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The Kingdom of Thailand
12/5/2004
Location: Thailand is situated in the heart of the Southeast Asian mainland, covering an area of 513,115 sq.km. and extends about 1,620 kilometres from north to south and 775 kilometres from east to west. Thailand borders the Lao People's Democratic Republic and the Union of Myanmar to the North, the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Gulf of Thailand to the East, the Union of Myanmar and the Indian Ocean to the West, and Malaysia to the south.
Capital: Bangkok
Major Cities: North: Chiangmai, South: Songkla, Central region Ayutthaya and Chonburi, North Eastern: Nakhon Ratchasima and Khon Kaen.
Climate: Thailand is a warm and rather humid tropical country with monsoonal climate. Temperatures are highest in March and April with average temperature of 28 degree celsius to 38 degrees celsius and humidity averaging between 82.8 percent to 73 percent.
Seasons: Dry: March to May, Rainy; June to October, Cool: November to February.
Population: The population in Thailand is approximately 62 million, of which around 6 million live in the capital city, Bangkok.
Language: The national and official language is Thai while English is widely spoken and understood in major cities, particularly in Bangkok and in business circles.
Religion: Buddhism is the national religion. In Thailand, there is total religious freedom and all faiths are allowed to practice. Under the Thai constitution, the King is Buddhist and upholder of all religions: Buddhism (95 per cent): Islam (3.9 per cent); Christianity (0.5 per cent); and others (0.6 per cent).
Government: Thailand is governed by a democratically elected government with H.M. Bhurnibol Adulyadej as Head of State. Under the constitution, the Parliament comprises 200 Members of the Senate and 500 elected Members of the House Representatives. The Prime Minister is an elected MP and is selected from among the members of the House of Representatives.
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration comes under an elected governor and is divided into 36 districts. Besides Bangkok, there are 76 provinces, administered by appointed governors and divided into districts, sub-districts, and villages.
Regulations for Foreign Visitors to Thailand: Foreign nationals visiting Thailand must possess valid passports or accepted travel documents and appropriate visas before entering the country. Transit visas are granted for up to 30 days and tourist visas for up to 60 days. Non-immigrants, diplomatic and official visas are valid for up to 90 days.
Customs: Narcotics and pornographic materials are strictly prohibited. Permits must be obtained for firearms and certain species of animals and plants. The export of Buddha images, images of deities and antiques is strictly forbidden without prior approval from the Fine Arts Department. Any amount of foreign currency may be brought in for personal use.
Currency: The Baht is the standard currency unit.
1 Baht = 100 satangs
Bank Notes : 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, 1,000 baht
Coins : 1, 5, and 10 baht
Banks: The country's central bank is the Bank of Thailand. Major Thai commercial banks include the Bangkok Bank, Siam Commercial Bank, Krung Thai Bank, Thai Farmers Bank and Thai Military Bank. Business hours are 9:30-15:30 hours, Monday to Friday. Several international banks also have offices in Thailand.
Business Hours: Government and business offices are open from 8:30 to 16:30 hours, Monday to Friday.
Electricity: 220 volts 50 cycles throughout the country
Newspaper & Media: There are over 20 Thai morning dailies in Bangkok. Some of the leading Thai papers include Thai Rath, Daily News, Siam Rath, Matichon, Naew Na, Siam Post, Ban Muang, Krung Thep Turakij, Wattachak and the Manager. Two major English-language dailies are the Bangkok Post and The Nation. There are numerous English-language magazines and local publications in Japanese, Chinese and other European languages. Many major international newspapers, magazines and books are also widely available.
Six television stations, Channels 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and ITV broadcast local variety shows, newscasts and live coverage of special events. Cable TV is also available by subscription.
There are over 100 radio stations in Bangkok. All are state-owned but private companies are given air time concessions for their programmes. Broadcasting is done in both Thai and English, with news broadcasting every hour.
Thailand's freedom of the press is considered the strongest in Southeast Asia as evidenced by hundreds of Thai-language publications on virtually every subject.
Health and Medical Facilities: Bangkok has numerous clinics and hospitals catering to a variety of needs. Major public and private hospitals are equipped with the latest medical technology and internationally qualified specialists. Almost all pharmaceuticals are widely available.
What to Wear: light, cool clothes are sensible and a jacket is needed for formal meetings and dining in top restaurants.
Eating Out: Bangkok boasts a dazzling variety of restaurants serving just about every national cuisine from around the world. Thai cuisine is rich and spicy and seafood is considered a national speciality. Thai-grown tropical fruits are legendary.
Shopping: At the top of the shopping list should be Thai silk and gems. It is advisable to buy silk at Jim Thompson, Thaipun or other certified stores which guarantee quality it competitive prices, such as Narai Phan and Thailand Duty-free shops. Gems should be purchased only from TAT-approved stores to ensure quality. An export permit should be obtained from the government office or shop concerned, when purchasing items such as Buddha images, antiques, ivory and leather products or other wildlife products. Main shopping areas are Siam Square, Mah Boon Krong, Central Plaza, World Trade Centre, Silom Complex, Robinson, etc. Normal shopping hours are 10:00-21:00 hours.
Thai information links: You might wish to find more information on Thailand from following websites:
The Secretariat of the Cabinet
of Thailand www. thaigov.go.th
Ministry of Foreign Affairs www. mfa.go.th
Ministry of Finance www. mof.go.th
Ministry of Commerce www. moc.go.th
The Tourism Authority
of Thailand (TAT) www. tat.or.th
Thailand Board of Investment www. boi.go.th
Bank of Thailand www. bot.or.th
Export-Import Bank of Thailand www. exim.go.th
Stock Exchange of Thailand www. set.or.th
The Thai Chamber
of Commerce www.thaiechamber.com
The Mass Communication
Organisation of Thailand www.mcot.or.th
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