Thailand, officially theKingdom of Thailand, and formerly known asSiam until 1939, is a country located inmainland Southeast Asia. It shares land borders withMyanmar to the west and northwest,Laos to the east and northeast,Cambodia to the southeast, andMalaysia to the south. Its maritime boundaries include theGulf of Thailand and theAndaman Sea, as well as maritime borders withVietnam,Indonesia, andIndia. Thailand has a population of nearly 66 million people and covers an area of approximately 513,115 km2 (198,115 sq mi). The country'scapital andlargest city isBangkok.
After the fall of Ayutthaya,King Taksin reunified the kingdom and established theThonburi Kingdom, which lasted only 15 years before he was overthrown byPhutthayotfa Chulalok (Rama I), the founder of theChakri dynasty. King Rama I established theRattanakosin Kingdom and moved the capital to Bangkok in 1782. During the era ofWestern imperialism, Siam remained the only country in Southeast Asia to avoid colonization by European powers, although it ceded territory, trade rights, and legal privileges through severalunequal treaties. The governance system evolved into anabsolute monarchy centralized under the rule ofKing Chulalongkorn (Rama V). Siamadapted to international relations during the imperialist era and joinedWorld War I on the side of theAllies, a political decision aimed at revising the effects of unequal treaties and enhancing Siam's international status.
After his appointment as army chief in 2010, Prayut was characterised as aroyalist and an opponent of former prime ministerThaksin Shinawatra. Considered a hardliner within the military, he was one of the leading proponents of military crackdowns on theRed Shirt demonstrations ofApril 2009 andApril–May 2010. He later sought to moderate his profile, talking to relatives of protesters who were killed in the bloody conflict and cooperating with the government ofYingluck Shinawatra, who wonparliamentary elections in July 2011. (Full article...)
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Elephants in Ayutthaya Theelephant has been a contributor toThai society and itsicon for many centuries. The elephant has had a considerable impact onThai culture. The Thai elephant (Thai:ช้างไทย,chang Thai) is the officialnational animal of Thailand. The elephant found inThailand is theIndian elephant (Elephas maximus indicus), asubspecies of theAsian elephant. In the early-20th century there were an estimated 100,000 captive elephants inThailand. In mid-2007 there were an estimated 3,456 captive elephants left inThailand and roughly a thousand wild elephants. By 2017, the number of captive elephants had risen to an estimated 3,783. The elephant became an endangered species in Thailand in 1986. (Full article...)
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TheThai Rak Thai Party (TRT;Thai:พรรคไทยรักไทย,RTGS: Phak Thai Rak Thai,IPA:[pʰáktʰajráktʰaj]; "Thais Love Thais Party") was aThai political party founded in 1998. From 2001 to 2006, it was the ruling party under its founder,Prime MinisterThaksin Shinawatra. During its brief existence, Thai Rak Thai won the three general elections it contested. Eight months after amilitary coup forced Thaksin to remain in exile, the party was dissolved on 30 May 2007 by the Constitutional Tribunal for violation of electoral laws, with 111 former party members banned from participating in politics for five years. (Full article...)
The lottery in Thailand is hugely popular despite the low odds of winning and the unfavourablepayout ratio. The payout ratio for theThai lottery is 60%, as compared to worldwide averages of 74% forbingo, 81% forhorse racing, 89% forslot machines, and 98% forblackjack (basic rules). It is the most popular legal form of gambling in Thailand. (Full article...)
Thai New Year orSongkran (Thai:สงกรานต์,pronounced[sǒŋ.krāːn]), also known asSongkran Festival orSongkran Splendours, is the Thai New Year'snational holiday. Songkran is on 13 April every year, but the holiday period extends from 14 to 15 April. In 2018 the Thai cabinet extended the festival nationwide to seven days, 9–16 April, to enable citizens to travel home for the holiday. In 2019, the holiday was observed from 9–16 April as 13 April fell on a Saturday. In 2024, Songkran was extended to span nearly the entire month, running from April 1 to April 21, instead of the traditional three-day celebration. The festival aligns with the New Year observed in manySoutheast andSouth Asian cultures, following theTheravadaBuddhist calendar, and coincides withHindu calendar celebrations such asBihu,Pohela Boishakh,Pana Sankranti,Tamil Puthandu,Vishu,Vaisakhi. The New Year also takes place at around the same time as the New Year celebrations of many regions of South Asia like China (Dai people of Yunnan Province), India, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
In Thailand, New Year is now officially celebrated 1 January. Songkran was the official New Year until 1888, when it was switched to a fixed date of 1 April. In 1940, the date was shifted to 1 January. The traditional Thai New Year Songkran became a national holiday. Celebrations are famous for the public water fights framed as ritual cleansing. This has become quite popular among Thais and foreigners. (Full article...)
Mitr Chaibancha (Thai:มิตร ชัยบัญชา; 28 January 1934 – 8 October 1970) was aThaifilm actor. He acted in 266 films from 1956 to 1970. He died on 8 October 1970 at Dongtan Beach,Jomtien,South Pattaya, after falling from ahelicopter during the filming of a stunt for the final scene ofInsee Thong (Golden Eagle).
At the height of his career in the 1960s, Mitr, along withPetchara Chaowarat, made a string of hit films that packed cinemas. Of the 75 to 100 films produced each year by the Thai film industry during this period, Mitr starred in nearly half of them. (Full article...)
