THAILAND

ประเทศ ไทย
THE LAND OF SMILES
้
สยามเมืองยิม.
 THAILAND
Thailand, which has about the same land area as
Spain or France, consists of two broad
geographic areas: a larger main section in the
north and a smaller peninsular extension in the
south. The country is divided into five distinct
physiographic regions: the folded mountains in
the north and west, the Khorat Plateau in the
northeast, the Chao Phraya River basin in the
centre, the maritime corner of the central
region in the southeast, and the long, slender
peninsular portion in the southwest.

The flag of Thailand (Thai: ธงไตรรงค ์; RTGS: thong trai rong, meaning 'tricolour flag') shows five
horizontal stripes in the colours red, white, purple, white and red, with the central purple stripe
being twice as wide as each of the other four. The design was adopted on 28 September 1917,
according to the royal decree issued by Rama VI. Since 2016, that day is a national day of
importance in Thailand celebrating the flag.

The colours are said to stand for nation-religion-king, an unofficial motto of Thailand, red for
the land and people, white for religions and purple for the monarchy, the last having been the
auspicious colour of Rama VI. As the king declared war on Germany that July, some note the flag
now bore the same colours as those of the UK, France, Russia and the United States.

National anthem: The national anthem of Thailand,

entitled ‘Phleng Chat’ (literally translated as
‘national anthem), was adopted shortly after the
country changed its name from ‘Siam’. The national
anthem is played twice a day on television and radio
and Thais are expected to stand for its duration to
show their respect. This custom is played out in
public as part of the lifting of the flag in public
areas such as the work place, schools, universities,
prisons, hospitals etc.
 RELIGION
Buddhism is the largest religion in
Thailand, practiced by over 94% of the
population. Thai Constitution does not
indicate any state religion, but promotes
Buddhism, even though it also guarantees
religious freedom for all Thai citizens.

With colorful mosaics, amazing gold statues, intricate detail, and porcelain
carvings, Wat Phra Kaew (or The Temple of Emerald Buddha) is a place you must
put on your itinerary when you’re visiting Bangkok. This is home to the holiest
Emerald Buddha statue that spent its first 300 years in various temples across
Thailand and Laos until it finally settled in these breathtaking temples. Despite
its modest size (especially given the massive size of many Buddha statues in the
whole country), the Emerald statue exudes a powerful and sacred presence
through the reverence of Thai people.

Thai families are the cornerstone of life in

Thailand and, although nuclear family setups are
the norm, it is not uncommon for extended family
members live with the family.

Families are typically far more closely knit than

those in western culture and hierarchy is more
pronounced.

TC H u A l I t L u A rN e D
 WEDDING
 1. Auspicious Wedding Date
 2. Making Merit
 3. Khan Maak Procession
 4. Door Games
 5. Engagement Ceremony
 6. White Thread Ritual
 7. Water Blessing
 8. Presentation of Gifts for
Elders
 9. Reception
 10. Guest Expectations

There is a certain charm and romance in getting

married through a traditional Thai wedding
ceremony. As one of life’s important moments, a
wedding is made more special the Thai way with
its sacred customs.

LAKON JATRI
Folk lakon jatri, lakon nai female dance and dance-
drama, khon masked pantomime, and likay popular
theatre are Thailand’s chief performing arts.

Lakon jatri began in the south, when male dancer-

sorcerers performed, in simple folk style, the Manora
Buddhist birth story as a dance-play. A troupe of three
players was usual. One played the beautiful half-bird,
half-human princess, Manora; a second played the hero,
Prince Suton; and the third, often masked, played
clown, ogre, or animal as needed. Flute, bell cymbal, and
drums provided the music. The full Manora cycle of
plays, staged in a village in the open, could last for two
weeks. Probably after the 14th century, some jatri
troupes moved to the Thai capital, where they
established commercial theatres and staged a new all-
male drama, lakon nok nok, “outside” [the palace], that
emphasized plot and an often obscene humour.
 Muay Thai uses the whole body as a weapon and a
shield. The fierce fighting style is thought to have
been used by soldiers and also by locals protecting
their lands.

Religion is strongly woven into day-to-day Thai life

and also tightly incorporated into Muay Thai
culture. The headpiece (mongkorn), armband
(prajioud), and shorts all have cultural and spiritual
significance.

Thailand has many superstitions and a strong belief

in spirits. The Ram Muay, part of the Muay Thai
rituals, pays respect to spirits. In the regulated
world of Muay Thai, there are few practical fears
on entering a Muay Thai ring.

There are many reasons children begin Muay Thai.

It’s rarely because of dreams of becoming a
champion. Of course, there are some children who
train in Muay Thai for fun, though.

THAILAND GROWING INDUSTRY The automotive industry in Thailand is a vital contributor to

the prosperous Thai economy. With the stable economic
foundation and resources that the country possesses, Thailand
is equipped with a solid ground for future automotive
developments. Through the help of government policies,
Thailand has grown into a functioning foreign original
equipment manufacturer (OEM), particularly in the
automotive industry. In 2021, Thailand was one of the leading
countries with the highest vehicle production growth in
Southeast Asia, with a growth rate of 18 percent.

THAI
The Karen tribe, which is unofficially
called the Long Neck tribe, came to
Thailand from Burma, when escaping
war and violence in their country. They
are world famous for their women,
who wear golden rings around their
necks. From the time when they are 5
to their 21st birthday, each year one
ring is added to their collection.
The people of Thailand are called Thais,
which can refer both to the citizens of
Thailand and ethnic Thais, who are related
to ethnic Lao in Laos. There are over 67
million people in Thailand (estimated 2012).
About 34 percent of the people in Thailand
live in urban areas (compared to 82 percent
in the U.S.). The other 66 percent live mostly
in small agricultural villages.
 TNATIONAL
H COSTUMES
A I L A N D

Pha Chung Hang (or Chang Kben)

A pha chung hang or chang kben is a lower-body, wrap-around
cloth. It can be worn by men or women. This pant-like garment
resembles loose breeches and is tucked between the legs.

Pha Biang (or Sabai)

A pha biang or sabai is a shawl-like garment or
breast cloth. It is a long piece of silk that's about a
foot wide and is draped diagonally around the chest
by covering one shoulder while its end drops behind
the back. It can be worn by both women or men.

Suea phraratchathan
Suea phraratchathan literally means "royalty-
bestowed shirt". It was invented in 1979 for the
rulers of the country, and it resembles the Raj-
pattern jacket. A suea phraratchathan is
specified as having a standing mandarin collar,
five round flat buttons, and two outer pockets.

Raj-pattern
A Raj-pattern costume is Thai men's traditional
clothing. It consists of a white Nehru-style jacket
with five buttons, a pha chung hang, knee-
length socks, and dress shoes.
Thai language, also called Siamese, the standard
spoken and literary language of Thailand,
belonging to the Tai language family of Southeast
Asia. 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. Other dialects, differing mostly
in their tones and to some degree their
consonants, are spoken in other major regions of
the country.

The baht (/bɑːt/; Thai: บาท, pronounced [bàːt];

sign: ฿; code: THB) is the official currency of
Thailand. It is divided into 100 satang (สตางค ์,
pronounced [sà.tāːŋ]). The issuance of currency is
the responsibility of the Bank of Thailand. SWIFT
ranked the Thai baht as the 10th-most-frequently
used world payment currency as of January 2019
TOURISM

FOODS

PAD THAI TOM YUM GOONG TOM KHA GAI

GAENG KEOW WAN GAI SOM TAM PAD KRA PAO

SONG KRAN