elcome to our guide to Thailand. This is useful for anyone researching Thai culture, customs, manners, etiquette, values and wanting to understand the people better. You may be going to Thailand on business, for a visit or even hosting Thai colleagues or clients in your own country. Remember this is only a very basic level introduction and is not meant to stereotype all Thais you may meet!Facts and Statistics
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Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma
Capital: Bangkok
tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March); southern isthmus always hot and humid
Population
Number
Male :
31,845,971
Female :
32,939,938
Total :
64,785,909
**Note** The total population includes only permanent residents.
Ethnic Make-up: Thai 75%, Chinese 14%, other 11%
Religions : Buddhism 95%, Muslim 3.8%, Christianity 0.5%, Hinduism 0.1%, other 0.6% (1991)
People :
75% Thais, 11% Chinese, 3.5% Malays, and others are Mons, Khmers, Burmese, Laotians, Indians and a variety of hill tribes.
Government : constitutional monarchy
Geography : Thailand has a land area of 513,115 sq.km.(approx. 127,008 acres) bordered by Malaysia (South), Myanmar (West & North), Laos (North & East) and Cambodia (Southeast). The country's east coast borders the Gulf of Thailand and the west coast abuts the Andaman Sea. The country is divided geographically into four main zones-the fertile central plains, dominated by the Chao Phraya River; the 300-metre-high northeast plateau, the kingdom's most barren region ; the mountainous North; and the tropical southern peninsula.
Climate :
The temperature varies from 38°C to 19°C with the annual average at about 29°C. The humidity is from 66% to 82.8%.
Seasons :
There are three seasons in Northern, Northeastern and Central Thailand - hot (March to May), rainy (June to October), and cool (November to February). And there are two seasons in the South - rainy (April to November) and hot (December to March).
In the North and Northeast in winter, the temperatures are much lower during night time, especially on the mountains, with temperatures lower than 10°C.
Language :
Thai is the national language. English is widely understood in Bangkok and big cities.
Court Culture : Sculpture Thai sculpture is concentrated on Buddha images that rank among the world's greatest expressions of Buddhist art. As a result, it is widely believed that the Buddha images in Thailand, from the Chiang Saen Period (11-13th c.) to the present Rattanakosin or Bangkok Period, are so numerous that they far outnumber the population of the country. Made in wood, metals, ivory, precious stones and stucco, they have been created to represent Rattanatrai of Buddhism, i.e., Buddha, Dharma (the Buddha's doctrine) and Sanga (Buddhist clergy).Among the most beautiful Buddha images in Thailand are Phra Buddha Chinnarat in Wat Mahathat (Phitsanulok province) and Phra Buddha Chinnasi in Wat Bowon Niwet (Bangkok).
Phra Buddha Chinnarat
Court Culture : Painting
Classical Thai painting is mostly confined to mural paintings inside Buddhist temples and palaces. They are idealistic and the themes frequently depicted are those related to Buddhism, such as the Buddha's life stories, stories of the three worlds (heaven, earth and hell), and also those concerning customs and traditions. The subjects of the paintings reflect different purposes: to beautify and dignify the places of worship, to promote Buddhism, and to educate people through pictures.
OTOP Products
These are high-quality hand-made goods and folk handicrafts under the One Tambon One Product (OTOP) Project. The products range widely from food to consumer goods and decorative objects.
Where to buy: OTOP products are available at most souvenirs shops, shopping plazas and department stores nationwide. The Department of Export Promotion (DEP) has established two medium size outlets in Bangkok and Chiang Mai to display the products, which have been developed to meet world market standards and provide business convenience between local craftsmen and foreign traders. Bangkok: 6th Fl., Thailand Export Mart Building, Ratchadaphisek Rd.
Tel. +66 (0) 2511 5279 to 84 Chiang Mai: 29/19 Singharat Rd., Muang County
Tel. +66 (0) 5322 1174, (0) 5322 3164
The fantastic complete works
Exotic beauty of artificial flowers
Thai Handicrafts
There are several other kinds of handicrafts that are of artistic value, such as pearls, dolls, brassware, bronzeware and artificial flowers, and adorable Thai-style gifts such as mulberry paper products, candle products, and aroma incense box sets. All of these you can conveniently obtain from large department stores, shopping plazas or in the shopping areas in tourist cities such as Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Pattaya, where you will find that there are just too many good things to buy and you may be at a loss how to make a choice.
Thai Food , The Top Ten Thai Dishes Loved by Foreigners
Have you ever tried Thai food? Do you like it? Thaiways invites you to savour some mouth-watering Thai dishes which are most popular among foreigners. In July 1999, the Office of the National Culture Commission announced the top ten Thai dishes best liked by foreigners. In cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Office had conducted a survey of Thai restaurants all over the world to find out ten favourite Thai dishes of foreigners. In the survey 1,000 Thai restaurants around the world were asked to fill in a questionnaire. However, only 500 restaurants which have Thai chefs and offer the authentic Thai food were qualified for being taken into consideration.
The results were the top ten Thai dishes which are listed below in order of their percentages of popularity
1. Tom Yam Kung (Spicy Shrimp Soup) 99%
2. Kaeng Khiao Wan Kai (Green Chicken Curry) 85%
3. Phat Thai (Fried Noodles of Thai Style) 70%
4. Phat Kaphrao (Meat or Seafood Fried with Sweet Basil) 52%
5. Kaeng Phet Pet Yang (Roast Duck Curry) 50%
6. Tom Kha Kai (Chicken in Coconut Soup) 47%
7. Yam Nua (Spicy Beef Salad) 45%
8. Mu or Kai Sa-te (Roast Pork or Chicken Coated with Turmeric) 43%
9. Kai Phat Met Mamuang Himmaphan
(Chicken Fried with Cashew Nuts) 42%
10. Kaeng Phanaeng (Meat in Coconut Cream) 39%
elcome to our guide to Thailand. This is useful for anyone researching Thai culture, customs, manners, etiquette, values and wanting to understand the people better. You may be going to Thailand on business, for a visit or even hosting Thai colleagues or clients in your own country. Remember this is only a very basic level introduction and is not meant to stereotype all Thais you may meet!Facts and Statistics
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