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View from the Outer Court of the Grand Palace
Wat Phra Kaew (Thai:วัดพระแก้ว,RTGS: Wat Phra Kaeo,pronounced[wátpʰráʔkɛ̂ːw]ⓘ), commonly known in English as theTemple of the Emerald Buddha and officially asWat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram, is regarded as the most sacredBuddhist temple inThailand. The complex consists of a number of buildings within the precincts of theGrand Palace in the historical centre ofBangkok. It houses the statue of theEmerald Buddha, which is venerated as the country'spalladium.
Construction of the temple began in 1783 under the orders ofRama I, the first king of theChakri dynasty. Since then, each successive king has been personally involved in adding, restoring and embellishing the temple during their reigns as a way of makingreligious merit and glorifying the dynasty. Many important state and royal ceremonies are held within the temple each year, presided bythe king in person and attended by government officials. This makes the temple the nation's preeminent place of worship and a national shrine for the monarchy and the state. Throughout the years, each king has donated sacred and valuable objects to the temple, making it a treasury as well. (Full article...)
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Location in Bangkok
Wat Benchamabophit Dusitvanaram (Thai:วัดเบญจมบพิตรดุสิตวนาราม; ) is aBuddhisttemple (wat) located in theDusit District ofBangkok,Thailand. Also known as theMarble Temple, it is one of the city's most renowned religious landmarks and a major tourist attraction. The temple is celebrated for its refined architectural composition, exemplifying Bangkok's ornate style with highgables, multi-tiered roofs, and elaboratefinials. Its layout and decorative program reflect a synthesis of traditional Thai aesthetics with subtle European influences introduced during the reign ofChulalongkorn. (Full article...)
Image 16Wat Arun, the most prominent temple of the Thonburi period, derives its name from the Hindu godAruṇa. Its main prang was constructed later in the Rattanakosin period. (fromHistory of Thailand)
Image 3715th-16th century Sawankhalok stoneware with brown underglaze and pale blue glaze (fromCulture of Thailand)
Image 38The ruins ofAyutthaya city was completely buried beneath a mass of jungle vegetation in 1930. (fromHistory of Thailand)
Image 3915th-century Kalong ware glazed stoneware dish (fromCulture of Thailand)
Image 40Display of respect of the younger towards the elder is a cornerstone value in Thailand. A family during theBuddhist ceremony for young men who are to beordained asmonks. (fromCulture of Thailand)
Image 62Map showing linguistic family tree overlaid on a geographic distribution map of Tai-Kadai family. This map only shows general pattern of the migration of Tai-speaking tribes, not specific routes, which would have snaked along the rivers and over the lower passes. (fromHistory of Thailand)
Image 78Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall, the royal reception hall built in European architectural style. Construction was started by Rama V, but was completed in 1915. (fromHistory of Thailand)
Luang Por Dhammajayo (Thai:ธมฺมชโย,RTGS: Thammachayo,Luang Por being a deferential title; born 22 April 1944), also known by thelay nameChaiyabun Suddhipol, is a Thai Buddhist monk. He was the abbot of the Buddhist templeWat Phra Dhammakaya, the post he held until 1999 and again from 2006 to December 2011. In December 2016, he was given the post of honorary abbot of the temple. He is a student of the nun (maechi)Chandra Khonnokyoong, and is the most well-known teacher ofDhammakaya meditation. He has been subject to criticism and government response. However, he continues to be a spiritual leader that has significant influence in Thai society. Luang Por Dhammajayo's approach to Buddhism seeks to combine the ascetic and meditative life with modern personal ethics and social prosperity.
Luang Por Dhammajayo met Maechi Chandra in his student years, and learnt about Buddhism from her. During his student years, he met his fellow student who later became known asLuang Por Dattajivo. Luang Por Dhammajayo started teaching together with Maechi Chandra, and in 1970, they started their own temple inPathum Thani province, later called Wat Phra Dhammakaya. (Full article...)
Wat Arun is aBuddhist temple inBangkok, Thailand. The temple derives its name from the Hindu godAruna. This photograph shows the sculptures of two mythical giant demons, Thotsakan (green-skinned) and Sahatsadecha (white-skinned), guarding the eastern gate of the temple'sordination hall, a building designated for the performance ofupasampadā, the Buddhist ordination ritual, and other ritual ceremonies. The entrance of the ordination hall has a roof with a central spire, decorated in colouredceramic andstucco and sheathed in coloured china.
... that the wildly popularJatukham Rammathep amulet was created by a policeman in 1987 who believed the amulet's spirit helped him solve a murder case?
![Image 1 Prayut in 2022 Prayut Chan-o-cha (Thai: ประยุทธ์ จันทร์โอชา, pronounced [prā.jút tɕān.ʔōː.tɕʰāː] ⓘ; born 21 March 1954) is a Thai former politician, military officer who became the 29th prime minister of Thailand after seizing power in the 2014 coup d'état and served until 2023. He was concurrently the minister of defence in his own government from 2019 to 2023. Prayut served as commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army from 2010 to 2014 and led the coup d'état which installed the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), the military junta which governed Thailand between 22 May 2014 and 10 July 2019. After his appointment as army chief in 2010, Prayut was characterised as a royalist and an opponent of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Considered a hardliner within the military, he was one of the leading proponents of military crackdowns on the Red Shirt demonstrations of April 2009 and April–May 2010. He later sought to moderate his profile, talking to relatives of protesters who were killed in the bloody conflict and cooperating with the government of Yingluck Shinawatra, who won parliamentary elections in July 2011. (Full article...)](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aBlank.png)
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