Thailand is a fascinating country in Southeast Asia.
Thailand is located on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. A peninsula is a
section of land surrounded by water on three sides. Thailand has an unusual shape.
Most of the country is located on the mainland, which borders three other nations:
Burma, Laos, and Cambodia. The southern part of the country is a long, narrow strip
that leads to the country of Malaysia. This is the only way to reach Malaysia by land.
Thailand has a hot, wet climate that is perfect for growing rice, the country’s largest
crop. Swampy fields called rice paddies can be found over much of Thailand. Thai
farmers specialize in jasmine rice, a more expensive variety. Thailand is the world’s
leading exporter of rice.
Thailand also has wet seasonal windstorms called monsoons, which sometimes
cause flooding. Many different kinds of animals live in Thailand’s forests, including
leopards, tigers, water buffalo, and pythons. The national animal is the elephant.
Nearly two-thirds of Thailand used to be covered in forests, but today forests cover
only about one fourth of the country. The government is now trying to preserve and
restore forestland. Its goal is to restore forest cover to 40 percent of the land over the
next few decades.
Thailand’s capital is Bangkok. The country’s prime minister is Prayut Chan-o-cha.
He became the leader of the government in 2014. But the Thai people also love
King Bhumibol. The king is 88 years old and has ruled Thailand since 1946. King
Bhumibol was actually born in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
This Buddhist country is centered on Bangkok,
one of the world’s great cities.
People have lived in Thailand for tens of thousands of years. For most of those
years, however, it was called Siam, which means “brown people.” France and
England had colonies in this part of the world, but Siam was never one of them.
That is because its leaders were very good at playing European countries against
each other. Siam’s kings did much in the 1800s and 1900s to make the country as
modern as possible. In 1946, when he took the throne, King Bhumibol announced
that Siam would now be called Thailand, meaning “country of the free.”
Thailand is a mix of influences from all around Asia — China, Vietnam, and
especially India. One of the biggest Indian influences is the Buddhist religion,
followed by 95 percent of Thais. This religion started in India, and spread to many
other parts of Asia. Statues of Buddha can be seen everywhere in Thailand.
About 66 million people live in Thailand, and more than 8 million of them live
in the capital Bangkok. The city also attracts about 10 million tourists every
year, which is important to its economy. Bangkok is a big modern city, but there
are many places in the city that are old. Ancient Buddhist temples in Bangkok
bring tourists from around the world. And the city is also famous for its floating
vegetable markets.