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Thai culture:
The Kingdom of Thailand is a country in Southeast Asia, bordering Myanmar (Burma) and the Andaman Sea in the West, Lao and Cambodia to the East, the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia to the South. The country's official name was Siam until 1949....the word Thai means "freedom" in the Thai language, and is also the name of the majority ethnic group.
History
Various archealogical evidence suggests that indigenous cultures have existed in Thailand from 4420 BC onwards. The first Siamese organised society is considered to be the Buddhist kigdom of Sukhotai founded in 1238 AD following the disintegration of the Khmer Empire.
In the mid-14th century the kingdom of Ayutthaya became the dominant power in Siam, during which time the Khmer centre of splendour at Angkor was sacked, and some of its hindu customs brought to Ayuttaya. After the Ayuttaya power base fell apart in 1767, Thonburi became the capital of King Taksin the Great, until a coup in 1782. From 1782 the modern era of Thai history begins with the establishment of the Chakri dynasty, initiated by King Rama I, with Bangkok as his capital.
Thailand has the unique distinction of never to have been taken over by a foreign power, even though European powers have had contact with the Kingdom since the 16th century. This was achieved by having very clever kings who balanced the power between the mainly British and French interest.
In 1932 a largely peaceful revolution in 1932 led to a constitutional monarchy. During the Second World War, Thailand was loosely allied to Japan, and after the war it developed a close relationship with The United States. The kingdom then experienced a series of military coups, with gradual evolution towards democracy in the 1980's.
Another peaceful coup in September 2006, terminated the scandal prone government of the Thai Rak Thai party, and an interim military led administration is currently governing the country.
The Monarchy
His Majesty King Bhumibol Rama IX, is the reigning monarch, and is revered by all Thais, and is respected throughout the world, not only as the world's longest reigning monarch, but as a wise and inspirational leader to his people. He is viewed by all Thais as 'The Light of Thailand', a symbol of national identity and unity, as well as the Protector of Buddhism in Thailand.
The king was actually born in Massachusetts USA, is multi-lingual, an accomplished jazz musician, environmental scientist, yachtsman, and so much more.
2006 marked the celebrations of his majesty's 60th year since his accession to the throne, and released an outpouring of adoration from all corners of the kingdom and abroad.
Geography
- Thailand is the world's 49th largest country, covering an area of 513,000 sq km (198,000 sq mi), it is comparable in size to Spain.
- Due to its setting in South East Asia, the kingdom overlays several different geographic regions.
- The North of the country is mountainous, Doi Inthanon at 2576 metres being the highest point.
- The NorthEast consists of the Khorat Plateau, bordered to the east by the Mekong River.
- The centre of the country is predominantly flat, disected by the Chao Phraya river, which runs through Bangkok into the Gulf of Thailand.
- The South consists of the narrow Kra Isthmus that widens into the Malay Peninsula.
- The local climate is tropical and characterised by monsoons.
- February to April is the hot season.
- May to October is a cloudy, rainy and warm monsoon.
- November to January is the cool season.
Administrative Divisions
Thailand is divided into 76 provinces, which are grouped into 5 regions (North, North East, East, Central, South), there are also two special governed districts: the capital Bangkok and Pattaya.
Economy
Thailand enjoyed phenomenal growth rates in the late 1980's and early 1990's, the economy growing 9% annually.
This increased pressure on the currency, the baht, and precipitated a financial crisis which forced the government to float the currency.
Racing down from a high of 25 to the US dollar, the baht reached its lowest point of 56 to the US dollar in January 1998, with the economy contracting by 10% that year.
This economic meltdown in Thailand prompted a wider Asian financial crisis.
Although the economy started to pick up from 1999 onwards, the softening of the global economy temporarily halted the pace of recovery in 2001; however growth in 2003 and 2004 was over 6% annually.
Thailand exports over $105 billion worth of products annually, including rice, textiles, and footwear, fishery products, rubber, jewelry, automobiles, computers and electrical appliances.
The kingdom is the world's number one exporter of rice, exporting 6.5 million tons of rice annually.
Thailand has the highest percentage of arable land (27.5%), of any nation in the greater Mekong subregion; about 55% of the arable land is used for rice production.
The main natural resources of Thailand are tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite, and arable land.
Tourism contributes about 5% of the Thai economy's GDP. Long stay foreign residents also contribute heavily to the GDP.
Culture
Thailand's population is dominated by various Tai-speaking peoples; the largest group of non-Tai people are the Chinese, other ethnic groups include Malays in the south, Mon, Khmer and various hilltribes.
According to the census of 2000, 94.6% of Thais are Buddhists of the Theravada tradition. Muslims are the second religious group at 4.6%, they are mostly located in the southern provinces.
Theravada Buddhism is central to Thai identity and belief. Respect of ancestors is a large part of Thai spiritual practice, as well as charity towards Buddhist monks.
Thais have a very strong sense of graciousness and hospitality, but also a strong sense of social hierarchy. They respect their elders so much that they wai or krab (bow) to the feet of their parents or grandparents.
They honour the eldest first, and the elderly take precedence in all familly decisions and any sort of ceremony.
Muay Thai, or Thai boxing, is the national sport in Thailand and its native martial art. It reached poularity all over the world in the 1990's.
Soccer or European football, has possible overtaken Muay Thai as the most widely viewed and liked sport in modern Thai society; English premier league teams Liverpool and Manchester United have a particularly strong following. Another widely enjoyed pastime is kite flying.
The standard greeting in Thai is a prayer-like gesture called the Wai. Taboos include touching someones head or pointing with the feet, as the head is considered the most sacred part of the body, and the foot the dirtiest part.
Stepping over somebody, or over food, is considered insulting. Books and other documents are the most revered of secular objects, therefore one should not slide a book across a table or place it on the floor. However increasing western influences, as is the case in most other Asian countries, are eroding gradually some of these taboos.
Thai cuisine blends five fundamental tastes: sweet, spicy, sour, bitter, and salty. Some common ingredients used are garlic, chillies, lime juice, lemon grass and fish sauce. The staple food in Thailand is rice, which is included in almost every meal. Thais consume over 100 kg of rice per person per year.
Thai culture has been greatly shaped in recent years by its vibrant and free press. There are numerous English, Thai and Chinese papers in circulation and Thailand is the largest newspaper market in South East Asia, with an estimated circulation of at least 13 million copies daily in 2003.