Background
A little bit of background information can help you get more out of your trip to Thailand. Here are some links to articles that provide some useful details.
- History
- Archaeological evidence so far dates settlement of Thailand back at least 5,000 years. Successive migrations of Mons from the west, Khmer from the east and Tai from the north settled more of the country. By the height of the Khmer kingdom based in Angkor in the 11th century, what is now Cambodia controlled much of what is now Thailand.
- Culture
- Untainted by colonial influences, Thai culture retains a distinctiveness which the Thais themselves are very proud of. Royal patronage insures that the traditions live on and encourages the continuing participation of all citizens.
- Language
- Contrary to what many people assume, the Thai written language is not idiomatic like Chinese, Japanese and other north Asian languages. Thai uses an alphabet of vowels and consonants just like western languages. There, however, the similarities end. The Thai alphabet is derived from Pali, the language from which almost all Southeast Asian languages originated and still the common language of Buddhism, sort of an Asian Latin.
- Holidays & Events
- When planning your trip, you should be aware of the public holidays celebrated throughout the country. In addition to public holidays, numerous festivals occur around the country throughout the year.
- Food & Drink
- Thai Food seems to have taken the world by storm. Every big city seems to have at least one Thai restaurant. The popularity has reached such global proportions that the Thai government itself now considers Thai restaurants an "export" commodity. Although known for its spiciness, what draws many people to Thai cooking is the emphasis on fresh ingredients and variety.
- Money / Currency
- The currency of Thailand is the "Baht" - sometimes spelled "Bath" but pronounced to rhyme with "hot." One Baht is divisible into 100 Satang. Major credit cards are accepted by hotels and large shops, but "hard cash" is the preferred tender almost everywhere. Travelers checks are not widely accepted outside of hotels, so change them for cash at a bank exchange, which you'll find in any and every tourist destination.
- Visas
- Before you book your trip, you'll want to check to see if a visa is required. Thailand has traditionally been rather free with visas, and most westerners still receive 30 day entry stamps on arrival at any airport (if crossing by land, you will only get a 15 day visa). However, like just about every other country since 2001, security concerns have lead to a reduction in the number of countries automatically granted visas. For a current list of countries entitled to visa-free entry, visit the Thai Foreign Ministry's web site.
- Weather
- Thailand has three "seasons." The Thais refer to them as the "cool," "hot" and "rainy" seasons. A more accurate description would be "hot," "really HOT" and "really hot AND wet." The "cool" season from October/November through to March is the prime tourist season. Current weather conditions and historical values for the major cities covered (Chiang Mai, Phuket, Samui and Bangkok) are displayed for your information.
In this section
Untainted by colonial influences, Thai culture retains a distinctiveness which the Thais themselves are very proud of. Royal patronage insures that the traditions live on and encourages the continuing participation of all citizens.
Buddhism Many Thais consider their Buddhist faith to be a cornerstone of their national identity. You might find your travels to Thailand a little more rewarding if you first find out a little bit about this often mis-understood philosophy.
Thai Food seems to have taken the world by storm. Every big city seems to have at least one Thai restaurant. The popularity has reached such global proportions that the Thai government itself now considers Thai restaurants an "export" commodity. Although known for its spiciness, what draws many people to Thai cooking is the emphasis on fresh ingredients and variety.
Thais themselves have a passionate love for their own food.
Buddhism is a fairly broad and complicated subject to summarize in a web page, but let's see if I can get you started. Buddhism evolved in the sixth to fifth century BC (see the history of Buddhism) based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, a prince who became addressed as "Buddha" – enlightened one – after leaving the palace in search of meaning. Siddhartha's epiphany was that life's suffering — including the endless cycle of rebirth that was part of the beliefs of the people at the time — was caused by our very own attachment, or craving, for life, things, etc.
A khmer style temple from the old capital of Ayuthaya. Archaeological evidence so far dates settlement of Thailand back at least 5,000 years. Successive migrations of Mons from the west, Khmer from the east and Tai from the north settled more of the country. By the height of the Khmer kingdom based in Angkor in the 11th century, Cambodia controlled much of what is now Thailand.
By late in the 13th century, Angkor's power was on the wane, and several northern chieftans came together to form the first "Thai" kingdoms of Sukhothai, Lanna and Phayao.
The annual sound and light show in Sukothai. Part of the government's tourism promotion strategy is to insure that there's something happening just about all the time, somewhere in the country. The major events and festivals are listed in the tourism authority's own site, Thailand Tourism.
Other than official events, you'll find galleries, concerts and other attractions happening just about all the time in Bangkok. Your best source for these are one of several listing magazines sold in most bookstores around tourist areas.
Thai text from an information sign in Pitsanulok Contrary to what many people assume, the Thai written language is not idiomatic like Chinese, Japanese and other north Asian languages. Thai uses an alphabet of vowels and consonants just like western languages. There, however, the similarities end. The Thai alphabet is derived from Pali, the language from which almost all Southeast Asian languages originated and still the common language of Buddhism, sort of an Asian Latin.
The currency of Thailand is the “Baht” - sometimes spelled “Bath” but pronounced to rhyme with “hot.” One Baht is divisible into 100 Satang. Major credit cards are accepted by hotels and large shops, but ”hard cash” is the preferred tender almost everywhere. Travelers checks are not widely accepted outside of hotels, so change them for cash at a bank exchange, which you'll find in any and every tourist destination.
Before you book your trip, you'll want to check to see if a visa is required. Thailand has traditionally been rather free with visas, and most westerners still receive 30 day entry stamps on arrival at any airport (if crossing by land, you will only get a 15 day visa). However, like just about every other country since 2001, security concerns have lead to a reduction in the number of countries automatically granted visas.
How hot is it? Thailand has three “seasons.”; The Thais refer to them as the “cool,” “hot” and “rainy” seasons. A more accurate description would be “hot,” “really HOT” and “really hot AND wet.” The “cool” season from October/November through to March is the prime tourist season.
Tradition also has it that the worst time to visit is during the rainy season which starts in earnest in May or June and lasts until September or so.
Evidence of Thailand's long history can be seen troughout the country. While some ancient cities, such as Chiang Mai, are well known, others are less visited, and in some cases, better preserved in their ancient state. Here's a small list of the most popular and interesting historical sites in Thailand.
Ayuthaya Just 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Bangkok is the old capital of Ayutthaya. The city became Siam's capital in the mid-14th century and remained the capital until the late 18th century.
A typical cast bronze amulet. Thais are generally a rather superstitious lot. Many of them live in a world full of spirits, both good and bad. This belief predates most current religions, which can be said to be over-laid and heavily affected by these beliefs.
To protect themselves from the unwanted attentions of bad spirits, many Thais employ the use of amulets. Tattoos and spirit houses also perform the same purpose.
Here's some basic chit-chat to help you enjoy your time in Thailand more. You'll find English spoken in tourist places, but you will generally get better treatment if you try to speak Thai a little, no matter how badly.
Hello (or Goodbye) sawatdee Excuse me kha-tot Thank you khawp khoon It doesn't matter /
No problem my pen rai What's your name? khoon chu arai My name is ... [men:] phom chu .
Will Work for Food...
Elephants are amazing animals. The overall impossibility of their size and prehensile trunk is often astonishing. Their relationship with man is hard to understand. Why does anything that big agree to be bossed around by something about a tenth its size? Far from viewing it as a demonstration of man's preordained mastery over the "lesser" animals, when I actually see a mahout grunting and wriggling around on and elephant's back, I'm reminded of an indulgent parent patiently trying to please an unruly youngster.
