Thailand, formally the Kingdom of Thailand and previously known as Siam, is a Southeast Asian nation located in the center of the Indochinese peninsula. Thailand is the world’s 51st-largest nation, with about 513,000 km2 (198,000 sq mi). With a population of approximately 66 million people, it is the world’s 20th most populated nation. Bangkok is the capital and biggest city.
Thailand is a constitutional monarchy that was a parliamentary democracy until the National Council for Peace and Order staged a coup in May 2014. Bangkok is the country’s capital and most populated city. It is bounded on the north by Myanmar and Laos, on the east by Laos and Cambodia, on the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and on the west by the Andaman Sea and Myanmar’s southern tip. Vietnam in the Gulf of Thailand to the southeast and Indonesia and India in the Andaman Sea to the southwest form its maritime borders.
Thailand’s economy is the world’s 20th biggest by nominal GDP and the world’s 27th largest by PPP GDP. In the 1990s, it became a newly industrialized nation and a significant exporter. Manufacturing, agriculture, and tourism are the three most important sectors of the economy. In the area and across the globe, it is regarded as a medium power. Understand
Thailand is the most popular tourist destination in Southeast Asia, and for good reason. Almost everything can be found here: dense rainforest as green as can be, crystal blue seas that seem more like a warm bath than a dip in the ocean, and cuisine that will curl your nose hairs while tap dancing over your taste receptors. Exotic, but safe; inexpensive, yet equipped with every contemporary facility you need, there is something for everyone and any budget, from beachfront backpacker huts to some of the world’s finest luxury hotels. Despite the influx of tourists, Thailand maintains its fundamental character, with its own culture and history, as well as a carefree population known for their smiles and fun-seeking sanuk lifestyle. Many visitors to Thailand prolong their stay well beyond their initial intentions, while others never find a reason to leave. Whatever your cup of tea is, Thais know how to prepare it.
This is not to say that Thailand is without flaws, such as the significant growing pains of an economy in which an agricultural laborer is lucky to earn 100 baht per day while the nouveau riche cruise by in their BMWs. Bangkok, the capital, is notorious for its traffic jams, and rampant development has ruined much of once-beautiful Pattaya and Phuket. Some lowlifes, both Thai and foreign, have made scamming visitors an art form in highly touristed regions.
