Thailand
Mallika C. 2nd Period
Introduction
Slogan
Ayutthaya Temple
Ayutthaya is the old capital of Siam, and the landscape is scattered with ancient ruins and temples.
Traditional Costumes
These girls are dressed in traditional Thai dance costumes.
Wat Pao Temple
Wat Pao is a Buddhist temple in Bangkok, the current capital of Thailand. The temple is located on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River.
Thailand's Geography and Climate
Geography- The geography of Thailand is beautiful and picturesque. There is the Khorat Plateau in the east with scattered mountains. Thailand borders the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Malaysia. Thailand's main waterway is the gorgeous Chao Phraya River.
Chao Phraya River
The Chao Phraya River flows through the city of Bangkok. The original site was chosen by early settlers because of its fertility and abundant fish.
Khorat Plateau
The Khorat Plateau is a plateau in the northeastern region of Thailand. The interior of the plateau has low hills and small lakes. The soils are flooded during the rainy seasons.
Thailand Monsoons
Monsoons sweep across Thailand from May to October, causing rain throughout most of Thailand.
Thailand's People and Culture
Most of Thailand's 70 million people belong to the Thai ethnic group and practice Buddhism. Buddhist monks- holy men- walk among the people to receive food offerings. Hundreds of Buddhist temples called wats dot the countryside and cities. Buddhism is the religion of about 95% of Thais. However, there are a small number of Muslims, 4%, Christians make up 1%, and many other religions are practiced throughout the country. About 80% of Thais live in rural villages, though thousands of people look for jobs in Bangkok and are quite successful most of the time.
Thailand's customs are also distinctive. One Thai custom is the wai. It shows greeting, acknowledgement, and farewell. It looks like a prayer-like gesture with your hands and smiling is an important symbol of refinement in Thailand. Another custom is that in Thailand, touching someone's head is considered very rude because they believe that the head is very sacred. It is also rude to place your feet above somebody's head. This is because Thais believe the foot to be the lowliest part of the body, so they sit with their feet pointing away from others, or tucked to the sides or behind them.
Thai Wai
One Thai custom is the wai. It shows greeting, acknowledgement, and farewell. It looks like a prayer-like gesture with your hands and smiling is an important symbol of refinement in Thailand.
Thai Buddhists
Buddhist monks- holy men- walk among the people to receive food offerings. Hundreds of Buddhist temples called wats dot the countryside and cities. Buddhism is the religion of about 95% of Thais.
Floating Market
A floating market is a market where goods are sold from boats. Most operating floating markets today mainly serve as tourists attractions.
Street Crowd
Thailand has a population of more than 62.4 million people. The streets have so many cars, traffic jams last for hours.
Thai Cuisine
Thai cuisine is the national cuisine of Thailand. Blending elements of several Southeast Asian traditions, Thai cooking places emphasis on lightly prepared dishes with strong aromatic components. The spiciness of Thai cuisine is well known.
Language
Siamese is the national and official language of Thailand and the native language of the Thai people.
Thailand's Government and Citizenship
The current King of Thailand- King Bhumibol Adulyadej- is the world's largest reining monarch (since 1946). The Constitution states that even though the supremacy of the state is vested in the citizens, the King will exercise such powers through the three branches of the Thai government. Under the constitution the King is given very little power, but remains a figurehead and symbol of the Thai nation.
King Bhumibol Adulyadej
The King of Thailand and the world's longest reining king.
Government House of Thailand
This is where the where the office of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet of Thailand are situated.
Parliament House of Thailand
This is the meeting place for both the House and the Senate since 1974.
Economy of Thailand
Factory workers
Production line workers at a factory in Chachoengsao. Factory workers make cement, textiles, clothing, and metal products.
Baht
Baht is Thailand's currency. The thai baht, like the pound, originated from a traditional unit of mass.
Shopkeeper
Shopkeepers wait for customers at their shop selling various kinds of food at a market in downtown Bangkok, Thailand. Thailand’s gross domestic product (GDP) will likely grow about 3 percent.