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Thailand Overview |
Among the reasons for the increase in tourism in the 1960s were the stable political atmosphere and the development of Bangkok as a crossroads of international air transportation. The hotel industry and retail industry both expanded rapidly due to tourist demand. It was also boosted by the presence of US soldiers who started to arrive in the 1960s for Rest and Recuperation (R&R) during the Vietnam War period. Coinciding, international mass tourism sharply increased during the same period due to the rising standard of living, more people acquiring more free time and due to improvements in technology making it possible to travel further, faster, cheaper and in greater numbers, epitomised by the Boeing 747 which first flew commercially in 1970. Thailand was one of the major players in Asia to capitalise on this then-new trend.
Tourist numbers have grown from 336,000 foreign visitors and 54,000 R&R soldiers in 1967 to over 22 million international guests visiting Thailand in 2012. The average duration of their stay in 2007 was 9.19 days, generating an estimated 547,782 million Thai baht, around 11 billion Euro. In 2007, Thailand was the 18th most visited country in the World Tourism rankings with 14.5 million visitors. In 2008, Bangkok ranked 3rd behind London and New York in Euromonitor International's list of "Top City Destinations" with 10,209,900 visitors, Pattaya 23rd with 4,406,300 visitors, Phuket 31st with 3,344,700 visitors, and Chiang Mai ranked 78th place with 1,604,600 visitors. The Global Destinations Cities Index of 2013, compiled by the MasterCard Worldwide corporation, ranked Bangkok as the "top destination city by international visitor arrivals", while London, United Kingdom (UK) and Paris, France were second and third respectively.
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Popular Locations of Thailand
1. Bangkok
2. Hua Hin
3. Kanchanaburi
4. Pattaya
5. Ko Samet
6. Rayong
7. Sriracha
8. Bangsean
9. Lopburi
10. Mae Hong Son
11. Pai
12. Lampang
13. Santikhiri (Mae Salong)
14. Sukhothai Historical Park
15. Ubon Ratchathani
16. Khao Yai National Park
17. Phimai historical park
18. Udon Thani
19. Khon Kaen |
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20. Nong Khai
21. Hat Yai
22. Krabi
23. Nakhon Si Thammarat
24. Phuket
25. Trang
26. Ko Lipe
27. Tarutao
28. Khao Lak
29. Songkhla
30. Ko Phi Phi
31. Koh Tao
32. Phang Nga Bay
33. Railay
34. Chiang Mai
35. Similan Islands
36. Grand Palace
37. Ko Chang
38. Ayuthaya
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Thailand is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and the southern extremity of Burma. Its maritime boundaries include Vietnam in the Gulf of Thailand to the southeast, and Indonesia and India in the Andaman Sea to the southwest.The country is a constitutional monarchy, headed by King Rama IX, the ninth king of the House of Chakri, who, having reigned since 1946, is the world's longest-serving current head of state and the longest-reigning monarch in Thai history. The king of Thailand is titled Head of State, Head of the Armed Forces, Adherent of Buddhism, and Upholder of religions.
Thailand is the world's 51st-largest country in terms of total area, with an area of approximately 513,000 km2 (198,000 sq mi), and is the 20th-most-populous country, with around 64 million people. The capital and largest city is Bangkok, which is Thailand's political, commercial, industrial and cultural hub. About 75% of the population is ethnically Thai, 14% Thai Chinese, and 3% is ethnically Malay; the rest belong to minority groups including Mons, Khmers and various hill tribes. The country's official language is Thai. The primary religion is Buddhism, which is practiced by around 95% of the population. Thailand experienced rapid economic growth between 1985 and 1996, and is presently a newly industrialized country and a major exporter. Tourism also contributes significantly to the Thai economy. There are approximately 2.2 million legal and illegal migrants in Thailand, and the country has also attracted a number of expatriates from developed countries.
There is evidence of human habitation in Thailand that has been dated at 40,000 years before the present. Similar to other regions in Southeast Asia, Thailand was heavily influenced by the culture and religions of India, starting with the Kingdom of Funan around the 1st century CE to the Khmer Empire. The ruins of Wat Chaiwatthanaram at Ayutthaya. The city was burned and sacked in 1767 by a Burmese army under the King Hsinbyushin. After the fall of the Khmer Empire in the 13th century, various states thrived there, such as the various Tai, Mon, Khmer and Malay kingdoms, as seen through the numerous archaeological sites and artifacts that are scattered throughout the Siamese landscape. Prior to the 12th century however, the first Thai or Siamese state is traditionally considered to be the Buddhist kingdom of Sukhothai, which was founded in 1238. Following the decline and fall of the Khmer empire in the 13th–15th century, the Buddhist Tai kingdoms of Sukhothai, Lanna and Lan Xang (now Laos) were on the ascension. However, a century later, the power of Sukhothai was overshadowed by the new kingdom of Ayutthaya, established in the mid-14th century in the lower Chao Phraya River or Menam area.
