FACTS ABOUT THAILAND

12 Facts about Thailand

1. Thailand is the only Southeast Asian country that was never colonised by a European country. In
fact, in the Thai language, the name of the country is Prathet Thai which means “land of the
free.” Very fitting!

2. Thailand is where you’ll find both the smallest and the largest creatures. The smallest mammal
in the world, the bumblebee bat, calls Thailand home. You can also find the largest fish, the
whale shark, in Thai waters.

3. People often marvel at the forests and jungles of Thailand, but there used to be more. What
most people don’t realise is that over one hundred years ago, hardwood forest covered nearly
all of northern Thailand. Today, about a quarter of that forest is left. For this reason, Thailand
has completely banned logging.

4. Thailand loves its King and shows great respect for the monarchy. The well-known Hollywood
movie “The King and I” was never shown in Thai theatres because it was considered to be
derogatory to the King. How serious are they about their King? Thailand has the lese majeste
rule, meaning that if you commit disrespectful acts toward the King, imprisoned for treason
could be your fate.

5. There are about 35,000 temples in Thailand. Thailand is truly a land of temples. Visiting them
requires modest clothing, meaning no shorts or sleeveless shirts.

6. Thailand is home to many, many animals. About a tenth of all of the animal species on the
planet call Thailand home, and a tenth of all bird species. To put that into perspective, Thailand
has more birds than Europe and America combined!

7. The national flower of Thailand is the orchid. If you love exotic flowers, you’ll be pleased to
know that 1,500 orchid species can be found growing wild in Thai forest. There’s a reason why it
is one of the world’s largest orchid exporters.

8. A smile can go a long way, and you’ll find more smiles in Thailand than just about anywhere else.
In fact, it’s sometimes known as the “land of smiles” because the people of Thailand seem to be
always ready with a smile. They are a peace-loving culture, desiring harmony over conflict.

9. Thailand most exported crop? Rice, of course! Think of all the tasty Thai dishes that you love.
Rice is a staple in Thai cuisine.

10. Red Bull, the world-famous energy drink, has its roots in Thailand. Based on Krating Daeng, a
drink made popular in Thailand (and eventually across Asia) since 1976. Red Bull was modified
to “suit western tastes.”
 11. That Bangkok street you’re driving? In the past, it might have been water. Bangkok used to be
referred to as the “Venice of the East” due to the number of buildings built on stilts above the
river. Gradually, most of the canals (or ‘klongs’ in Thai) were filled in and became the streets you
see today.

12. The world knows Bangkok as “Bangkok.” To Thai people, Bangkok is known as Krung Thep. It’s
real name is one of the longest names of a place in the world, made up of Pali and Sanskrit root
words: Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop
Noppharatratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphimanawatansathit
Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit. What does that name mean? It means “City of Angels, Great
City of Immortals, Magnificent City of the Nine Gems, Seat of the King, City of Royal Palaces,
Home of Gods Incarnate, Erected by Visvakarman at Indra’s Behest.”

Family matters

Family almost always comes first in Thailand, with a much greater emphasis placed on the extended
family than it typically is in western countries. If you’re shocked by the number of siblings a Thai person
has, it’s highly likely many of those are cousins—there’s no word in Thai for cousin and people refer to
cousins as their brothers and sisters.

It’s normal for extended families to live close to each other, with many Thais maintaining strong links
with their home villages even if they move away for work. It’s fairly common for children to be raised by
grandparents or aunts and uncles if their parents need to work elsewhere, such is the role of extended
family in everyday life. Younger members of the family are expected to help take care of older members.
This can be financially, or by doing a range of chores.

Status is important

Although it may not be immediately apparent, status is a huge thing in Thai culture. Age, family
connections, job types, education, and income levels are all contributing factors to a person’s perceived
status in society. Status is not fixed, as in some cultures; a Thai can gain or lose status if their
circumstances change. Thais perform different versions of the wai depending on a person’s status, and
there are social rules concerning who should offer the first wai. Status is important when a group of
people are socialising together—it’s traditional for the highest earner to foot the bill.

When talking with each other, Thais have words that indicate a person’s age, using pee before an older
person’s name to show respect, and nong for somebody younger than them. Things aren’t always quite
so simple, though, as a younger person may be referred to as pee if they have a higher status, for
example through marriage or by way of their profession. These small social rules are easy to miss by an
outsider but are tightly woven into the fabric of Thai culture.

Loss of face and respect are big deals

Respect, shame, and the concept of face are important in Thailand, perhaps more so than in many
western countries. The use of language and the wai are just a couple of ways for Thais to show respect.
It’s considered bad form and disrespectful to visit somebody’s home without taking at least a small gift.
Not removing shoes before entering a home is also a big sign of disrespect. Disrespecting someone, in a
variety of ways, can cause a person to lose face, that is, to be embarrassed or shamed publicly. Yelling at
somebody in public is another way of causing that person to lose face.

There can be strong repercussions for causing loss of face, with violence an extreme example of what
can happen. It’s not uncommon for Thai people, particularly in rural areas, to deal with perceived
injustices according to social norms (and outside of legal frameworks), with individuals, families, or
communities dishing out punishments as they see fit.

Patriotism is huge

National pride is very much part of the Thai psyche. The country clings to pride that it’s the only nation
in Southeast Asia to have never been colonised by European countries. The national anthem is played
twice a day, with the expectation that people will stop and stand until the song has finished. The
national flag is flown in many places, raised with the national anthem each morning and lowered again
in the evening. The King’s anthem is played before movies start in cinemas. Many Thais profess an
enduring love for their country, extending to religion and the monarchy. While foreigners are generally
welcome in Thailand, they will always be on the fringes, even if only slightly.

