I want to know more about Thailand’s human geography, living customs

Overview of Thailand

1. A brief overview of geography, resources, climate, transportation, etc.

The full name of Thailand is "Kingdom of Thailand". It was called "Siam" before 1939 and from 1946 to 1949. It is located in the center of Southeast Asia and is a treasure land of resources in Southeast Asia. Thailand means "the land of freedom" and has a history of more than 800 years. It is a world-famous "granary" and the main producer of natural rubber in the world. Thailand has long attracted world attention for its variety of tropical and subtropical cash crops, tropical flowers and fruits. Thailand is also rich in mineral resources, rich in gemstones, heavy metals, etc., as well as biological resources and water resources. Thailand’s coastline is more than 2,000 kilometers long and is rich in all kinds of seafood. Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, is the second largest commercial city in Asia after Tokyo. It has the highest number of four- and five-star hotels in the world. Bangkok has long become an important transportation hub for aviation, highways, railways, and waterways in Southeast Asia. The 14 Asia-Pacific regional headquarters of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP) and the United Nations and other international agencies are also located here. Such as: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Asia Telecom, etc.

Flag: The Thai flag is a five-striped flag consisting of red, white and blue. Among them, red symbolizes the country, white symbolizes religion, and blue symbolizes the king.

National flower: Iron knife wood.

Geographical location: Thailand is located in the middle of the Indochina Peninsula, bordering Cambodia to the east, Laos to the northeast, Myanmar to the west and northwest, Malaysia to the south, the Pacific Ocean to the southeast, the Gulf of Thailand, and the Indian Ocean to the southwest. The sea area is more than 510,000 square kilometers, which is equivalent to France.

Administrative division: The country is divided into 76 prefectures. It is divided into four regions according to terrain: the fertile and vast central plain; the mountainous northeastern plateau; the densely forested northern mountainous area; and the charming southern peninsula. Each region has its own dialect, but the dialect in the central Bangkok region is Mandarin. Each region also has different cultural traditions and food habits. The north is more influenced by Myanmar, the northeast is more influenced by Laos, and the south has more Muslims and a strong Malay culture.

Population and area

Thailand has a population of more than 60 million and a total area of ??513,100 square kilometers.

Climate characteristics

Thailand is located in the tropics and subtropics. Most of the country has a tropical monsoon climate. The year is divided into three seasons: cool, rainy and hot. The annual temperature difference in Thailand is very small. Even in the cool season, the average monthly temperature is not lower than 18℃. April is the hottest month, with the highest temperature generally between 33°C and 38°C, and the nights are slightly cooler. Therefore, schools have summer vacation in April.

One of the cities with the most international flights

There are more than 60 airlines in Thailand. Flights from Thailand to Europe and the United States are very cheap. In other words, Bangkok is one of the cheapest cities to buy international air tickets and has the most international flights.

2. Religion, politics, economy, culture, etc.

Religion: Thailand is a Buddhist country. 95% of the country’s citizens believe in Buddhism. There are many Buddhist temples and pagodas, so it is known as the “Land of Thousand Buddhas” Good name. Buddhism has a significant impact on Thailand's politics, economy, social life, culture and art. The southern Malays believe in Islam, accounting for about 4.66% of the total population. There are also a few people who believe in Christianity and Hinduism.

Political Economy

Since the Second World War, Thailand has enjoyed political stability and rapid economic development. Known as the fifth tiger in Asia, Thailand is a founder of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Looking at Thailand from another perspective, we will get more enlightenment and strong proof. The Southeast Asian financial crisis that broke out in July 1997 originated in Thailand and quickly affected countries around the world. This was the result of Thailand's economic development reaching a certain level of prosperity. It also showed that Thailand's economy would have both positive and negative impacts on the world economy. On the positive side, Thailand is the fastest among all Asian countries that have suffered from the financial crisis to adjust and emerge from the crisis. At present, Thailand is following the law of economic development and moving towards a new stage.

Chinese World

There are currently more than 6 million Chinese in Thailand, accounting for about 12% of the total population of Thailand. Among the residents of the capital Bangkok, Chinese account for about 2/5.

