REVIEWER IN ASEAN LITERATURE

➢ THAILAND (Land of Smiles)

WORDS OR PHRASES IN THAILAND
• Sawadee (Sa Wat Dee) – Hello!
• Chai – Yes!
• Mai Chai– No
• Aaj ja – Maybe
• Khop khun (Kawp koon) – Thank you
• Khor thoad (ko tud) – Sorry, Excuse me
• Kun pood paasaa anggrit dai mai – Can
you speak English?
• Mai pen rai – No worries
Remember: In Thailand, if you are male, you end
sentences with the word(khrup/krap) similarly if
you are female, you end your sentences with the
word (ka/kap) This is used to make your sentence or
question polite and respectful.
GEOGRAPHY
The Kingdom of Thailand is located at a
strategic crossroads in Southeast Asia with an area of
over 200,000 square miles.
Topographically, Thailand presents a varied
landscape of forested mountains, dry plateaus, fertile
river plains, and sandy beaches.
Thailand is known for tropical beaches,
opulent royal palaces, ancient ruins and ornate
temples displaying figures of Buddha.
The Chao Phraya River serves as the main
water transportation route through the central part of
the country.
CLIMATE
• hot and humid - tropical monsoon
• rainy season from July to October
• cooler, drier period from November to
February
• considered summer from March to June
NATURAL RESOURCES
• Tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum,
timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite,
arable land.
NATURAL HAZARDS
• Land subsidence in the Bangkok area
resulting from the depletion of the water
table; droughts
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
• Air pollution from vehicle emissions; water
pollution from organic and factory wastes;
deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife
populations threatened by illegal hunting.
LANGUAGE
Thai language, also called Siamese, is the standard
spoken and literary language of Thailand. It is
based largely on the dialect of Bangkok and its
environs in the central region of the country but
retains certain consonant distinctions (such as l
versus r, kl versus k), which are usually merged in
the spoken language but preserved in the
orthography.
CURRENCY
• Thai baht (THB)
• 1 THB = 1.54 Php
RELIGION
• Buddhists – Buddhism (largest religion in
Thailand)
• Muslims
• Brahmin-Hindus
• Sikhs
• Christians
GOVERNMENT
• a constitutional monarchy with the monarch
as the head of state
• prime minister as head of government
• power is exercised by the bicameral National
Assembly, the Council of Ministers, and the
courts
• the Senate are directly elected to six-year
terms
• Legislation originates in the House of
Representatives
• execution of laws is carried out by the civil
service
• number of elective offices and senior civil-
service positions occupied by women is small