Thailand

Quick Facts

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Capital

Bangkok

Population

64,265,000

Government

Constitutional Democratic Monarchy

Religions

Buddhist 94.6%, Muslim 4.6%, Christian 0.7%, other 0.1% (2000 census)

Languages

Thai, English

Calling Code

+66

Nationality

Thai

Local name

Thai

Introduction

Wat Phra Kaew

© All Rights Reserved Marky_P

Islands lined with palms overhanging gorgeous beaches; superb cuisine; a rich cultural heritage; exotic rainforests; cheap shopping; hundreds of temples and religious artifacts dating back centuries; ancient villages stowed away in hidden corners of the land - this is Thailand, one of the greatest travel experiences you are ever likely to experience. Thailand (ประเทศไทย) means the Land of the People and it is an unmissable destination, from the busy capital Bangkok, to the relaxed island of Phuket. Buddhist temples and statues are a-plenty, as Thailand towers above the rest of Southeast Asia in sheer volume of historical delights. Perhaps the fact that Thailand is the only Southeast Asian nation never to have been ruled by a European power is partly responsible for the wealth of history represented throughout the country, kept alive through the ages. Whatever the reason be, nothing can detract from the extraordinary pleasures Thailand offers its visitors.

Brief History

The Thai people migrated to Thailand from their ancestral home in southern China into mainland Southeast Asia around the 10th century AD. Before this, the Mon, Khmer and Malay kingdoms had dominated the region. The Thais established their own states, beginning with Sukhothai and the Ayutthaya Kingdom. These states fought each other and were under constant threat from the Khmers, Burmese and Vietnamese.

Much later, the European colonial powers threatened to take over in the 19th and early 20th centuries, but Thailand survived as the only Southeast Asian state to avoid colonial rule. The Thai kings Rama IV, V and VI have often been praised for their politics, which succeeded in avoiding colonial rule in Thailand. Nevertheless, contemporary Thailand is smaller than before, when the Kingdom of Thailand extended into parts of eastern Cambodia and southern Laos.

There exists quite an amount of literature on this topic for those who are interested in deeper insight. After the end of the absolute monarchy in 1932, Thailand endured sixty years of near permanent military rule before the establishment of a democratic system. If you are really curious and want an insight in Thai history from early Bangkok period, then read Pen and Sail by Nithi Eawsiiwong, a renowned Thai historian.

Geography

Lone Sunset

© All Rights Reserved makini

At 514,000 km² (198,000 sq mi), Thailand is the world's 49th-largest country. It is comparable in size to France, and somewhat larger than the US state of California.

Thailand is home to several distinct geographic regions, partly corresponding to the provincial groups. The north of the country is mountainous, with the highest point being Doi Inthanon at 2,576 metres (8,451 ft). The northeast consists of the Khorat Plateau, bordered to the east by the Mekong river. The centre of the country is dominated by the predominantly flat Chao Phraya river valley, which runs into the Gulf of Thailand. South Thailand consists of the narrow Kra Isthmus that widens into the Malay Peninsula.

The local climate is tropical and characterised by monsoons. There is a rainy, warm, and cloudy southwest monsoon from mid-May to September, as well as a dry, cool northeast monsoon from November to mid-March. The southern isthmus is always hot and humid.

Thailand shares international borders with Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. It is possible to cross overland with all of Thailand's neighbors.

Regions

Thailand has 76 provinces, split into 5 geographic regions:

• North - includes Chiang Mai, the Golden Triangle and Chiang Rai.
• Northeast - underdeveloped country; a genuine "off-the-beaten track" region.
• Central - Bangkok and Thailand's lowlands.
• East - Pattaya and other locations along Thailand's coast.
• South - coastline on the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, including some of Thailand's most popular beach spots: Phuket, Krabi, Ko Samui and Ko Tao.

Cities

Bangkok

Bangkok at night - long exposure, panoramic view

© All Rights Reserved schweboo

Bangkok (กรุงเทพๆ) is the vibrant capital of Thailand and, for most travellers, it is the gateway into the country. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Thailand, Bangkok is a huge city boasting incredible diversity - a reflection of the country's diversity.

Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is the second largest city in Thailand, having taken the title from Nakhon Ratchasima in the north-east very recently. It's an ideal destination for travellers seeking a change from bustling Bangkok. Chiang Mai is set in the northern highlands of Thailand, a beautiful and rugged region or mountains, waterfalls, and incredible views.

