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There
is more visible historical evidence of past eras in Thailand than in any
other South-East Asian country, so if you're interested in ruins, temples
and deserted cities, this is the place to go. For pure holiday-making magic,
Thailand's islands and beaches are working definitions of heaven (once you
get out of the shadows of the evil multinational hotels). And as for urban
delights, the huge metropolis of Bangkok, although it can alarm with its
chaos and its scale, tends to so charm visitors with its energy and cultural
treasures that the steamy soupy diesel mixture that passes for air in this
city is more than forgiven.There is more visible historical evidence of past eras in Thailand than in any other South-East Asian country, so if you're interested in ruins, temples and deserted cities, this is the place to go. For pure holiday-making magic, Thailand's islands and beaches are working definitions of heaven (once you get out of the shadows of the evil multinational hotels). And as for urban delights, the huge metropolis of Bangkok, although it can alarm with its chaos and its scale, tends to so charm visitors with its energy and cultural treasures that the steamy soupy diesel mixture that passes for air in this city is more than forgiven.
Warning
The Cambodian and Myanmar border areas contain a volatile mixture of land mines, bandits, smugglers and rebels, and are the scene of occasional low-level military stoushes. Travellers should steer well clear of the borders or contact their embassy to receive the latest reports on the security situation.
An
incident in March 2000 in which one Australian tourist was murdered and his
partner attacked in the Doi Ang Khan National Park in Chiang Mai has
prompted embassy warnings not to camp in undesignated areas in national
parks. Anyone foolish enough to accept free air-tickets and a new set of luggage from sudden friends in Bangkok deserves to be called a mule.
Full country name: Kingdom of Thailand
Area: 517,000sq km
Population: 62 million
Capital city: Bangkok (pop 6 million)
People: 75% Thai, 11% Chinese, 3.5% Malay, also Mon, Khmer, Phuan and Karen minorities
Language: Thai
Religion: 95% Buddhism, 4% Muslim
Government: Democratic constitutional monarchy
Prime Minister: Thaksin Shinawatra
Head ofstate: King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX)
GDP:
US$166 billionGDP per head: US$2168
Annual growth: 3.5%
Inflation: 2%
Major products: Computers, garments, integrated circuits, gems, jewellery
Major trading partners: ASEAN, USA, European Union
Many
festivals are linked to Buddhist or Brahman rituals and follow a lunar
calendar. New Year, Songkran, is celebrated in mid-April by
'bathing' Buddha images, paying respects to monks and elders by sprinkling
water over their hands, and generally tossing a lot of the H2O in the air
for fun. Expect to be soaked unless you want to party-poop in your room. The
sowing and harvesting of rice has given rise to a cycle of festivals. To
kick off the official rice-planting season in early May, the king
participates in an ancient Brahman ritual in a large field in central
Bangkok. A Rocket Festival is held in May in the country's
north-east, using a volatile mixture of bamboo and gunpowder to convince the
sky to send rain for the new rice season. The rice harvest from September
through to May leads to joyous local celebrations throughout Thailand. The
Vegetarian Festival in Phuket and Trang, during which devout Chinese
Buddhists eat only vegetarian food, runs for nine days from late-September
to early-October. Merit-making processions are the most visible expression
of this festival, but there are also ceremonies at Chinese temples. The Elephant
Roundup in Surin in November is an elephantine festival popular with the
kind of people who enjoy watching pachyderms play soccer. During the Loi
Krathong Festival, held after the rainy season (usually in November),
candle-lit floats are cast into waterways to bring good fortune for the
coming year.
