Thailand

Thailand has its earliest recorded history before the 12th century, when the general area was ruled by a Buddhist dynasty. After that the Khmer empire reigned until the 13th century. During that time many kingdoms ruled different parts of the area we now know as Thailand. The country was then united under the Kingdom of Ayutthaya; the Kingdom of Ayutthaya then fell in the 18th century to the Burmese. In the time of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya, the capital of Siam, now known as Thailand, was moved to Ayutthaya, hence the name of the empire. After the fall of the kingdom, Rama the I took power and moved the capital to Bangkok, where it has been ever since. One other interesting fact about Thailand is that it is the only south-eastern Asian country that was never colonized by any European countries. Part of this can be attributed to the very competent line of rulers during the time that other Asian countries were being colonized. Also, because of the competent rulers, Thailand had an economic boom during this period, since they were able to take advantage of the competition between France and England.

However, Thailand was affected by this political pressure. This led to many changes in government and the loss of land on either side of the country. This was changed during World War II. Japan agreed to help Thailand regain the land it had lost, in exchange, Japanese troops were allowed to move freely across Thailand. This relationship changed after the war, and by the start of the Cold War, Thailand had become an ally of the United States. Between the Cold War and 1980 Thailand went through successive military governments. Since 1980, though, Thailand has been mostly stable. Near the end of the century Thailand went through a major inflation that is almost back to normal now. Thailand, for the moment, is a very stable country that has a very rich history.

The country of Thailand is ranked 50th in terms of size and 20th in terms of population in the world. Thailand is bordered by Cambodia on the east, Laos to the north, Burma and the Andaman Sea to the west, and, finally, Malaysia and the Gulf of Thailand to the South. It is geographically varied, ranging from plateaus, to mountains, to plains. The highest point in the country is located at the summit of Doi Inthanon reaching a height of 2565 meters above sea level. The main water feature in Thailand is the Chao Phraya River. It runs down the center of the country and into the Gulf of Thailand.

Thailand has a developing economy and was recently recognized as a newly industrialized nation. Many products used in western and Asian countries are manufactured in Thailand. Textiles, electronics, automobiles, rubber, and fishery products are just a few of the wares produced there. Another interesting fact is that Thailand is the world’s largest exporter of rice, over 55% of arable land in Thailand is used to produce rice.

Thailand has a very stable economy and a wonderful history, if you ever have the chance to visit, it will be definitely be worth your time.