Other cities

• Patong Beach
• Udon Thani
• Surat Thani
• Phitsanulok
• Khon Kaen
• Hat Yai
• Nakhon Ratchasima
• Ubon Ratchathani
• Nakhon Sawan

Sights and Activities

Islands

Patong Beach Sunset

© All Rights Reserved mustangsrc

Phuket:
Phuket is an island province in southern Thailand. The island is immensely popular for its beaches, the most famous of which is Patong Beach.

Phi Phi Islands:
The Phi Phi Islands became world-famous with the shooting of The Beach in 1998. They are situated in the South of Thailand and are quite beautiful and popular islands, but unfortunately also quite expensive.

Scuba Diving

Cycling Tours

Cycling in Bangkok and Thailand could turn to be one of the most memorable activities. There are several local tour operators who offer tours through city of Bangkok and its countryside. Some of cycling tour operators are:

• Thailand Green Ride, located half an hour away from Khaosan road and the Grand Palace.

Events and Festivals

Songkran

Songkran (Thai New Year) is the biggest party of the year, held during the hot month of April. In the past, people would throw water among themselves in nice way to bless each other. These days, the festival has evolved into an all-out water fight. The place to be in Thailand to fully experience Songkran is Chiang Mai, where the entire city swells with people looking to drench each other in the sweltering April heat. The streets are lined with people and it's often faster to walk around the city than drive due to the massive crowds. Be prepared to be soaked. Leave your camera at home and don't wear white clothing! Also, take the whole thing in good fun. Everyone's enjoying themselves and it's only water after all. So grab your bucket or water pistol and hit the streets!

Buddhist Lent Beginning

Traditionally, Buddhist monks retreated into their temples during the middle of the rainy season in order to avoid harming any of the field, especially rice fields, which were damaged by stepping on the young rice plant springing out of the ground during this time. Nowadays you will see big posters in Thai in the bigger cities encouraging people not to drink alcohol during the Buddhist Lent.

In Ubon Ratchatanee, every year, there would be a contest of sculptures parade/show. The idea for these is that formerly, large candles were presented to temples at this time so that they would last through to the end of lent .

Loi Kratong (Candles Festival)

Chiang Mai Lichtfestival

© All Rights Reserved sandrita8

Thai people respect water as "mother" who gives lives. The main purpose of this festival is to pay respect to the water. A lady in the ancient Sukothai time, named Nang Noppamas, was the one who originated this festival. She created a container traditionally made from banana leaves and carrying offerings of flowers, incense, candle (the whole thing called "kratong") to ask the river to forgive people for the improper things including dirts they made to water during the previous time.

This festival takes place every year on the full moon night of the twelfth lunar month when the water level is high and the climate is cooler. In these individualism days, the idea has been evaded, participants normally ask water spirits to sail away their troubles in their kratongs. Kratongs aren't the only things brought out for this holiday. Fireworks are plentiful and the Thai's often set aloft fire lanterns to send their blessings and wishes to the heavens as well. Some Thai's have been known to engage in fireworks fights so you do have to be careful sometimes. With a little caution though this holiday can be a blast!

Culture

Thailand is a Theravada Buddhist country like Burma, Cambodia and Sri Lanka. Buddhism in Thailand is mixed with spiritualism and shamanism.

Thai culture has been very influenced by Indian and Khmer culture. This influence is readily apparent in architecture and language. Nowadays, Thai culture is also heavily influenced by Western culture, as is manifested in popular music, clothing, language and architecture. Normally, foreign cultural traits are not replicated by Thais, but are first modeled into a Thai-style.

Traditional Thai architecture, music and clothes still exist, as Thai culture continues to develop. The luuk-tung (ลูกทุ่ง = child of the rice fields) music genre is an example of a modern cultural development in Thailand. This genre deals with issues connected to being from the country-side (predominantly Esan in the Northeast) and trying to make a living or get an education in the big city (Bangkok). The music is full of hope, homesickness and also melancholy and the texts are normally in the Esan language, underlining the origin and audience of this genre. Luuk-tung is very fascinating and highly popular among many Thai people: Luuk-tung singers have risen to become stars. One famous luuk-tung singer (Jonas) is actually a Swedish national but performs his songs in Thai.

Quite a number of music- and movie stars in Thailand are luuk-krueng (ลูกครึ่ง = half children or mixed children) having one Thai parent and one Western parent. Thais think that luuk-krueng are very beautiful because their skin is whiter than most Thais.

