| | Must Visits | Need to Know | Capital City Bangkok | | Tipping 10-15% | | Electricity 220 V | | Weights and Measurements Metric system |
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Sneak Preview
Think Thailand and you think of pristine blue waters lapping at long curves of beaches, coral reefs teeming with rainbow coloured fish; purple orchids and white lotus; rubies, emeralds and sapphires; beautiful women with shy smiles; saffron robed monks with cell phones, pulsating nightlife, temple spires reaching up to touch the heavens; golden Buddhas in serene repose; swaying elephants; the cacophony and chaos of the twentieth century. All frozen together in a time warp. Thailand has something to offer to everyone and lures travellers from all over the world.
Sawasdee. Welcome to the land of the Thais – to the country of smiles where visitors are honoured guests.
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Historically Speaking
One of the world’s first Bronze Age civilizations was established in the Mekong valley in Thailand, about 5600 years ago. Gradually, over the centuries immigrants (Thais, Mons and Khmers) entered the area and by the 12th century, the Khmers held dominion over most of the region.
By the early 13th century, the Thais had set up small city-states- Lanna, Phayao and Sukhothai (which means "Dawn of Happiness") in northern Thailand. Sukhothai later became the first truly independent Thai kingdom, when, in 1238, two Thai chieftains rebelled against their Khmer overlords. Sukhothai prospered tremendously over the next few decades, and oversaw the expansion of the kingdom till the Chao Phraya River. Simultaneously, Buddhism became the religion of the people, and Thai art forms too started to take shape. However, by the 1300s, Sukhothai declined and had to give way to the kingdom of Ayutthaya, further south. Established in 1350, Ayutthaya lasted only till 1767, when Burmese invaders destroyed it, thus causing a severe blow to the Thais, who rallied around, and within a few months, succeeded in ousting the Burmese.
In 1782, the first king of the Chakri dynasty (the present ruling house) established the new capital, Bangkok. His descendants, most notably, King Mongkut (Rama IV) and King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), between 1851 and 1910, managed to protect the country from western imperialism, while allowing selective modernisation, a trend which has continued in the years since then.
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Habitat
Thailand lies to the southeast of Myanmar (Burma) and has a total land area of 511,770 sq km. It shares borders with Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Malaysia; the west coast of the country is on the Andaman Sea, while the east coast touches the Gulf of Thailand.
Thailand is divided into four main geographical zones: the southern peninsula, which is covered with tropical rainforests; the central river basin of the Chao Phraya River; the fertile valley and mountains of northern Thailand, and the comparatively poor area of the north-east plateau. The highest peak in the country is Doi Inthanon (2596 m).
A fourth of the country is covered with dense tropical forests, but these are fast being decimated. Other environmental issues include air and water pollution, and soil erosion.
Flora & Fauna
Thailand has a wide range of native plants and animals. Among the local vegetation, the most common are bamboos, fruit trees, and tropical hardwoods. The hills of northern Thailand have a dense cover of teak forests, and around 26% of the total land area is forested.
The fauna of Thailand is varied- there are tigers, leopards, elephants and Asiatic black bears (all of which are, unfortunately, on the decline). There are also more than 850 species of birds, both migratory as well as residential. The country has 66 national parks and 32 wildlife sanctuaries (which together comprise 11% of the land area), of which the most well known is Khao Yai National Park, northeast of Saraburi.
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