Thailand

                                      

Thailand. Well, I guess there is not much not yet said about this amazing country. However, I will describe it in my own words. I will let you know the tops and flops, where to go, the do's and dont's and good sources for further information.

General Information
The Kingdom of Thailand, until 1932 known as The Kingdom of Siam, is located in south-eats Asia neighboring Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia. The current population is about 63 million people living in 75 provinces. The capital Bangkok is often considered the 76th province but is actually a special governed district. The provinces are divided into a total 877 districts plus 50 districts of Bangkok.
The size of Thailand is 514,000 sq km which is about the size of France or slightly larger than the US state of California.
Thailand is a constitutional monarchy under His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The recently elected government is led by Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and formed by the People Power Party (PPP). The PPP is a descendant of the former Thai Rak Thai party led by Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra which was deposed of as a result of the coup d'etat in September 2006.
95% of Thais are Buddhist following the Theravada tradition. Muslims are the second largest religious group and live predominantly in the 4 southern-most provinces.
Regarding the economy, Thailand is a newly industrialized country. The main industries are agriculture, electric appliances, components, computer parts, automobiles and tourism. Thailand heavily depends on exports being the #1 rice exporter of the world.
The official language is Thai whose roots are Sanskrit. However, there are many local dialects, especially in the northern and north-eastern regions of Thailand.
The currency is the Thai Baht. Currently, the exchange rates are about 33:1 for the USD and about 47:1 for the EUR.
The timezone is UTC+7 so don't forget when making any calls to Thailand using the country code +66.
So, enough with the official part, let's move on...

Things to do

Places to visit

Do's and Dont's

  • Do not scream or yell at people. Even when getting frustrated, a smile can open doors and make things possible that otherwise would never have been.
  • Do never touch a persons head unless you are really, really close. This is an absolute no-go in normal situations and you better respect that.
  • Do not put ice into your beer. Ok, just kidding, but being a German, I would never do that. ;o)
  • Do not use a knife during eating unless frequenting a western restaurant. Using the knife in Thailand is as much an affront as using the hands in European or American restaurants.
  • Try to bargain on markets and ask for discounts ('Lot dai mai?'). The chances for success are pretty good.
  • When stopping a taxi (by the way: red light = available, no light = occupied), insist on the usage of the taxi-meter.
  • Better do not try to imitate the traditional Thai greeting, the 'wai'. There are many subtle rules and differences to adhere to and you don't want to make a fool of yourself, do you?
  • Handle money properly and do not throw coins etc. on the ground. The Thai money bears imprints of the King and it is considered an insult to His Majesty treating money without proper care. But then, why would you do that in the first place?
  • Never make jokes or insult the His Majesty the King. This is a punishable act and can get you into prison. So just in case: keep your more discerning thoughts to yourself.
  • Feet are considered dirty. So do not use your feet to point at something and do not put your feet on the table. But then, would you do that at home? Also, always take off your shoes when entering a Thai home. Don't worry, it is warm all year around here so you will usually not get cold feet unless you are dealing with an aircon fanatic.
  • Show respect to people older than you, e.g. do not stand when talking to people older than you who are seated.