The Kingdom of Thailand - Guest Country TITF-2010

Adventure Thailand - the Land of Smiles, a virtual travel guide to "Muang Thai" - often translated as the "Land of the Free", as the Thais call their country.

The Kingdom of Thailand is a country in Southeast Asia, bordering Laos and the Kingdom of Cambodia to the east, the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia to the south, and the Andaman Sea and Myanmar to the west.
This page aims to give you a broad overview of Thailand's art, culture, people, environment, geography, history, economy and government.
Beside a country profile with facts and figures, the page contains links to sources which provide you with all the information you need to know about this nation, e.g.: official government web sites, addresses of Thai and foreign embassies, domestic airlines, city- and country guides with extensive travel and tourism information on hotel and resorts accommodation, tourist attractions and events at Bangkok, Phuket, Ko Samui, Chiangmai, and other places. Get weather information, maps of Thailand, statistics and newspapers.

Thailand's Climate

Thailand's climate is tropical, high both in temperature and humidity, and dominated by monsoons. April and May are the hottest months of the year, when even the locals are moved to complain about the heat. June sees the beginning of the South West Monsoon, and brings with it the rainy season, which continues intermittently until the end of October.

From November to the end of February the climate is much less trying with a cooling North East breeze and a reduction in the humidity level. This is also the main tourist season, and the best time to visit Thailand.

The north and north-east are generally cooler than Bangkok in winter, and hotter in summer. In the far north, around Mae Hong Son temperatures can occasionally drop as low as 2oC.

What to Wear

For the Western visitor there is no such thing as "cool". Just cooler than "hot" and "drier than humid", so light cotton clothing is the order of the day. Don't worry about bringing too much clothing with you, as almost everything can be purchased locally, at a fraction of the price you will pay at home. Do remember that the tropical sun can be quite fierce so a hat is useful, and don't forget to use a good sun screen.

Thailands History

It is difficult to determine the type of culture which existed in Thailand before the Christian era, since no written records or chronologies exist but archeological excavations in the area north of Nakorn Ratchasima indicate that there were people living here over 4000 years ago.

However, by the 6th century AD thriving agricultural communities were established from as far north as Lamphun to Pattani in Southern Thailand. Theravada Buddhism was flourishing, and probably entered the region around the 2nd or 3rd centuries BC when Indian missionaries were said to have been sent to a land called "Suvarnabhumi". (An area comprising Burma, Central Thailand and Cambodia).

The Dvaravati period, a loose collection of city states, centred around the Nakhon Pathom area, and lasted until the 11th century when it quickly declined under the political domination of invading Khmers.

During the 12th century A.D. and is set on top of Phanom Rung Hill in Ta Pek in the Chaloem Phra Khiat District of Buri Ram province which is the location of a long extinct volcano. Phanom Rung is the original name and is mentioned in stone inscriptions excavated at the area. It is a religious site dedicated to the God Shiva, the supreme Hindu deity. It symbolises Mount Kailasa, the heavenly abode of Shiva.

During the 13th century several Thai principalities in the Mekong valley united and took Haripunchai from the Mons and the Sukhothai area from the Khmers. The Sukhothai kingdom declared its independence in 1238 and quickly began to expand. At its height the kingdom stretched from Nakhon Si Thammarat in the south to Vientiane in Laos, and Pegu in Burma. Sukhothai is considered by most Thai historians to be the first true Thai kingdom. King Rham Khamhaeng, the second king of the Sukhothai era, organised a system of writing which became the basis for modern Thai. He also codified the Thai form of Theravada Buddhism.

2002 and the future
Growth Predictions

The Prime Minister's bold announcement to upgrade the country's economic growth forecast to 4.5% for the next several years raised scepticism at first. However strong domestic consumption has has enabled to government to take credit for its "dual track" policy aimed at strengthening the internal economy simultaneously with exports.

Conventional wisdom among local economists suggest that Thailand needs a sustained growth of at least 5% over several years to be able to service the public debt and to prevent the total debt escalating beyond serviceable levels.

Key off-budget spending programmes, such as the Village Fund have been almost completely disbursed, with around 74 billion Bahtout of 80 billion Baht, injected into the grass roots economy.

Thailand has a total of 62 state enterprises, excluding two independent state enterprises and three state owned banks. At the end of fiscal 2001 the total assets of the state enterprises were 5.6 trillion Baht, with liabilities of 5.1 trillion. Revenues totalled 1.3 trillion Baht with net profits of 136 billion Bahtin 2001, compared with revenue of 1.38 trillion and profits of 77.4 billion the year before.

State enterprises posting the highest profit performance in 2001 included PTT plc, with profits of 18.6 billion Baht, followed by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand at 16.2 billion and the Telephone Organisation of Thailand at 13.2 million. Agencies with the highest losses included the State Railway of Thailand, Bangkok Mass Transit Authority and Bangchak Petroleum.

In the manufacturing side of the public sector electronic products, television and radio sets, iron and steel and automotive parts were star exports in 2002. These industries, along with the beverage industry and vehicle manufacturing were key engines for growth in 2002.

Interest rates are expected to remain low throughout 2003, benefiting investment and consumption. Low inflation is expected to be an impetus for economic recovery by reducing business's operating costs.

The main risk factor for 2003 is not domestic issues, but rather the global economy and the potential impact of a US-Iraq war.

Foreign reserves and debt payment
The government plans to repay ahead of schedule the $4.8 billion owed to the International Monetary Fund and other agencies, which was borrowed during the 1997 economic crisis. Three payments to $1.6 billion each will be made, starting in January, with total repayment within 6 months. The early repayments will save on interest costs, estimated at $120 million, and help boost the confidence of foreign investors in the Thai economy. Under the original loan schedule, repayment due to the IMF must be paid by June 2004, and to the IBIC by May 2005.

After the repayment the country's foreign reserves will remain at a healthy level.