Famous landmarks in Thailand

Thailand is a country in Southeast Asia. It borders Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia, and its coasts face the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea. The capital, Bangkok, is a huge, lively city on the Chao Phraya River, full of temples, canals and street food. Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia never ruled by a European power.

Thailand is known for golden temples, tropical islands, elephants and delicious food. On the globe you can find Wat Arun, the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew, ICONSIAM, King Power MahaNakhon, Baiyoke Tower II and Phuket's Big Buddha, plus the Asian elephant, the kingfisher, the Sunda pangolin and the legendary naga serpent.

Geography and nature

Northern Thailand is mountainous and forested, and Doi Inthanon, about 2,565 metres, is the highest peak. The centre is a fertile river plain, perfect for growing rice, and the north-east is the dry Khorat Plateau, called Isan. In the south, a long, narrow peninsula reaches towards Malaysia, with islands like Phuket and the limestone towers of Phang Nga Bay rising from the sea. The climate is tropical, with a rainy monsoon season. The Asian elephant is the national animal.

People, languages and culture

People speak Thai, written in its own curly alphabet. Most Thais are Buddhist, and young men often spend time as monks. People greet each other with a wai, pressing their palms together and bowing slightly. Thai food balances sweet, sour, salty and spicy flavours in dishes such as pad thai, tom yum soup, green curry and mango sticky rice. Muay Thai is a famous martial art. At Songkran, the Thai New Year in April, people splash water on each other in the streets.

History in a nutshell

The kingdom of Sukhothai rose in the 1200s, and then Ayutthaya became a rich trading capital from 1351 until it was destroyed in 1767. A new capital was set up across the river from Bangkok, and in 1782 the Chakri dynasty, which still reigns, moved it to Bangkok and built the Grand Palace. Clever diplomacy helped the country, then called Siam, stay independent while its neighbours were colonised. In 1932 it became a constitutional monarchy, and in 1939 it took the name Thailand, meaning 'land of the free'.