No worries

Thais rarely display strong negative emotions, with bouts of anger, tantrums, and public crying
somewhat unusual. This doesn’t mean they aren’t displayed in private, or that the emotions aren’t
there, simply that a person does not want to lose face by showing their feelings in public. Thais are often
seen as being super laidback because of this.

A common phrase heard many times each day is mai bpen rai, which translates loosely as no worries, or
no problem. You spilt your drink? Mai bpen rai. You failed an exam? Mai bpen rai. You ran someone
over with your bicycle and broke their leg? Mai bpen rai. A close relative just died? You got it … Mai
bpen rai.

Foreigners sometimes take this as meaning that Thais don’t really get ruffled, take offense, or take
things too seriously. Don’t abuse the notion that Thais are a completely carefree group, though, as
underneath, they often do care, but have been conditioned to respond in such a way.

Smiles can have many meanings

Connected to above, many people think Thailand a warm, happy, and welcoming nation because of the
constant smiles. Indeed, Thailand is known as being the Land of Smiles! Smiles don’t always show
happiness, though, and are sometimes used as a mask. That’s not to detract from the fact that many
Thai people are, in fact, kind, welcoming, hospitable, and lovely, but to show that a smile may not be
quite what you think it is.

Yes might mean no

On the rare occasion a Thai person says no outright, it means a firm no. Maybe is a safer, face-saving
option, which probably means no, but may mean yes. Yes, however, doesn’t always mean yes. Thai
people don’t like letting others down, and will sometimes agree to things even if they don’t want to or
have no intention to actually follow through on what they said. Plans are often fluid. It’s also quite rare
for a Thai person to say they don’t know something, for example when giving directions. Rather, you
may sometimes be told what a person thinks will make you happy at that particular point in time to save
disappointing you or being unable to help, rather than thinking ahead about a greater inconvenience or
disappointment later down the line.

The religion is unique

The predominant religion in Thailand is Buddhism, specifically Theravada Buddhism. The religion
practiced in Thailand is somewhat unique to other Buddhist nations, having been infused with many
outside elements. Hindu practices and traditional Chinese beliefs have influenced local beliefs to an
extent, with animist beliefs playing a large role in making Thai Buddhism what it is today.

You will see, for example, many Thai people wearing amulets or carrying talismans, despite Buddhism
prohibiting attachment to material objects. Belief in ghosts and spirits is strong in Thailand, stemming
from traditional pre-Buddhism beliefs, and you’ll notice spirit shrines in all manner of places.
Superstitions are rife

Often connected to the belief of ghosts and spirits, Thailand is a land of superstitions. It is customary for
people to consult a fortune teller or monk for an auspicious date before arranging a wedding, buying a
home, test driving a car, and other situations.

The tradition of giving newborn babies a nickname originated from a desire to trick malevolent spirits
who may want to steal the baby away. Traditionally, people avoided complimenting parents on their
new baby too, fearing making the child seem too desirable to the spirits. There are superstitions related
to spirits housed inside the body of dolls, not cutting children’s hair if they are sick as a baby, male and
female twins, animals, dreams, and more.

Monks are highly respected

You’re sure to see many monks during your time in Thailand, both inside the temples and outside on the
streets, on buses, at festivals, and in a variety of everyday settings. Monks are highly revered and
respected in Thai culture and disrespecting a monk is a huge no-no.

There are designated seats on public transport for monks, for example, and people should always give
up their seat to a monk if no other is available. Females, especially, should be careful of their actions
around monks. As well as not touching a monk or directly handing things to them (females should put
any offerings etc. on a monk’s dish rather than into their hands), women shouldn’t sit next to a monk or
their belongings. If you act inappropriately around a monk in Thailand you can be sure that regular
people around you will quickly point out your errors with disapproval.

Body awareness

Thais place importance and significance to different parts of the body. The head is seen as the most
spiritual part of the body and you should never touch a person’s head … although, most people wouldn’t
go around touching strangers’ heads in any case! This goes for children too—an affectionate ruffling of
the hair could cause offence to Thai parents.
Thais are not overly touchy-feely in general. It’s not so common to see Thais holding hands, hugging, or
otherwise touching in public, and kissing and other public displays of affection are a big no.

Although it’s preferable to walk around two people, rather than cutting between them, if you must pass
between two people you should stoop slightly so that your head is lower than theirs. It is also polite for
Thais to stoop slightly when walking past somebody they know has a higher social status than them.

The feet are seen as dirty and symbolically low. You should never touch somebody with your foot, sit
with the sole of your foot pointing outwards, or point your foot at a person or a Buddha image. Even
crossing your legs can cause some people to inwardly wince. This means no holding doors open with
your feet, pushing your bag along with your feet, or otherwise using your feet in place of your hands.
There are many times when you should take off your shoes too.

Pointing with a finger is also seen as impolite, as is beckoning somebody with a crooked finger. Thais will
often use their lips to point, pushing out the lips to indicate a direction. Alternatively, use the whole
hand, with all fingers outstretched, to point. To beckon somebody, the palm should be face down with
all fingers extended and the action from the wrist.

Thais are generally very tolerant and understand foreign visitors will sometimes make a faux pas. As long
as it’s not something major, like showing disrespect to the religion or monarchy, yelling in public, or
walking around semi-naked, many Thais will overlook cultural differences.