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Living in Thailand !!!!

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Living in Thailand !!!!!!!!

Sawadee !

Sawadee Krap (for man) and Sawadee Kha (for females) will be probably the first word you will learn in Thai.

Predominantly Buddhist, the Thai people greet one another in the Buddhist way which is called wai in Thai. The wai originated from India and is still used in that country. Later it was adopted by the Buddhists and has become the standard gesture of respect of the followers of Buddhism throughout the world.
But the Thais, especially Thai ladies, are known to perform the wai more neatly and gracefully than most of the others. That is because the people in this country combine the gesture with a deep bow and with both upper arms drawn near the body.

Geography

Thailand has a land area of 513,115 sq.km.(approx. 127,008 acres) bordered by Malaysia (South), Myanmar (West & North), Laos (North & East) and Cambodia (Southeast). The country's east coast borders the Gulf of Thailand and the west coast abuts the Andaman Sea. The country is divided geographically into four main zones-the fertile central plains, dominated by the Chao Phraya River; the 300-metre-high northeast plateau, the kingdom's most barren region ; the mountainous North; and the tropical southern peninsula.

Population
Total 62,828,706 (end Feb 2007), about 31 million males and 31.8 females. Of the total, 9.3% live in Bangkok.

**Note** The total population includes only permanent residents.

People
75% Thais, 11% Chinese, 3.5% Malays, and others are Mons, Khmers, Burmese, Laotians, Indians and a variety of hill tribes.

Language
Thai is the national language. English is widely understood in Bangkok and big cities.

Religion
Buddhists 94.2%, Muslims 4.6%, Christians 0.8%, others 0.4%.

Government
Thailand is a constitutional monarchy headed by King Bhumibol Adulyadej or King Rama IX. The country comprises 76 provinces, each sub-divided into amphoe (county), tambon (district) and muban (village).

Capital
Bangkok

National flag
The red, white and blue bands symbolize the nation, religion, and the monarchy respectively.

Largest provinces
Nakhon Ratchasima 20,493 sq. km., Chiang Mai 20,107 sq. km., Kanchanaburi 19,483 sq. km.

Largest islands
Phuket 543 sq. km., Chang 429sq. km., Samui 247 sq. km.

Highest peaks
Doi Inthanon 2,565 m., Doi Pha Hom Pok 2,285 m., Doi Chiang Dao
2,195 m.

Principal rivers
Chi 765 km., Mun 750 km., Nan 740 km., Chao Phraya 370 km. or 1,110 km. if the Nan, its main tributary, is included.

Electricity
220 volts 50 cycles throughout the country.

Water
Drink only bottled or boiled water.

Clothing
Light, cool clothes are highly recommended. Thin cotton is the best.

A jacket or sweater may be necessary in the cool season, especially when you are in mountainous areas in the North or Northeast.

Local time
GMT + 7 hours.

The Royal Family Of Thailand

In 1946 the King of Thailand, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, came to the throne. He is now the longest reigning monarch in the world.He is loved and respected by his people.In a world where few monarchies survive, Thailand is both unusual and fortunate. Fortunate because of having a King who has both far-reaching knowledge and generous compassion: and unusual because throughout each year of his reign, he has become more deeply loved and respected by his subjects. Today, after having reigned for more than half a century, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej is known and admired far beyond the borders of his own country.He was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts on December 5, 1927. He married Queen Sirikit on April 28, 1950.

Do and Do not's

Thailand is a Buddhist country where Buddha images are held sacred.

Sacrilegious acts are punishable by imprisonment even if committed by foreign visitors.

Thai people hold their King and Queen and the Royal Family in great reverence, and so won't tolerate foreigners showing disrespect to them.

Generally Thai women are conservative. So don't touch them without their consent.

Dress properly when entering a Buddhist temple. Miniskirts and shorts are not allowed. Ladies should also cover their shoulders.Take your shoes off before going inside the hall of worship.

