About Thailand

The Kingdom of Thailand, previously known as Siam, is situated in the heart of Southeast Asia with Bangkok as the capital city.  It shares a border with Cambodia to the east, Laos to the northeast, Myanmar to the west, and Malaysia to the south.  Thailand, with its shape resembling a head of an elephant, is around 198,114 square miles, or roughly the size of the state of Texas.  The Kingdom borders two bodies of water—the Gulf of Thailand to the south and the Indian Ocean to the west.

Thailand is divided into four natural regions: the north, northeast, the central plain, and the south. The north is a mountainous region comprised of ridges, natural forest, and deep, narrow alluvial valleys.  The northeast is an arid region characterized by a rolling surface and undulating hills.  Central Thailand is a lush, fertile valley and possesses the richest and most extensive rice-producing area in the country.  The south is hilly with thick forests and rich deposits of minerals and iron ores.  The southern region is also the center for rubber production and the cultivation of other topical crops.

Thailand has a warm, tropical climate affected by a seasonal monsoon. Thailand experiences a rainy season from June to October and a dry season for the rest of the year. Temperatures average 75 to 92 degrees Fahrenheit, with the highest temperatures occurring from March to May and the lowest appearing in December and January.

There are conflicting opinions of the origins of the Thais.  For several decades, Thais were presumed to have migrated 4,500 years ago, from what is now the southern part of China.  Recently, however, new pre-historic artifacts from the Ban Chiang era were discovered in northeast Thailand, questioning the previous theory.  These artifacts include evidence of bronze metallurgy dating over 3,500 years, as well as other indications of a far more sophisticated culture than any previously founded.

As of 2003, the population of Thailand stood at around 64.2 million, about 8 million of whom live in the capital city of Bangkok.  The largest ethnic minority is the Chinese.  Other ethnic groups present in Thailand include Malays, Cambodians, Vietnamese, and Indians.  The official language, spoken by almost 100 percent of the population, is Thai. Thai is a tonal, uninflected, and predominantly monosyllabic language borrowed from Khmer, Pali, and Sanskrit.  Chinese and Malay are also spoken in some areas, while local dialects are common in rural communities.  English is widely spoken in Bangkok and other major metropolitan areas.

Buddhism is the faith of approximately 95 percent of the population.  Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, and other faiths are also openly practiced and protected under the Constitution.

Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia that has never been colonized.  Its government structure has undergone gradual and practical evolution in response to the changing environment.  Since 1932, Thailand has been a constitutional monarchy, with a king as head of state and a parliamentarian form of government.  The bicameral parliament is composed of 500 representatives and 200 senators.  The Prime Minister is selected from the members of the House of Representatives.  Furthermore, Thailand is divided into 76 provinces, each administered by appointed governors.  Appointed governors administer 75 of Thailand's 76 provinces.  Bangkok, the 76th province, is administered by an elected governor