-A country at the center 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 on the Andaman Sea to the southwest.
Capital and Largest City: Bangkok
Official language: Thai
Population
2014 estimate 67,200,000
2010 census 64,785,909
Gross Domestic Product (Purchasing Power Parity) 2015
estimate: Total- US$1,054.996 billion
Per Capita- US$15,319
Currency: Baht (1 baht= 1.35php)
* With a total area of approximately 513,000 km2
(198,000 sq mi), Thailand is the world's 51st-largest
country.
* It is the 20th-most-populous country in the world
* Bangkok, the capital and the largest city, is Thailand's
political, commercial, industrial, and cultural hub.
* About 75–95% of the population is ethnically Tai, which
includes four major regional groups: central Thai,
northeastern Thai (Khon [Lao] Isan), northern Thai
(Khon Mueang); and southern Thai.
* Thai Chinese, those of significant Chinese heritage,
are 14% of the population, while Thais with partial
Chinese ancestry comprise up to 40% of the
population.
* Thai Malays represent 3% of the population, with the
remainder consisting of Mons, Khmers and various "hill
tribes".
* Thailand experienced rapid economic growth
between 1985 and 1996, becoming a newly
industrialized country and a major exporter.
* Manufacturing, agriculture, and tourism are leading
sectors of the economy.
* Among the ten ASEAN countries, Thailand ranks
second in quality of life and the country's Human
Development Index (HDI) had been rated as "high".
* Its large population and growing economic
influence have made it a middle power in the
region and around the world
* The country has always been called Mueang Thai by its
citizens; but by others, by the exonym Siam, identified
with the Sanskrit Śyāma (meaning "dark" or "brown").
* The word Thai is not, as commonly believed, derived
from the word Thai meaning "independence" in the Thai
language; it is, however, the name of an ethnic group
from the central plains (the Thai people).
* The Thai use the phrase "land of the freedom" that
expresses pride in the fact that Thailand is the only
country in Southeast Asia never colonized by a European
power.
* History shows that Thailand gained its current form, and
staved off colonialism, by negotiating with England and
France, to keep them from attacking.
* France and England had been fighting for a thousand years
or so, with the battles often occurring far from their
home lands. They had even tussled in India when England
was trying to get the French off their base.
* But when they approached Siam, they had different
strategy. England believed in the concept of “buffer
states” where a neutral territory was created or
maintained in order that the two warring countries were
not directly in contact with each other. France was less
concerned about this.
* In formal talks, the French proposed to divide Siam into
two parts. They proposed that the Chao Praya River be the
dividing line, and that the French hold all of Siam to the
east, and that Britain take all of Siam to the west including
all of the peninsular lands down to what is now Malaysia.
This would connect the British held territory of Burma to
their Straits Settlements (Malaysia and Singapore).
* Britain rejected this, wanting to continue with the buffer
state
* Finally, in 1896 the two countries signed a treaty saying
they would support the independence of Siam against any
third party (Russia, and especially Germany, were both
nosing around Siam, seeing what parts they could pick
off.)
* This was a major diplomatic triumph for Siam, which
managed to keep its independence although France was
determined to take it over.
* Although Siam had to give up some territory that it had
previously held sway over, it managed to retain its
freedom, a majority of its land, and all of the land
inhabited by Thai language speaking people.
* In 1941 the Thais decided to
attack the French to seize back
some of the Cambodian and
Laotian territory they were forced
to concede in 1893. The Thais
celebrated this by building the
monument known today as
“Victory Monument” in the
Bangkok center.
* The politics of Thailand is currently conducted
within the framework of a constitutional
monarchy
* The Prime Minister is the head of government
and a hereditary Monarch is head of state.
* The judiciary is independent of the executive
and the legislative branches.
*Constitution: provides the basis for the rule of
law in Thailand
-Article 4 of the 2007 Constitution : "The human dignity,
rights, liberty and equality of the people shall be
protected.
*Government: formally the Royal Thai Government
(RTG), is the unitary government of the Kingdom of
Thailand
* As of December 2014, Thailand is ruled by a
military junta, the National Council for Peace
and Order, which has partially repealed the
2007 constitution, declared martial law and
nationwide curfew, banned political
gatherings, arrested and detained politicians
and anti-coup activists, imposed internet
censorship and taken control of the media.
*Bhumibol Adulyadej
is the King of Thailand. He
is also known as Rama IX, as
he is the ninth monarch of
the Chakri Dynasty.
* The king has reigned since 1946 as the world's
longest-serving current head of state and the
country's longest-reigning monarch.
* The King of Thailand's titles include Head of
State, Head of the Armed Forces, Adherent of
Buddhism, and Upholder of religions.
* The king's power is not limited to being a
symbolic figurehead, and the institution
commands the respect and reverence of many
Thai people
* The Prime Minister of Thailand is the
head of government of Thailand. He is
also the chair of the Cabinet of
Thailand.