Ayutthaya's expansion centred along the Menam while in the northern valley the Lanna Kingdom and other small Tai city-states ruled the area. In 1431, the Khmer abandoned Angkor after the Ayutthaya forces invaded the city. Thailand retained a tradition of trade with its neighbouring states, from China to India, Persia and Arab lands. Ayutthaya became one of the most vibrant trading centres in Asia. European traders arrived in the 16th century, beginning with the Portuguese, followed by the French, Dutch and English.After the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767 to the Burmese, King Taksin the Great moved the capital of Thailand to Thonburi for approximately 15 years. The current Rattanakosin era of Thai history began in 1782, following the establishment of Bangkok as capital of the Chakri dynasty under King Rama I the Great. According to Encyclopædia Britannica, "A quarter to a third of the population of some areas of Thailand and Burma were slaves in the 17th through the 19th centuries."
Despite European pressure, Thailand is the only Southeast Asian nation that has never been colonized. This has been ascribed to the long succession of able rulers in the past four centuries who exploited the rivalry and tension between French Indochina and the British Empire. As a result, the country remained a buffer state between parts of Southeast Asia that were colonized by the two colonizing powers, Great Britain and France. Western influence nevertheless led to many reforms in the 19th century and major concessions, most notably being the loss of a large territory on the east side of the Mekong to the French and the step-by-step absorption by Britain of the Malay Peninsula.
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Popular Food in Thailand
Rice Dishes
1. Chok
2. Khao kan chin
3. Khao kha mu
4. Khao khai chiao
5. Khao khluk kapi
6. Khao mok kai
7. Khao mok nuea
8. Khao man kai
9. Khao mu krop
10. Khao mu krop mu daeng
11. Khao na pet
12. Khao niao
13. Khao nuea op
14. Khao phat
15. Khao phat amerikan
16. Khao phat kaeng khiao wan
17. Khao phat kaphrao mu
18. Khao phat nam phrik narok
19. Khao tom
20. Khao tom kui
Noodle Dishes
21. Bami haeng pet
22. Bami mu daeng
23. Khanom chin kaeng khiao wan kai
24. Khanom chin nam ngiao
25. Khanom chin namya
26. Khao soi
27. Khao soi Mae Sai
28. Khao soi nam na
29. Kuaichap
30. Kuai-tiao nuea pueay
31. Kuai-tiao phat khi mao
32. Kuai-tiao rat na
33. Mi krop
34. Phat Mama
35. Phat si-io
36. Phat thai
37. Phat wun sen
38. Sapaketti phat khi mao
39. Tom yam boran
40. Yen tafo |
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Miscellaneous
41. Chim chum
42. Mu kratha
43. Nam phrik kapi kap pla thu thot
Shared Dishes
Curries
44. Chin hum
45. Kaeng cha-om
46. Kaeng fak sai kai
47. Kaeng dok salae
48. Kaeng hangle
49. Kaeng het
50. Kaeng ho
51. Kaeng kari
52. Kaeng khae
53. Kaeng khanun
54. Kaeng khiao wan
55. Kaeng khilek
56. Kaeng khua
57. Kaeng khua mu bai chamuang
58. Kaeng kradang
59. Kaeng lueang
60. Kaeng matsaman
61. Kaeng om
62. Kaeng phak bung sai pla
63. Kaeng phak kat cho kraduk mu
64. Kaeng phak lueat
65. Kaeng phak siangda
66. Kaeng phak wan pa
67. Kaeng phanaeng
68. Kaeng phet
69. Kaeng phet pet yang
70. Kaeng pli
71. Kaeng som
71. Kaeng tai pla
72. Kaeng thae pho
73. Kaeng tun
74. Kaeng yot maphrao on sai kai
75. Kaeng yuak
76. Khua kling
77. Khua kraduk mu
78. Yam chin ka
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1. Mah Boon Krong(MBK), Bangkok
2. Mike Shopping Mall, Pattaya
3. Night Market, Chiang Mai
4. Local Markets, Hat Yai
5. Chatuchak Weekend Market, Bangkok
6. Royal Garden Plaza, Pattaya
7. Street Vendors & Hawkers, Hat Yai
8. Pratunam and Baiyoke Markets, Bangkok
9. Central Festival, Pattaya
10. Odean Shopping Centre, Hat Ya
11. Central Department Store, Hat Yai
12. Platinum Mall, Bangkok
13. Diana Department Store, Hat Yai
14. Panthip Plaza, Bangkok
15. Counterfeit & Fake Goods, Hat Yai
16. Patpong Night Market, Bangkok
17. Tesco Lotus, Hat Yai
18. Supermarkets and Hypermarkets, Bangkok
19. Robinson Department Store, Hat Yai
20. Local Markets and Street Vendors, Bangkok
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21. Precious Metals & Jewellery, Hat Yai
22. Siam Square Shops, Bangkok
23. Siam Paragon, Bangkok
24. King Power Duty Free, Bangkok
25. Jim Thompson's Shops, Bangkok
26. CentralWorld (former WTC), Bangkok
27. Suan Lum Night Bazaar, Bangkok
28. Siam Center / Siam Discovery Center, Bangkok
29. Gaysorn Plaza, Bangkok
30. River City Complex, Bangkok
31. Convenience Stores, Bangkok
32. Banglamphu and Khao San Road, Bangkok
33. The Emporium, Bangkok
34. Floating Market, Bangkok
35. Central Chidlom, Bangkok
36. Chinatown, Bangkok
37. VAT Refunds for Tourists, Bangkok
38. Playground!, Bangkok
39. Narayana Phand, Bangkok
40. Bookshops, Bangkok
41. NaRaYa, Bangkok
42. OTOP (One Tambon One Product), Bangkok
43. Isetan, Bangkok
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