THAILAND

The Kingdom of Thailand is a country in Southeast Asia, bordering Laos and Cambodia to the east, the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia to the south, and the Andaman Sea and Myanmar to the west. Thailand was previously known as Siam which was the country's official name until May 11, 1949. The word Thai means "freedom" in the Thai language and is also the name of the majority Thai ethnic group.

Location

Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma.

Geography

Controls only land route from Asia to Malaysia and Singapore .

Capital

Bangkok

Climate

Tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March); southern isthmus always hot and humid .

Language

Thai
English (secondary language of the elite)
ethnic and regional dialects

Monetary Unit

baht (THB)

Largest Cities

Bangkok
Samut Prakan
Nonthaburi
Udon Thani
Korat
Hat Yai
Chon Buri
Chiang Mai
Lampang
Si Racha

Principal rivers

Chao Phraya
Mekong

Places to Visit

Bangkok
Phuket

Air Ports

Bangkok International Airport (Don Muang)
Phuket International Airport
Hat Yai Airport,
Chiang Rai Airport