Many Thai Chinese have received higher education in Thailand or studied in Europe and the United States. Many of them work in industrial and commercial enterprises, cultural, educational and health institutions, science and technology circles and government agencies. Many high-ranking officials in Thailand, such as the current Prime Minister Thaksin Chinnayue, former Prime Minister Chuan Lipai (Chinese name Lu Jiwen), former Prime Minister Ban Han (Chinese name Ma Dexiang), former Prime Minister Anan Banyela Chun and most industrial and commercial giants have Chinese origin. Most Chinese in Thailand are engaged in business, trade, finance, tourism, and service industries, and have made significant contributions to the prosperity and development of Thailand's economy. Although Thai Chinese today have integrated into Thai society, they still maintain the fine traditions of their Chinese ancestors, such as respecting their elders, worshiping their ancestors devoutly, celebrating traditional Chinese festivals, etc.

Royal Family: Thailand abolished the autocratic monarchy in 1932 and established a constitutional monarchy. The current head of state is King Bhumibol Adulyadej. He ascended the throne in 1946 and was crowned in 1950. He is the ninth king of the Bangkok Dynasty and the longest-reigning king in the world today. The royal family enjoys a high status in the hearts of Thai people.

Language: Thai is the national language. In cities, especially in tourist places, English is widely used. Chinese is also spoken in some places.

Currency: The currency of Thailand is the Baht (Baht, abbreviated as B). 1 Baht is equivalent to 100 Sardines (Satang). The banknotes are divided into 1000 Baht, 500 Baht, 100 Baht, 50 Baht, 20 Baht and 10 baht, coins are available in 10 baht, 5 baht, 1 baht, 50 sardin and 25 sardin. Exchanging foreign currency in Thailand is very convenient. Major banks have foreign exchange offices at airports, tourist attractions and shopping malls. Generally, the exchange rate in hotels is slightly lower than that in banks, so it is best to go to the bank to exchange. Office and business hours: The bank is open from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm every Monday to Friday. Some banks' foreign exchange offices in tourist attractions and shopping malls are also open on weekends, with the same hours as the tourist attractions and shopping malls. The shopping mall is open from 10 am to 9 pm.

Food Culture

It is famous for its spicy food. There are differences between the north and the south. The north is light; the southeast is spicy; the seafood in the central and southern parts is sweet; and the southernmost provinces also like curry. Due to the large number of Chinese people, Chinese food is very common in many places in Thailand, including restaurants and cafeterias of major universities.

Developed industries

Thailand has experienced hundreds of years of development, and its industry and tertiary industries (service industries such as tourism, hotels, catering, etc.) are quite developed, especially agriculture and agricultural products. The processing industry is the most developed. Thailand's tourism industry has developed quite maturely and is a good place for sightseeing. It is convenient and cheap to travel from Thailand to neighboring countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and other countries for sightseeing.

One of the signs of success

In December 1998, Thailand successfully hosted the 13th Asian Games (it had successfully hosted two Asian Games before this).

Main festivals: There are many kinds of festivals in Thailand, not only the Western New Year's Day, the Chinese Lunar New Year, the Thai Lunar New Year and the Songkran Festival, but also various religious festivals, birthdays of royal family members, and all kinds of celebrations. Folk festivals and local festivals. One of the more distinctive ones is the Thai Lunar New Year Songkran Festival, also known as the Songkran Festival, which takes place from April 13th to 15th every year. During the festival, younger people sprinkle water to pay tribute to their elders and pray for their blessings. Thais also believe that splashing water can wash away a year's worries and depression. Therefore, during the Songkran Festival, with the "help" of enthusiastic Thais, it is difficult to walk on the street without being splashed into a drowned rat. Another very Thai festival is called the Loy Krathong Festival, which is held on the full moon day in November every year. People use banana leaves, flowers and candles to make floating krathongs, put them into the water, and silently make wishes and pray, which is very poetic.

A brief history of the Thai Dynasty: Humans have thrived in the territory of today's Thailand since prehistoric times, but it was not until the early 13th century that several large parks in the upper reaches of the Chao Phraya River united to form a unified country. , established the Sukhothai Dynasty (1238-1438), and in 1350, another Thai tribe in the lower reaches of the Chao Phraya River established the Ayutthaya Dynasty (1350-1767). The Sukhothai dynasty gradually declined and was eventually annexed by the Ayutthaya dynasty. In 1767, the Burmese army invaded, captured the city, and set fire to it and reduced it to ruins. After the demise of the Ayutthaya dynasty, Zheng Xin, a Chinese descendant, defeated the Burmese army, made Thonburi the capital, and established the Thonburi dynasty (1767-1782).

After Taksin's death, General Chakri ascended the throne and moved the capital to Bangkok on the other side, establishing the Bangkok Dynasty (1782--). Chakri was called Rama I. The current King Bhumibol Adulyadej is Rama IX.