Kingdom of Thailand

Capital: Bangkok

Area: 5 13, 1 15.00 km2.

Time difference with Beijing:-1.00

International telephone code: 66

Population: 608 16000 (1998)

Language: Thai is the national language, but also Chinese and Malay.

Currency: Thai baht

Ethnic composition: Thailand accounts for 75%, China accounts for 14%, Laos, Malays, Khmer and others account for 1 1%.

Religion: Buddhism is the state religion with 95% followers, followed by Islam with 3.8%, Christianity with 0.5% and others with 0.7%.

National flower: rice fragrance (Gramineae)

Location:

Thailand is located in the middle of Indochina Peninsula in South Asia, in the north of Malay Peninsula, and in the center of Indochina Peninsula between China and India.

Terrain:

The terrain is high in the north and low in the south, and the plain lowlands account for more than half of the land area. The mountainous areas in the north and west, the Zhaopiye Valley in the middle and the heming Plateau in the northeast.

Climate:

Most areas have a tropical monsoon climate, with an annual average temperature of about 27℃ and an annual average precipitation of 1000 ~ 3000mm. The whole year can be divided into dry season (165438+ 10 to next April) and rainy season (5-65438+ 10). The southern coastal plain has a tropical rainforest climate.

Folklore:

Thailand is a country with very folk customs. People love peace and value etiquette. It is a country of etiquette and is known as the "country of smiles". Thais are gentle and polite, young people are gentle and polite, old people are amiable, and women are dignified and steady. When they meet anyone, they will smile, raise their hands and greet each other with "Sawadika" ("hello" in Thai). If you walk in front of others, you will bow and apologize. When sitting and talking, be sure to put your legs together, put your hands on your knees and listen to each other. When entering or leaving the meeting place, everyone bows to the rostrum to show respect for the meeting host. Thai people pay great attention to etiquette, and some good manners have been established. People who have just arrived in Thailand should understand and abide by Thai folk customs. As the saying goes, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" and "Where to sing what song". Respecting others' traditions and habits will win others' respect for you and increase your goodwill and happiness when traveling or sightseeing in Thailand.

Religious belief:

95% of the residents in Thailand believe in Buddhism, so Buddhism is the state religion. Malays living on the Thai-Malaysian border believe in Islam. As for Buddhism in Thailand, the early Thais believed in Mahayana Buddhism, which spread in China. During the Sukhothai dynasty, Buddhism in Burma began to be introduced. Since then, Buddhism in Thailand has been divided into urban sects and mountain sects. Later, during the Bangkok dynasty, Rama IV reformed Buddhism. Due to different opinions on the reform, there have been "orthodox school" (corresponding to the Ministry of Law) and "large and medium school" (mostly), both of which have been preserved to this day and are still the main schools of Buddhism in Thailand. In addition, a considerable number of overseas Chinese in Thailand believe in Mahayana Buddhism and claim to belong to the legal system. Thailand is currently the only country in the world with Buddhism as its national religion.

Etiquette overview:

There are many ceremonies in Thailand, and the etiquette is also very complicated. Every nation has different ceremonies and etiquette. Thais are the main ethnic group in Thailand, so Thai etiquette is basically Thai etiquette.

When Thai people meet, they should cross their hands on their chests to say hello. The method is to put your palms together on your chest. This is a greeting ceremony, equivalent to a handshake in the west. The higher the palm of your hand, the deeper the respect. Ordinary people should put their hands above their heads when they see the king. Young people should raise their hands to their foreheads when they meet their elders. Equal people should put their hands under their noses when they meet. The elder should return the gift to the younger generation, hold it to his chest, and keep his hands not higher than his chest. People of lower status or younger age should pay their respects first.

You must strike back when others cross their hands, otherwise it is impolite. Bow your head slightly when folding and say "Savady!" (Sawattdee, that is, "hello"). There is no need to shake hands after the two sides salute each other, men and women do not shake hands when they meet, and laymen cannot shake hands with monks.

Don't wear sunglasses when talking to people, gesture moderately, and don't point your finger at each other. When you walk in front of others (whether sitting or standing), you can't strut, but you must bow and apologize for what you have to do. Especially when women walk in front of others. When students come to the teacher, they must bend their hands.

Thailand is a kingdom and the Thai people have great respect for the royal family. As tourists, they should do as the Romans do, pay tribute to their king, queen, prince and princess, and stand up when the national anthem is played in the cinema or the portrait of the king appears on the screen. Whenever there is a grand gathering, banquet, or even before the theater begins to perform, the Ode to the King should be played first. All the audience here are standing still, no walking, no talking. Pedestrians on the road must stand on the spot, and soldiers and policemen should stand at attention and salute, otherwise it will be considered disrespectful to the king.

Clothing:

In most business contacts, men can wear pants and shirts, but they don't have to wear ties. You can wear a dark suit or a traditional Thai collarless silk shirt to the party, which is also suitable for formal occasions.

At formal celebrations, you can wear white eggplant, black trousers and a black tie.

In most social activities, women must wear conservative clothes or skirts and shirts. In some places, women are not allowed to wear shorts to the streets.

Don't wear white clothes when you go to the wedding, because white is the bride's special color. Don't wear purple and black clothes. In Dai Xiao, purple is only worn by widows, while black means sadness and is only worn at funerals.

If going to a funeral, a woman should wear a suit with black sleeves, and a man should wear a dark suit, a white shirt, a black tie and a black veil on the sleeve of his coat.

Taboos in conversation:

Good topic: Thai food, weather and good impression of this country. Thais like to talk about their cultural heritage. Football, table tennis, badminton and volleyball are the most popular sports (Thai Sports Daily is the best-selling newspaper), and talking about sports with them will also be very popular.

Thais often ask tourists what they think of Thailand, and they like an appreciative answer. If you complain about traffic jams, air pollution or hot weather, they may not be surprised, because this is also a problem they often like to complain about.

Personal questions, such as "How much do you earn?" Or "How old are you?" This shows friendly concern, not rudeness. They want to spy on your social status and authority through such questions, or decide the reception specifications. If you don't want to answer, you can answer vaguely or laugh. Don't tell others that you like something special, or they will feel obligated to give it to you.

Avoid talking about sensitive issues, including drug smuggling, regional politics, any negative comments about the king or queen of Thailand and corruption. Jokes are best directed at some obvious lies. Many western humors are overemphasized and even misunderstood to some extent. Any slight criticism of the royal system will cause dissatisfaction among Thais, and it is forbidden to criticize or criticize Buddhism.