Thailand A Presentation By Emmanuel Reddish
Jan 18, 2016
ThailandA Presentation By Emmanuel Reddish
Location
• located in the continent of Asia• shares land borders with 4
countries: Burma, Cambodia, Malaysia and Lao People’s Democratic Republic• 12 meters above sea level
Area• 198, 117 mi²
Population• approx. 67, 400, 746
people (based on 2015 data)
Climate• controlled by tropical monsoons• weather is generally hot and
humid across most of the country throughout most of the year• 3 distinct seasons: the hot
season from March to May, the cool season from November to February, and the rainy season from about June to October
Traditional Clothing for Women• Ruean Ton (collarless blouse),
Chitlada (daytime ceremonial dress), Amarin (evening attire), Borom Phiman (luxurious formal evening attire), Chakkri (elegant wear), Chakkraphat (conservative attire), and Siwalar (formal evening costume for royal ceremonies)
Traditional Clothing for Men
• Suea Phraratchathan (royally bestowed shirt)
Religion• Buddhism of the
Theravada school (nearly 95% of the population)• others include Thai
Buddhism and Hinduism
Food• main food is rice• most Thai food is hot and spicy• Phat Thai (thin rice noodles stir-
fried with egg, tofu and shrimp)• Tom yam (sour Thai soup)• Laap (minced meat seasoned
with roasted rice powder, lime juice, fish sauce and fresh herbs)
Holidays / Celebrations• Songkran (April):
traditional Thai New Year; symbolically wash sins away and bless friends with water; young people have fun with buckets of water and huge water guns getting everyone soaking wet
Holidays / Celebrations• Loy Krathong (November):
ancient festival to honor and thank the water spirits for all the water provided during the growing season• also celebrate Makha
Buccha Day
Language• primarily Thai (spoken by
approx. 80% of the population)• also dialects of Lao, Yawi,
Chinese, and a few can speak English
Type of Government• governed by a
Constitutional Monarchy and the official power rests with a Parliamentary system headed by the Prime Minister
Current Heads of State•Monarchy: His Majesty
King Bhumibol Adulyadej (reigned since 1946)
• Prime Minister: Prayut Chan-o-cha (a retired Royal Thai Army officer)
Capital• Bangkok
(largest and most populated city in the country)
Literacy Rate• 96.7% of the people can
read and write
Education• Since 2001, Thailand’s
educational system has been divided into 3 levels.• Level 1: first 3 years of
school; KG1 to KG3; 3 to 5 years old
Education• Level 2: Primary or
elementary school (Pratham); P1 to P6; 6 to 11 years old• Level 3: Secondary School
(Mattayom); M1 to M6; 12 to 18 years old
Education• Level 1 is optional, but all
must complete P1 to M6• Students must pass a test
to move to the next year.
Family Life•most families consist of
parents and children, as well as grandparents, aunts, and cousins in the same house• common for both parents to
work and be responsible for family• very rare that mothers remain
at home as a homemaker
Family Life• fathers tend to make
major decisions and mothers are responsible for house chores• families make every effort
to eat meals together
Social Status• believe in Karma• social status of people is
untouched• belief that a person who has a
high social position acquired this in previous lives and that this person helps those beneath him / her in return for respect and thankfulness
Customs and Traditions• The wai is the traditional form
of greeting in general and you wait for your host / hostess to introduce you to other guests.• If invited to a home, a gift is
not expected, but will be appreciated and should be wrapped attractively because appearance matters.• Dress conservatively.
Art• numerous religious
sculptures• beautiful Thailand
temples• traditional and
contemporary art is popular
Literature• literature is essential to Thai
people especially religious scriptures and stories•most prominent literary work
is the Ramakien (national epic derived from scripture)• famous writers include Pira
Sudham, Suntham Phu, and Chit Phumisak
Economic / Financial System
• Currency: Thai Baht• 1 THB equals approx. 28
cents in U.S. money
Music• reflects its geographic
position • typically classical which is
synonymous of court ensemble• famous singers include
Tata Young, Palmy, and Myria Benedetti
Dance• classical and folk dance•main dramatic art form
Top 10 Reasons to Travel to Thailand• Thailand is affordable• year round sunshine• delicious Thai food• some of the best beaches
in the world• tons of shopping
Top 10 Reasons to Travel to Thailand
• ease of travel• amazing cities• the people• Thailand’s Buddhist
Heritage• the nightlife
(bars and clubs)