Thailand, the official name of the country is the Kingdom of Thailand, located in the center of Southeast Asia. Thailand is often referred to as the “Land of Smiles” because of its many smiling people. This state reflects the motto of the Thais – “sanuk”, i.e. life for pleasure. The Thais themselves have called their homeland “Land of Thai” (muang thai, more formal prathet tai) in their own language since time immemorial, but the name Siam was also allowed in official speech. “Land of thai” literally means “land of the free”. The people of Thailand are proud of the fact that the country was never colonized. Thailand is a very hospitable country and many tourists immediately upon arrival in Thailand feel the goodwill of the local population. The Kingdom of Thailand is the leader in terms of attendance among the countries of Southeast Asia and is becoming more and more popular among Russian tourists every year. First of all, the country attracts tourists with its paradise beaches, Buddhist culture and the extraordinary friendliness of the Thais.
Geography of Thailand
According to itypemba, Thailand is a state in Southeast Asia. In the north and west it borders on Burma (Myanmar), in the northeast – on Laos, in the southeast – on Cambodia, in the south – on Malaysia, in the southwest – on Burma. In the southeast it is washed by the Gulf of Siam, in the southwest by the Andaman Sea. The capital of the state is Bangkok. Geographically, climatically, in terms of natural resources, variety of landforms and even the ethnic composition of the population, Thailand can be divided into five main regions: Central, Eastern, Northern, Northeastern and Southern Thailand. Each region is divided into provinces, each of which is divided into districts, in total there are 75 provinces in Thailand.
Area
The area of the country is 514,000 km².
Population
About 67 million people live in Thailand.
Currency
The official currency is the Thai Baht (THB).
Language
Official language – Thai
Visa
Visa-free entry for up to 30 days for Russian citizens
Weather in Thailand
The climate in Thailand is tropical and subtropical. The large length of the country from north to south (more than 1800 km) makes the climate of Thailand quite diverse. The climate of Thailand during the year can be divided into three seasons: the hot season – from March to June, the rainy season – from July to October and the cool season – from November to February. The average annual temperature on the plains is 23–29°C, with the highest values occurring during the hot season. In the north of Thailand, which abounds in mountainous terrain, the temperature can drop to 8-15 ° C (and even to 0 degrees in the mountains), while in the rest of the country there is practically no seasonal temperature differentiation. The best months to visit Thailand are during the cool season which runs from November to February.
Electricity
220V/50Hz (American and European sockets)
Religion
According to the latest study, 94.7% of Thais are followers of Theravada Buddhism. The next largest group are Muslims, which account for 4.6%. In some provinces in southern Thailand, Muslims (ethnically both Thais and Malays) are the majority. Christians (mostly Catholics) make up 0.4% of the country’s population, most of whom live in the north of the country. According to Thai law, there is freedom of religion in the country and the government does not prohibit the existence of various religious groups.
Security
In general, from a tourist point of view, Thailand is considered a safe country. But when traveling to some regions of the country, special security must be observed, first of all it concerns the extreme South of the country, the provinces: Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and Songkla, where people often die at the hands of Islamic extremists. The victims of the separatists are usually the police, the military and the administration. The border areas in the north of the country, on the border with Myanmar, where clashes between the Thai military and groups of Burmese drug traffickers periodically take place, can also be unsafe. The crime situation in Thailand is generally acceptable, but cases of fraud and theft are not so rare, especially in the resorts of Pattaya and Phuket. A large number of tourists become victims of theft from hotels, Therefore, when choosing a hotel, special attention should be paid to security measures. Taxi and tuk-tuk drivers are most often involved in fraud. The price and conditions of the trip must be discussed in advance, so that later there are no conflict situations. When renting any transport (motorbike or jet ski), carefully inspect it (in the presence of the owner) for scratches and dents before the trip. Foreigners can also impose prostitutes, not always of legal age. Since prostitution is officially prohibited in Thailand, a girl can accuse a foreigner of sexual harassment and demand money in exchange for a promise not to go to the police. In what conflicts with the Thais is it necessary to show restraint and in no case bring the matter to a fight: the use of force entails a harsh response and investigation by the police.