* The Prime Minister is appointed by the

majority vote in the Thai House of
Representatives, and is then sworn-in
by the King of Thailand.

* In accordance with the constitution,

the prime minister can only be
appointed twice and is therefore
limited to a maximum of two
consecutive terms.
*The foreign relations of Thailand are handled by the Minister of
Foreign Affairs.
• Thailand participates fully in international and regional organisations.
It is a major non-NATO ally and Priority Watch List Special 301 Report
of the United States.
• The country remains an active member of ASEAN (Association of
South East Asian Nations).
• Thailand has developed increasingly close ties with other ASEAN
members: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Brunei,
Laos, Cambodia, Burma, and Vietnam, whose foreign and economic
ministers hold annual meetings.
• In 2003, Thailand served as APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation)
host.
• Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi, the former Deputy Prime Minister of
Thailand, currently serves as Secretary-General of the United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
* Tourism in Thailand makes up about 6% of the economy.
* Prostitution in Thailand and sex tourism also form part of the
economy. Cultural milieu combined with poverty and the lure
of money have caused prostitution and sex tourism in
particular to flourish in Thailand.
* One estimate published in 2003 placed the trade at US$4.3
billion per year or about 3% of the Thai economy.
* According to research by Chulalongkorn University on the Thai
illegal economy, prostitution in Thailand in the period between
1993 and 1995, made up around 2.7% of the GDP.
* It is believed that at least 10% of tourist dollars are spent on
the sex trade.
* Prostitution is illegal, although in practice, it is tolerated and
partly regulated.
* Thailand's prevalent religion is Theravada
Buddhism.
* According to the 2000 census, 94.6% of the country's
population self-identified as Buddhists of the
Theravada tradition.
* Muslims constitute the second largest religious
group in Thailand, comprising 4.6% of the
population.
* Christians represent 0.7% of the population, with
the remaining population consisting of Sikhs and
Hindus, who live mostly in the country's cities.
* There is also a small but historically significant
Jewish
* Thai culture has been shaped by many influences,
including Indian, Lao, Burmese, Cambodian, and
Chinese.
* Thailand's national religion, Theravada Buddhism, is
central to modern Thai identity.
* The official calendar in Thailand is based on the Eastern
version of the Buddhist Era (BE), which is 543 years
ahead of the Gregorian (Western) calendar. Thus the
year 2015 is 2558 BE in Thailand.
* Several different ethnic groups, many of which
are marginalised, populate Thailand.
* Some of these groups spill over into Burma,
Laos, Cambodia, and Malaysia and have
mediated change between their traditional
local culture, national Thai, and global cultural
influences.
* The traditional Thai greeting, the wai, is generally
offered first by the younger of the two people meeting,
with their hands pressed together, fingertips pointing
upwards as the head is bowed to touch face to fingertips,
usually coinciding with the spoken words "sawatdi khrap"
for male speakers, and "sawatdi kha" for females.
* As with other Asian cultures, respect towards ancestors is
an essential part of Thai spiritual practice.
* Thailand is a hierarchical society.
* The social position and the age is decisive for the behavior
of the Thais among one another.
* Generally the oldest or socially highest ranking person
receives the most respect.
* Parents are superior to their children, teachers to their
students, and bosses to their subordinates.
* When Thais meet a stranger, they will immediately try to
place him/her within a hierarchy so they know how to treat
him/her.
* Status can be determined by clothing and general
appearance, age, job, education, family name, and social
connections
* Thais place great emphasis and value on outward forms
of courtesy such as politeness, respect, genial
demeanor and self-control in order to maintain
harmonious relations.
* Many of their rules of etiquette are by-products of the
Buddhist religion.
* It is a non-confrontational society, in which public
dispute or criticism is to be avoided at all costs.
* To be openly angry with someone might attract the
wrath of the spirits, which in turn could cause violence
and tragedy
* Openly criticizing a person is a form of violence as it
hurts the person and is viewed as a conscious attempt to
offend the person being rebuked
* Loss of face is a disgrace to a Thai so they try to avoid
confrontations and look for compromises in difficult
situations.
* If two parties disagree, one will need to have an outlet to
retreat without losing face.
* Thais prefer doing business with people they respect.
* Relationships develop slowly and do not flourish after
one meeting; it may take several meetings.
* They are always respectful and courteous when dealing
with others as this leads to the harmonious relationships
necessary within business.
* Thai communication is formal and non-verbal
communication is often more important than verbal
communication
* Rank is always respected. The eldest person in the
group is revered.
* It is difficult for most Thais to say no, so you must be
cognizant of their non- verbal communication.
* Watch your body language and facial expressions, as
these will be believed over your words
*Written literature dates back to the Sukhothai period (1250–
1350), and earlier traditions.
*The oldest known poem, the Suphasit Phra Ruong, was written
in the late 1200s. The Traiphum Khatha (1345), is a treatise on
Buddhist cosmology.
*Poetry from the fifteenth century includes epics, poems based
on the life of Buddha, and the Lilit Phra Lo, Thailand's first love