Ladies must not on any account touch a Buddhist monk, give things direct to him or receive things direct from him.

Intimacies between man and woman should not be shown in public.

Sunbathing in the nude is prohibited.

Call Thais their first names; use the title "Khun" for adults.

Normally, Thai people address others by their first names and with the title 'khun'. So don't be surprised if you are addressed as 'Khun Mary' or 'Khun John' instead of by your surname.

Traditionally, Thais greet each other with a wai (by pressing the palms together at the chest).

If someone wais you, you should wai back (except wai-ed by a child).

Thai people smile to express gladness and happiness, to thank for small services, to return the wai of children and inferior persons, and even to excuse small inconveniences.

Don't touch a person's head, nor ruffle his hair. The head is the noblest part of the body.

A sincere apology should be offered immediately if you touch someone's head unintentionally.

Avoid placing your feet on the table while sitting. Never use your foot to point things out or to touch any part of the body of anyone, which is considered rude.

Entering a Thai house, you're expected to remove your shoes.

Songkran

Did you know that "miss Songkran" is not the just a title given to the young lady who wins the beauty contest during the Songkran festival.

She is also the one who plays an important role in enhancing the meaning of the legend of Songkran itself. The story begins when King Kabinprom, who had seven daughters, has been defeated in a gamling contest and has to be beheaded to keep his promise. But fearing that wherever his head might fall it would endanger the air, earth and water in that place.

His seven daughters decided to bring a tray to catch his head as it fell and keep it in Kanthashulee Cave on Krailad Mountain. When the sonkrang came round each year, in April, these ladies would take turns to carry their farther's head in the procession and get a bath. Since the ladies appear each Songkran Day the were called "Misss Songkran".

It falls on New Year's the day which, according to the solar calender, is the day on wich the sun rises into the Aries Zodiac. The seven ladies are linkened to the seven days of the week while, since Ka-bin means red the head of the King is linked to the sun.

Prepared to get wet during the Songkran festival because it is also the start of the "raining season".

Hill Tribe

Over 100 years ago, the Hilltribe peoples migrated south from China into what are now Burma, Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand. The six major tribes are the Karen (Kariang, Yang), the Hmong (Meo), the Yao (Mien), the Akha (Ekaw), the Lisu (Lisaw), and the Lahu (Mussur). The main profession of all these tribes is farming, and all of them tend to migrate whenever they feel that the soil at their present location is becoming depleted.

Each tribe is district, with its own culture, religion, language, art, and dress. With Thailand undergoing rapid modern development, it is difficult yet to say whether these tribes will continue in there traditional ways of life, or whether they will eventually be absorbed into the surrounding, and ever more-encroaching, Thai society.

Akha Hill Tribe child

Tuk Tuk

A ride with the Tuktuk, the name imitating its sound, in the "Taxi" for the poorer people, is certainly a must for the tourist (at least once...). But don't let them lure you to a "cheap cheap cheap!" gem store.....

Temperatures

Climate
The temperature varies from 38°C to 19°C with the annual average at about 29°C. The humidity is from 66% to 82.8%.

Seasons
There are three seasons in Northern, Northeastern and Central Thailand - hot (March to May), rainy (June to October), and cool (November to February). And there are two seasons in the South - rainy (April to November) and hot (December to March).
In the North and Northeast in winter, the temperatures are much lower during night time, especially on the mountains, with temperatures lower than 10°C.

Loy Kratong

Loy Kratong, or the "thanking of the mother of the waters", is essentially a harvest festival and the second most important event in the Thai Calendar.

According to the lunar system Loy Kratong is cellebrated on the first full moon in November.

To thank the waters for raining on the paddy fields and so producing a bountiful crop, each and every person places a little shrine made from banana leaves and decorated with flowers, incense and candles onto the surface of a river, lake or canal. As we live beside the river, the significance of water has greater meaning, and so our festival is pleasingly special.