Thai literature is another example of Western influence on Thai culture. Previously, Thai culture consisted of Buddhist texts and royal tales but has now included poems, short stories and novels. Some Thai literature has been translated into English and is available in the bookshops in the bigger cities. Chart Korbjiti is a full-time Thai author that has written several novels which have been translated into English. He elaborates on issues of everyday-life in Thailand. If you want to know about rural Thailand in former days then you should read A Child of the Northeast by Kampoon Boontawee - it's a bit old but has won literature prizes. A movie has also been made based on this novel. Asiabooks, DK Books and Chulalongkorn University Bookshop are good places to find the English language literature.

Thai movies are also a good source of entertainment and both DVDs and VCDs are cheap. A good place with a big variety of movies is Mangpong, but DVD's can be purchased in many shops including small street stalls in the Sukhumwit area. Some of the most famous Thai movies outside Thailand are Suriyothai, Ong Bak and Bangrajan, but several other movies are also worth watching. Two well-known movies are based on true stories about ladyboys or Kratoeys (กระเทย) as they are called in Thai. This is Satrii Lek (Iron Ladies) about a volleyball team from the North of Thailand consisting of only ladyboys. This team managed to become Thai champions in volleyball and became very famous. Beautiful Boxer is another entertaining story about a ladyboy Thai-boxer who became very famous in Thailand. He/she now runs his/her own Thai-boxing school, which is very popular, not least because of his/her beauty....

Local Beliefs

If you want to know about the more spiritual aspects of Thai culture you could spend some time investigating ghosts. According to some Thai people and some minority people in Thailand, ghosts and spirits are plentiful. Many Thai people are afraid of ghosts so do not make a joke of it. Some people claim to have seen and experienced ghosts and spirits and it is not uncommon either to read ghost stories in Thai language newspapers. These ghost stories are absolutely not headline stories but just part of local news. Normally people will explain that a ghost is the spirit of a person who died a sudden and/or unexpected death. Therefore many ghost stories flourished in the coastal areas after the tsunami disaster in December 2004 and some of those stories also hit the news.

Weather

The weather in Thailand is tropical with high temperatures and high humidity during the year. Although it is hot and humid all year round, some months are stiffling hot and this applies mainly to the months of April and May when temperatures in Bangkok hit 40 degrees Celcius and combined with the high humidity these months are best avoided for travelling around the cities and the interior. Temperatures in the north and northeast sometimes are even a few degrees higher during these months, like in Chang Mai and the area towards the border with Laos. These areas however, are a few degrees cooler during the 'winter' months of November to March, when generally it is still warm or hot and humid but with temperatures between 28 and 33 degrees Celcius, travelling around is more bearable.
The wet season comes with the Southwest Monsoon which last from June to October. In the north the wettest months are usually July and August, while in Bangkok and surroundings September is the wettest. Koh Samui on the other hand has the wettest time of the year in October and November and never has a real dry season although March to May are generally a bit drier.
Usually, temperatures along the coastal areas of Thailand, including lots of popular islands, vary less than in Bangkok and the interior. In the north, several mountain ranges keep temperatures mild and Mae Hong Son even has recorded temperatures of just several degrees above zero.

Getting There

By Plane

Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) is the hub of international flights to Thailand and one of the most important airports in Southeast Asia at large. You won't have a hard time finding flights there, but you may struggle to find cheap ones, unless you're flying from somewhere in Europe, Australia or New Zealand. Some people recommend ordering return tickets (at much lower prices) when you're in Thailand, but this has its complications. Given that you need to show Thai officials that you have a ticket of departure (see above), this may land you in some trouble.

Thai Airways is the national airline, while Air Asia is another prominent airline in the region.

By Train

When it comes to international train services, the choice is limited. The main international train service runs from Bangkok through to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, but this is a slow way to travel. For a quicker way to travel, you could take the Eastern & Oriental Express, though this is far more expensive than other the regular train service.

By Car

Thailand borders Malaysia, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia. There are overland routes to each of these countries, if you're driving.

By Bus

From Malaysia: There are buses from Kuala Lumpur and Penang to Hadyai.