story.
*The reign of King Narai in the seventeenth century is
considered the golden age of Thai literature.
*Most of this literary work consisted of epics and love stories
written in poetic form.
*Cau Fa Thamathibet (1715–1755) is famous for so-called boat
songs, which abound in mythical allusions.
*
* The eighteenth century saw the emergence of a new
genre of poetry, lakhon. This was a type of theatrical
poetry.
* King Rama II was a poet, and during his reign epics
expanded in scale and in performance.
* During the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), prose
writing emerged and poetry became more realistic.
* Prince Damrong Ratchanuphap (1861–1947) compiled
histories of Thai literature.
* The modern period has witnessed the emergence of
many new forms of poetry and popular fiction.
* This fiction is realistic, often portraying the lives of
common people and the underclass in the face of
adversity.
* While most of the stories are set in central Thailand,
there has also been regional literature which are set
in the northeast.
* Since the 1970s a good deal of fiction and poetry has
focused on social criticism.
* “Tales” are “the stories that are passed down orally for
generations such as, Jataka Tales and the Tales of Isop”.
* “Tales” are stories passed down for generations and they
are regarded as cultural heritage.
* Most tales are told stories but there are also many tales
in the written forms.
* It was further explained that tales are stories generally
told with out intention to disclose their actual origins.
* The objectives are mostly to bring fun and joy while
sometimes the moral precept can also be inserted as part
of the story.
* Tales are not only tales for children. There are many
adult tales and they are only appropriate for adults.
* Folk tale is told with ordinary words. It is a prose, not
a verse.
* There is no indication of the original story teller. It is
usually referred that the story has been told from
their precedents who were important persons in the
past
1. Fairy Tales
2. Legend 8. Religious tales
3. Explanatory Tale 9. Jakata tales
4. Romantic tales 10. Myths
5. Ghost tales 11. Animal Tale
6. Hero tales 12. Jests
7. Fables 13. Formula tale
14. riddle tale
* Sunthorn Phu (1786-1855) is perhaps the only classical
Thai author who is not a member of the nobility or royalty,
which is one of the reasons he is known in Thailand as the
"poet of the people."
* Poetry in the hands of the royalty had been formal and
ornate, the content much less important than the
rhetorical display. Sunthorn introduced a simpler language
and measured much more significance to the content of
his poems; through these choices he has had a great
impact on poetry in Thailand.
* Phu's career as a royal poet began in the reign of King
Rama II, and when the king died, he resigned from the
role and became a monk. Twenty years later, in the reign
of King Rama III, he returned to court as a royal scribe,
where he remained for the rest of his life.
* Phu had an opportunity to work in the palace with his
mother, where he eventually fell in love with a lady in the
palace named Jun, who was related to the Royal family.
* The couple were arrested and punished because their
relationship violated the traditional social order, but they
were pardoned on the king's death.
* Phu returned to the palace, married Jun where they had a
child. It was at this time that King Rama II appointed him
court poet.
* However, the couple were not married long, divorcing
after Phu had an affair with another woman.
* Phu became an alcoholic, and, around 1821, was jailed
after a fight.
* He began the epic poem, Phra Aphai Mani in prison, and
published it in installments over the next twenty years.
The epic tale follows the title character, Prince Aphai
Mani, a Byronic hero, in his romantic adventures
throughout ancient Thailand.
* King Rama II was so pleased with Phu's poetry that he
awarded him the title of "Khun".
* During the reign of King Rama III, however, Phu made the
grave mistake of publicly correcting one of the king's
poems, and was stripped of his title as punishment.
* After this disgrace, he initially entered the Buddhist
priesthood, but later became a merchant.
* King Rama IV's daughter read his unfinished work Phra
Aphai Mani, and asked the poet to complete it.
* King Rama IV appointed Phu as Director of Royal Scribes,
and awarded him the title of "Phra".
* He spent the rest of his life at peace until he died in
1855.
* Phu left behind a legacy of poems that have become
famous over time because of their description of Thai
history.
* In 1986, the 200th anniversary of his birth, Phu was
honored by UNESCO as a great world poet.
* A statue of Phu was erected
in Klaeng District, Rayong
Province, the birthplace of
his father.
* His birthday, June 26, is
celebrated in Thailand as
Sunthorn Phu day.
* Monuments of two
characters from his epic
work, Phra Aphai Mani have
been erected on Ko Samet's
Hat Sai Kaeo beach—the
title character (Prince Aphai
Mani) and the
siren/mermaid character.
* Prince Damrong: Phu was commoner whose verse,
even though melodious and partaking of common
speech, was simply “market verse.” Moreover,
Sunthorn Phu had two bad flaws, namely, drunkenness
and amorousness.
* Prince Chand Chirayu Rajani: he was a world-class
bard like Chaucer or Shakespeare
* A woman poet accused Suthorn Phu of having written
fictitious stories for ignorant people.
* In “Maxim for the Conduct of Ladies,”Sunthorn Phu,
wrote in 1855:
“Take small, graceful steps when walking outside.”
Do not “swing your arms back and forth” or “allow
your breasts to swing or raise your shawl as you go.”
When speaking with others, “do not raise your voice
or rasp.” “Do not run fingers through your hair...Do
not stare at anything, particularly a man, to the
point where he can tell what’s going on in your
mind.”
* On married life Sunthorn Phu advised women:

