The Country
The Kingdom of Thailand lies in the heart of Southeast Asia, making it a natural gateway to Indochina, Myanmar and Southern China. Its shape and geography divide into four natural regions: the mountains and forests of the North; the vast rice fields of the Central Plains; the semi-arid farm lands of the Northeast plateau; and the tropical islands and long coastline of the peninsula South. The country comprises 76 provinces that are further divided into districts, sub-districts and villages.
The Capital City
Bangkok is the capital city and centre of political, commercial, industrial and cultural activities. Among Asian cities, Bangkok is one of the most amazing cities in the world. Bangkok exceeds 1500 square kilometers in area. Its population of over 6 millions means that approximately one in every ten Thais is a Bangkokian.
Major tourism attractions include glittering Buddhist temples, palaces, timeless "Venice of the East" canal and river scenes. Bangkok is also well known of shopping paradise in Asia. Visitors can find numerous air-conditioned shopping centres selling Thai silks, cotton, gemstones, bronze and pewterware, and many many more internationally admired handicrafts.
Climate
Thailand enjoys a tropical climate with three distinct seasons, hot and dry from February to May (average temperature 34 degrees Celsius and 75% humidity); rainy with plenty of sunshine from June to October (average day temperature 29 degrees Celsius and 87% humidity); and cool from November to January (temperatures range from 32 degrees Celsius to below 20 degrees Celsius with a drop in humidity). Much lower temperatures are experienced in the North and Northeast during night time. The South has a tropical rainforest climate with temperatures averaging 28 degrees Celsius almost all year round.
Population
Thailand has a population of approximately 62 million people, of which 80% are ethnic Thais, 10% Chinese and 4% Malays, plus Lao, Mon, Khmer, Indian and Burmese minorities. Such diversity reflects the country long history as an important crossroads of Southeast Asia. Thais are a friendly and easy-going people with a great reverence for the Buddhist faith.
Language
Spoken and written Thai is largely incomprehensible to the casual visitor. However, English is widely understood, particularly in Bangkok where it is almost the major commercial language. English and some European languages are spoken in most hotels, shops and restaurants in major tourist destinations, and Thai-English road and street signs are found nationwide.
Religion
The majority of Thais are devout Buddhists. Muslims form the largest of the religious minorities and are located mainly in the four southern provinces. Other minority groups include Hindus, Sikhs and Christians.
Money, Exchange & Credit Cards
Thai currency is the Baht, divided into 100 Satang. Exchange rate, is about HKD1 to 5 Baht. Thai notes are in denominations of B1,000, 500, 100, 50, 20 and 10. Coins are of B10, 5, 1 and S50 and S25.
Cash and traveler cheques can be exchanged freely, with banks or money changers giving better rates than hotels.
Major international credit cards are widely accepted in hotels, restaurants and shops.
Customs & Currency Regulations
Visitors are permitted to bring in duty-free 200 cigarettes and one litre of wine or spirits. Strick restrictions apply against the import of weapons, narcotics, pornography etc. Any amount of foreign exchange in travelers cheques or draft may be imported, but cash in excess to US10,000 must be declared on arrival. It is not permitted to export more than 50,000 Baht per person in cash.
Genuine antiques and Buddha images require export license.
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