By Boat

From Malaysia: Pengkalan Kubor (Kelantan) - Tak Bai (Narathiwat)

By Foot

From Malaysia: Rantau Panjang (Kelantan) - Sungai Kolok (Narathiwat), Bukit Bunga (Kelantan) - Buketa (Narathiwat), Padang Besar (Perlis) - Padang Basar (Songkla) & Bukit Kayu Hitam (Kedah) - Sadao (Songkla)

Getting around

China Town Traffic

© All Rights Reserved slopes

By Plane

Thai Airways and Air Asia both have domestic services. Airplane is the safest and quickest way to travel in Thailand but also less adventurous. From Bangkok, you can fly to Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Hat Yai, Krabi, Narathiwat, Phuket, Ranong, Surat Thani, Ubon Ratchathani and Udon Thani.

By Train

The State Railway of Thailand's website contains train timetables and prices. Trains are safe but runs relatively slow in Thailand. But if you are not in a hurry it can be a great experience to travel by train. Meals can be bought on the train and the train will normally also have a bar. If you travel overnight make sure to book well in advance and avoid public holidays since the trains will be packed will people going home to their provinces. Also make sure to book a lower berth: It is wider than the upper berth and therefore much more comfortable. It is possible you sleep really well on the train. The movements of the train which are due to the connection of the rails, makes it very easy to sleep. 1st class sleeper are quite boring except ofcourse when sleeping because it just consists of a 2-person closed compartment with two berths so save the money and book a ticket for 2nd class instead and you will have a better chance for seeing and talking to other people.

By Car

By Bus

There is a wide web of busroutes all around Thailand, but buses are not always that safe. Try to avoid bying your bus-ticket in a very touristed area if possible: There is a big chance that you can have a cheap ticket but on a shitty bus that can break down any time. If possible you should instead go directly to the bus-terminal where you can buy tickets for different classes on the buses that Thai's themselves use, from the cheapest 3rd class to the more expensive 2nd and 1st class aircon. and the excellent VIP busses. This is more expensive but definitely worth the money when travelling a longer distance and also a lot safer since 2 drivers will take turns on driving instead of a low-budget busroute that only has 1 driver even for long overnight journeys.

By Boat

Visit the Chao Phraya Express Boat's Website contain information about boat line and tourist trip information.

Red Tape

Getting a visa for Thailand can be a complicated affair, as there are different rules for people of different nationalities. Citizens of most European and "developed" countries are eligible for a Tourist Visa Exemption, which allows you to stay for a maximum of 90 days in 6 months (for 30 days at a time). People from 20 other countries can apply for their visa on arrival, granted they have a fully paid return ticket. If you're not a citizen of any of these countries, you will have to apply for a tourist visa at the Thai embassy in your home country.

For more specific details, go to the Thailand visas page.

Money

The Thai currency is the Baht. One Baht is worth about 2 cents (USD or Euro). The Baht comes in three coins, worth 1, 5 or 10 Baht. You can also get the Baht in note-form, where it's worth 20, 50, 100, 500, or 1000 Baht.

The best way to get money in Thailand is through ATMs.

Work

Work Permits

Work permits are required for all foreigners working in Thailand, whether it is paid or voluntary work.
For more information on work permits, for Thailand, see the following link:
Thai Visa

Study

It is possible to study Thai language at one of the many language schools in the Thai cities. Most established are the AUA language schools, but in Bangkok you could also consider Union Language School. It is a Christian school and offers beginner, intermediate and advanced Thai courses in conversation, reading and writing. They also offer a course on newspaper reading.

It's also possible to study at universities in both Thai and English. Most renowned are Thammasat University (the first university in Thailand) and Chulalongkorn University, both of which are in Bangkok. Tuition fees are reasonable but the programs are not always recommended by foreign scholars. However, some reknowned scholars do teach at these universities so check out which lecturer conducts the course that you are interested in.

If you already know the Thai language you could take a look at the Midnight University. This site is only in Thai but offers free education. The site is run by Nithi Eawsiiwong, a renowned and interesting Thai historian who believes that education and knowledge should be for the people (which in Thailand often means the poor people).

Language

Thailand has never been colonized. One drawback about this is that most people speak only Thai language. However, learning English is mandatory in most schools. People in big cities can understand and speak English. Tourists will not have problem in Bangkok and other cities. For the remote areas, the tourists may have to invest a bit more attempt to communicate with local people.

Central or Standard Thai (or you can call it Bangkokian language) is understood by most people because it is taught in all schools and is the language used in all official media in Thailand. Apart from Central Thai is also spoken Southern Thai, Northern Thai and Esan (Northeastern Thai) which is very similar to the Laotian language. The local dialects can be very different from Central Thai with different pronounciations and even different words for the same thing.

