the  Andaman Sea is to the west and Gulf of Thailand to the South. The capital and largest city is Bangkok Thailand's political, commercial, industrial, and cultural hub.

POPULATION Population With a total area of approximately 513,000 km2 (198,000 sq mi), Thailand is the world's 51st-largest country. It is the 21st-most-populous country , with around 68 million people. 

CLIMATE Most of Thailand has a tropical climate, similar to that of southern Vietnam.

POLITICS Thailand is a constitutional monarchy, whereby the Prime Minister is the head of government and a hereditary monarch is head of state. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislative branches.

His Majesty the King of Thailand and the members of the Royal Family are revered by the Thai people for the Royal Family’s passionate commitment to the welfare its people. Thais will always stand for the national anthem and to respect the king, before the commencement of a film in cinemas, and is is usual to stand for the national anthem in public places such as train stations or parks at 8am and 6pm. It has become fashionable to pay respects to the King by wearing a yellow shirt on Monday’s since the 60th anniversary of the King ‘s reign in 2006.

Bhumibol Adulyadej (Phumiph on Adunyadet; born 5 December 1927) is the King of Thailand. He is also known as Rama IX, as he is the ninth monarch of the Chakri Dynasty. Having reigned since 9th. June 1946, he is the world's longest-serving current head of state and the longest- reigning monarch in Thai history.

THE NATIONAL EMBLEM OF THAILAND The national Emblem of Thailand is called the Phra Khrut Pha. The Garuda was officially adopted as the national emblem by KingVajiravudhh (Rama VI) in 1911. However the mythical creature had been used as a symbol of royalty in Thailand for centuries. The Garuda is depicted on seals, which are used by the King of Thailand and the Government of Thailand to authenticate official documents and as its primary emblem.

THE FLAG OF thai The flag of the Kingdom of  Thailand (Thai: ธงไตรรงค์, Thong Trairong, meaning "tricolour flag”) shows five horizontal stripes in the colours red, white, blue, white and red, with the central blue stripe being twice as wide as each of the other four. The design was adopted on 28th. September 1917. The colours are said to stand for nation-religion-king, red for the land and people, white for Theravada Buddhism and blue for the monarchy, the last having been the auspicious colour of Rama VI.

ECONOMY Thailand experienced rapid economic growth since 1985, becoming a newly industrialized country and a major exporter. Manufacturing, agriculture, and tourism are leading sectors of the economy. Currency: the Thai Baht is the currency of Thailand. Exports: Major exports include rice, textiles and footwear, seafood and other food products, rubber, cars, and tourism. Primary export partners: US, China, Japan and the EU. Imports: Primary imports commodities: capital goods, intermediate goods and raw materials, consumer goods, fuels. Primary partners: Japan, China, Malaysia

CULTURE Religion: Thailand's prevalent religion is Theravada Buddhism which occupies 95% of the population. Muslims are the second largest religious group in Thailand, comprising 4.5% of the population. Christians represent 0.5% of the population. Language: The official language of Thailand is Thai.

THAI FOOD is famous for herbal ingredients and spices. Tom Yam Kung Som Tam

Sticky rice with durian or mango Kaeng Khiew Wan (Green Curry with beef)

TRADITIONAL COSTUME The formal Thai national costume, includes several sets of clothing, or chutthai, designed for use as national costume on formal occasions. They have chut Thai for men and chut Thai for women.

THAI GREETINGS (Wai) referred to as the wai consists of a slight bow, with the palms pressed together in a prayer-like fashion.

THAI PEOPLE Thai people are relaxed and friendly. They warmly welcome friends and strangers alike, and are tolerant of those with different views and ideas. Thailand is often called the "land of smiles," not only because visitors love its natural beauty and historical riches, but also because of the country's friendly people and fascinating culture.

FAMOUS FESTIVALS SONGKRAN The most well known of all Thai festivals, Songkran is for those who love a good water fight. It’s the official Thai New Year, starting on April 13th each year and lasting around 2 to 3 days. During the festival, the streets fill up with people armed with water pistols, and buckets, happy to drench others, and be drenched. This is always a relaxed and friendly time. Water is used as a symbol of cleansing, which is exactly what the Thai want to do to start the New Year.

LOI KRATHONG is celebrated on the night of the full moon of the 12th lunar month. ‘Loy’ signifies ‘floating’, while ‘krathong’ is a small object in the shape of a lotus flower, usually made from banana leaves. On the evening of the festival, people head to their local river or canal to make a wish. They do so by lighting the candle in their krathong and setting it free to float with the current. Truly beautiful.

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS PHUKET BEACH Located in the south of Thailand with 540sqkm of land area and many sandy beaches, Phuket is a diverse and fascinating island to explore. A rich culture, a beautiful coastline, spectacular natural sights, lots of outdoor sports and activities, shopping, nightlife and dining are just a few of its attractions. PHUKET BEACH

Grand Palace is a complex of buildings at the heart of Bangkok, Thailand which served as the residence of the Kings of Thailand until the death of King Ananda Mahidol in 1946.

KhO SAMUI ISLAND is an island off the east coast of the Kra Isthmus in Thailand. It is located close to the mainland town of Surat Thani in Surat Thani Province. Kho Samui is Thailand's second-largest island after Phuket, with an area of 228.7 km2, abundant natural resources, white sandy beaches, coral reefs and coconut trees are all part of the island’s beauty.

BANGKOK FLOATING MARKET Thailand’s floating markets consist of boats piled high with tropical fruit and vegetables, fresh, ready-to-drink coconut juice and local food cooked from floating kitchens located right on the boat.  To enjoy the atmosphere without haggling over prices, try relaxing on a guided boat tour of Damnoen Saduak market.

EDUCATION Education in Thailand is provided mainly by the Thai government through the Ministry of Education from pre-school to senior high school. A free basic education of twelve years is guaranteed by the constitution, and a minimum of nine years' school attendance is mandatory. Formal education consists of at least twelve years of basic education, and higher education. Non-formal education is also supported by the state. Independent schools contribute significantly to the general education infrastructure. Administration and control of public and private universities is carried out by the Office of Higher Education Commission, a department of the Ministry of Education.

TRANSPORTATION Transport in Thailand is varied, with no one dominant means of transport. Bus transport dominates in long distances and Bangkok, with motorbikes dominating in rural areas for short trips, supplanting bicycles. Slow rail travel has long been a rural long-distance transport method. Domestic air transport is available throughout most of Thailand, with most major cities served by local domestic airlines public motorbike taxis take people door to door is the major cities. Private cars have risen in popularity. Areas with navigable waterways often have boat Services, and many innovative means of transport exist such as tuk- tuk, vanpool, songthaew, and even elephants in rural areas.

Tuk-tuks are one mode of public transport in Bangkok and other cities in Thailand. Elephant in rural areas