Thailand 101

Coming here I did not know much about Thailand. However, since arriving I have been asking people a lot of questions and doing a bit of research online. Here are some of the things I find interesting, sometimes fascinating about this country, [hope you find it interesting too]!:

• Since we have arrived, the temperature has been between 25-35 degrees [77-95 F]. But with the relative humidity being around 75%, it feels like it is between 35-50 degrees [95-122 F].
• It’s the rainy season right now [June-Oct.] so it rains almost every day. And we are talking about heavy downpour with short, but loud thunderstorms.
• There are approximately 65 million Thai citizens.
• The Kingdom of Thailand is a constitutional monarchy.
• Thailand is the only Southeast Asian country to never be colonized by the Europeans.
• Thailand was known as Siam until 1939.
• The majority of Thais are ethnically Thai [approx. 80%], but there are also people of Chinese, Indian, Malay, Mon, Khmer, Burmese, and Lao origin.
• The capital city of Thailand is Bangkok, which to the locals call Krung Thep Maha Nakhon. It means ‘city of angels or gods.’
• Bangkok or Krung Thep Maha Nakhon is not the full name of the capital city. The full name, or ceremonial name is as follows: Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Phiman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit. [ กรุงเทพ มหานคร อมรรัตนโกสินทร์ มหินทรายุทธยา มหาดิลกภพ นพรัตนราชธานีบุรีรมย์ อุดมราชนิเวศน์มหาสถาน อมรพิมานอวตารสถิต สักกะทัตติยะวิษณุกรรมประสิทธิ์]
• This translates to:  "The city of angels, the great city, the eternal jewel city, the impregnable city of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukarma.”
• Approximately 12 million people live in Bangkok and there are only 300 churches.
• 94.8% of Thais are Buddhists; 4.7% are Muslim and only 0.5% of Thailand’s population is Christian. Many of the 0.5% follow a mixture of Buddhism and Christianity. Essentially, the Christian God becomes the god they pray to in the Buddhist practices.
• Thailand has the lowest Christian population of all surrounding countries, despite the freedom of belief that the Thai people have.
• The Theravada Buddhism, which 95% of Thais follow is technically a philosophy, not a religion as there is no belief in a god. It follows the teachings of Buddha, which instructs its followers that the goal is to alleviate pain & suffering. This is achieved through meditation. Buddhism teaches tolerance and peace; karma, do good, get good, do bad, get bad, and reincarnation.



This one of the many spirit houses you will find around Bangkok. The ones you find outside homes & businesses are usually a lot smaller - this is outside one of the big shopping centers downtown.

• The Buddhism that most people practice here has become a religion because people have merged the Hindu gods or spirits and some of those practices with Buddhism. The result? Spirit Houses, everywhere. Most homes and businesses will have a spirit house [a little shrine] near the entrance where the inhabitants/owners will offer gifts [incense, flowers, bananas, ceramic animal figures] and prayers to appease the spirits. As well, Monks will be asked to come and bless a new home or office before it is used. Spirit houses are not just found outside homes, they are everywhere and people frequently pray, while burning incense to these images of Buddha and other Hindu gods/spirits.