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The kingdom of Thailand
is a predominantly Buddhist country located
in Southeast Asia, almost equidistant
between India and China. Known for centuries
by outsiders as "Siam" the Kingdom
has long been a migratory, cultural and
religious crossroads for many Southeast
Asian nations. Thailand covers an area
of 510,000 square kilometres, approximately
the same size as France,and has a population
of some 60 million.Thailand shares borders
with Myanmar to the west and north,Laos
to the northeast and north. Combodia to
the east,and Malaysia to the south.
geographically speaking,Thailand
is divided into six major regions:
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The moutainous North,where
elephants work forests and winter
temperatures are sufficiently cool
to permit cultivation of temperate
fruits such as strawberries and
peaches;
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The sprawling Northeast
Plateau,largely bordered by the
Mekong River,where the world's oldest
Bronze Age civilisation flourished
some 5,000 years ago;
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The Central Plain,one
of the world's most fertile rice and
fruit-growing areas;
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The Eastern Coastal
Plain, where fine sandy beaches support
the growth of summer resorts;
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The Weastern moutains
and valleys,suitable for the development
of hydro-electric power, and
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The peninsular South
where arresting scenic beauty complement
economically vital tin mining, rubber
cultivation and fishing.
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| Thailand enjoys a tropical climate with
three distinct seasons:
- Summer from March through May;
- Rainy ason with plenty of sunshine as
well from June through September;
- Cool season from October through February;
The average annual temperature is 28
C (83 F), ranging, in Bankok, for example,
from 30 C in April to 25 C in December.
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| Time in Thailand is seven hours ahead
of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+7). |
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Archeological discoverise around the
northeast village hamlet of Ban Chiang suggest
that the world's oldest Bronze Age civilisaton
was flourishing in Thailand some 5,600 years
ago. Successive waves of immigrants, including
Mon, Khmer and Thai, gradually entered the
land mass now known as Thailand, most slowly
travelling along fertile river valleys from
southern China.
By the early 1200s, the Thai people had
established small northern citystates in
Lanna, Phayao and Sukhothai. In 1283, two
Thai chieftains rebelled against Khmer suzerainty
and establised the first truly independent
Thai kingdom in Sukhothai (literally,"Dawn
of happiness").
The Sukhothai era saw the Thai's gradaul
expension throughout the entire Chao Phraya
River basin, the establishment of Theravada
Buddhism as the predominant Thai religion,
the creation of the Thai alphabet and the
first expression of developing Thai art
forms, including painting, sculpture, architecture
and literature.
The Sukhothai era declined in the 1300s
and eventually became a vassal atate of
Ayuttaya, a dynamic young kingdon further
south in the Chao Phraya River valley. Founded
in 1350, Ayuttaya remained the Thai capital
until 1767 when it was destroyed by Burmese
invaders.
During Ayuttaya's 417 years as the capital,under
the rule of 33 kings, the Thais brought
their distinctive culture to full fruition,
totally ridding their lands of Khmer presence
and fostering contact with Arabian, Indian,
Chinese, Japanese and European powers.
Ayuttaya's destruction was as severe a
blow to the Thais as the loss of Paris or
London would have been to the French or
English. However, a Thai revival occurred
within a few months, and the Burmese were
expelled by King Taksin who later made Thon
Buri his capital. In 1782, the first king
of the present Chakri dynasty, Rama I, established
his new capital on the site of a riverside
village called Bangkok(Village of Wild Plums).
Two Chari monarchs, Mongkut(Rama IV), who
reigned between 1851 ans 1868, and his son
Chulalongkorn(Rama V), who reigned form
1868 to 1910, saved Thailand from western
colonisation through adroit diplomacy and
selective modernisation.
Today, Thailand has a constitutional monarchy.
Since 1932, Thai kings including the present
monarch, H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej, have
exercised their legislative powers through
a national assembly, their executive powers
through a cabinet headed by aprime minister
and their judicial powers through the law
courts.
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Throughout its long history, Thailand
has welcomes and gently assimilated immigrants.
Many were skilled as writers, painters,
sculptors, dencers, musicians and architects,
and helped enrich the indigenous culture.
People inhabiting Thailand today share
a rich ethnic diversity - mainly Thai, Mon,
Khmer, Laotian, Chinese, Malay, Persian
and Indian stock - with the result that
there is no trypically Thai physiognomy
or physique. There are petite Thais, staturesque
Thais, round-faced Thais, dark-skinned Thais
and light-skinned Thais.
Some 80 percent of all Thais are connected
in some way with agriculture, which in varying
degrees, influences and influeced by the
religious ceremonies and festivals that
help make Thailand such a distinctive country.
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| Spoken and written Thai remain largely incomprehensible
to the casual visitoe. However, English is
widely understood, particularly in Bangkok,
Chiang Mai, Pattaya and Phuket where it is
an important language in commerce. English
and other European language are spocken in
most hotels, shops, restaurants, banks, international
offices and carrental services in major tourist
destinations and Thai-English rode and street
signs are found nationwide. |
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Thailand