Love and be faithful to your husband

Be humble in front of your husband
When you husband goes to bed, wai him at his feet
every night without fail.
When he aches and pains, massage him, then you
may go to sleep
Get up before your husband and prepare water for
him to wash
While your husband is eating, sit and watch him
near by so that when he needs something he does not
have to raise his voice. Wait until he finishes before
you eat.
*The 30,000-line Phra Aphai Mani is regarded as Thailand’s
most famous literary work.
*“The story of Plai Ngarm” lay outside the main plot.
However, Sunthorn Phu availed himself to the opportunity
and turned it into one of the best sections of the epic.
The episode is an educational story complete in itself. In
it, the hero is seen from birth to manhood
* At one point in the story, Plai Ngarm went to visit his
father, Khun Phan, in prison. Sunthorn Phu must have
lent to the hero his experience of going to see his
father in Rayong, as the poet seemed quite familiar
with it. So when Plai Ngarm pleaded to stay in prison
with his father, Khun Phan said him vehemently :

No son, you cannot stay here.

The prison life is full of suffering.
It’s like a living hell
Where severe punishment never cases.
* Phu wrote about the time he came to Wat Thepthida in
Ramha Philap (Lamentations):

Oh, how everything was against me then!

Even white ants made their way to my bedroom.
They ate the mat and destroyed all my books.
It was distressing to think of those books!
And the yellows robes I used to wear
Had holes in them like my weeping eyes.
* In 1842, he made a trip to the Great Stupa in Nakon
Pathom and wrote Nirat Phra Prathom. This certainly is one
of Sunthorn Phu’s greatest. It could be explained that the
poet made the trip as a monk, but he wrote the work as a
man.
I salute the Pagoda of the Holy Relics :
May the true religion live forever.
I make merit, so the Buddha helps me
Increase my power to attain enlightenment
And I’d like my words, my book.
To preserve, till the end of time and heavens,
Sunthorn the scribe who belongs
To the King of the white Elephant.
* 20th century Thai writers tended to produce light fiction
rather than literature.
* But increasingly, individual writers are being recognized
for producing more serious works, including writers like
Kukrit Pramoj, Kulap Saipradit, (penname Siburapha),
and Botan.
* Some of the their works have been translated into English.
* The Isan region of Thailand has produced two notably
sociocritical writers in Khamsing Srinawk and Pira
Sudham.
* Khamsing Srinawk is a writer
from the Isan region of
Thailand. He writes under the
pen-name Law khamhɔ̌ɔm).
* He was named a National
Artist in Literature in 1992 and
is best known for his satirical
short stories published in his
1958 collection Fáa Bɔ̀ Kân.
https://www.google.com.ph/?gws_rd=ssl#q=king+of+t
hailand
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Thailand
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Thaila
nd
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_Thai
land
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabinet_of_Thailand
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Assembly_of_
Thailand
http://www.stickmanbangkok.com/ReadersSubmissio
ns2014/reader8591.htm
http://www.kochangvr.com/thailandssociety/familys
tructures.htm
* http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global
-etiquette/thailand-country-profile.html
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_literature
* http://factsanddetails.com/southeast-
asia/Thailand/sub5_8e/entry-3253.html
* http://www.thaifolk.com/doc/literate/tales/categ
ory_e.htm