The Thai language can seem a bit complicated at first. This is mainly because it is a tonal language, which means that what sounds like the same word for a westerner can be pronounced with five different tones, each tone giving the word a different meaning. The five tones are: Medium, Low, High, Falling and Rising tone (in addition to this some Southern dialects have an additional sixth tone, the high rising tone). If you are staying longer in Thailand and want to learn the language then take a language course in one of the plentyful language schools. One of the best (but unfortunately also one of the oldest) learning systems for Thai is AUA. The AUA language material consists of reading, writing and conversation materials as well as audio material. AUA language schools are also situated in the bigger cities of Thailand.

If you manage to pick up some words do not hesitate because of fear for pronouncing the words with wrong tones since Thais normally understand the meaning out of context. If pronounced wrongly there is a big chance that people will understand you and politely correct you by repeating the word with the proper pronunciation. However much or little Thai language you know do not be a show-off: Thais hate that. If you just politely try to communicate with people in Thai language they will admire your efforts no matter how good it actually sounds and probably encourage you to learn some more.

As mentioned English is widely understood in the big cities and you might find that people will be very happy to talk to you if not just to practice their English. Some people pronounce the English words after Thai pronunciation rules which means that it sometimes sounds quite funny for a Westerner (or Farang as it is called in Thai). One example is Siam Square which should be pronounced "Saiaam Saquare" after Thai pronunciation rules. Another funny example is that the Scandinavian male name Sven should be pronounced Saven (when pronounced it sounds like Seven). This is not only Sven's that find it funny but also Thai people find it entertaining.

Eat

Food is rather cheap in Thailand if you stick to local food. Most dishes are served with rice but it is also possible to find different kinds of noodles. There is one basic truth about Thai food: It is spicy! Chilli are added to almost everything and you will normally also find dried chilli or fishsauce with chilli on each table in a restaurant. The exception from this truth is noodles. Noodle dishes are normally non-spicy. Noodles are served as dry noodles and wet noodles and in different sizes. Wet noodles (when the noddles are served in a soup) can be very refreshing in the middle of a hot day.

Thai food are often eaten with fresh vegetables which are quite safe to eat: The Thai's are normally very keen on rinsing the vegetables in pure water so it does normally not give any stomach problems.

Everywhere in Thailand it is possible to find local dishes in the local restaurants and many restaurants have their own special local dish. It can be a very good experience to try a restaurant's special dish if going to smaller cities outside Bangkok. Besides Thai food it is possible to find more expensive Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Korean, Vietnamese and Western food in the bigger cities if you get tired of just Thai food. McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut opened in Thailand several years ago and it is rather fashionable for a Thai to eat there.

In former times utensils were not used in Thailand but now they are used by everybody, maybe except by very old people in the countryside. Utensils does not mean knife and fork but fork and spoon. Sticks are also used for eating sometimes, and strangely enough it is common to eat noodles with sticks. Thai's like to focus on what they are actually eating and how they eat it.

Fresh fruits are also easily obtained in the markets for a cheap price, where the most common fruits are mango, banana, pineapple, pomelo and watermelon. Pineapples grown in the South are sweeter than pineapples grown elsewhere in the country. Many other kinds of fruits are also available depending on the season and the region you are visiting. One fruit that Thai's find a delicacy is Durian. This is a fruit that people normally hate or love. After peeling this big fruit the meat quickly starts to smell, very much like old cheese. The taste of the fruit can be compared to whipped cream with mashed banana though it is not exactly the same taste. But it is definitely worth trying some of it if you come across it on a market or in a supermarket. Some Thai's say that Durian is a "hot" fruit which means that if you eat too much of it without balancing it with eating a "cold" fruit you will feel uncomfortable afterwards.
Snacks are also very common in the streets, markets and shopping malls and it can be very nice to take a snack while investigating the local market.

Sleep

Drink

Health

The biggest threat to health in Thailand is HIV, so therefore make sure to protect yourself if you engage in a sexual relationship with a local. Malaria is not very common unless going to remote jungle-areas of the country. Nevertheless you should protect yourself against mosquito-bites by using mosquito repellants and mosquito nets where appropriate. If you should be so unlucky to get infected by malaria Thailand is exactly the right place to be: The doctors are very professional in treating malaria. As in may other places you should avoid drinking the tap-water and also try to stay away from dogs. If you think that a dog is too close you can pretend to pick up a stone and throw it after the dog. There is a big chance that the dog is used to getting thrown stones at and therefore it will quickly disappear.

Safety

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

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