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Prayut Chan-o-cha

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Thailand’s Floating Markets Serve Up a Feast on the Water

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Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha)

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Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha)

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Most of Thailand has a "tropical wet and dry or savanna climate" type (Köppen's Tropical savanna climate). The majority of the south, as well as the eastern tip of the east, have a tropical monsoon climate. The most conspicuous features of Thailand's terrain are high mountains, a central plain, and an upland plateau. Mountains cover much of northern Thailand and extend along the Myanmar border down through the Kra Isthmus and the Malay Peninsula. Until the second half of the 20th century, Thailand was primarily an agricultural country, but since the 1960s increasing numbers of people have moved to Bangkok, the capital, and to other cities. Although the greater Bangkok metropolitan area remains the preeminent urban center in the country, there are other sizable cities, such as Chiang Mai in the north, Nakhon Ratchasima (Khorat), Khon Kaen, and Udon Thani in the northeast, Pattaya in the southeast, and Hat Yai in the far south.The country presently faces problems with air and water pollution, declining wildlife populations, deforestation, soil erosion, water scarcity, and hazardous waste issues.

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The culture of Thailand is unique and deeply rooted in traditions that have been practiced for thousands of years. The different practices and cultural ideas of the Thai people are related to their history and how ingrained the Buddhist religion is into Thai society.

In Thailand, over 90% of the population speaks Thai. Within the Thai language, there are multiple dialects that are spoken throughout the country. Additionally,  Malay and Burmese are also spoken in Thailand. English is the most common second language to be learned in Thailand, as well.

Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity are the three main religions practiced in Thailand. Buddhism is definitely the most popular with about 94.6% of people practicing. There are about 4.3% of Muslims and 1% of Christians. People are free to practice whatever religion they wish. The King must also practice Theravada Buddhism (the most common kind). Beautiful temples are frequent throughout Thailand because of how many people practice this religion. The practices of Buddhism are very commonly followed by people. Additionally, there is a large number of monks found in the region, too. Festivals and ceremonies of the religion are also held on a large scale throughout the country.

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-self.gutenberg.org/articles/eng/Environmental_issues_in_Thailand
www.phuket.com/island/resource.htm

-https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/30/world/asia/pollution-thailand-bangkok.html

-https://epic.uchicago.edu/news-events/news/thailand-analysis-air-pollution-cuts-lives-short-more-four-years-most-polluted

-https://skift.com/2018/02/16/rising-air-pollution-threatens-thailands-soaring-visitation/

-https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1CAINUT_enUS839&ei=l5D0XMncOqqx5wL-toW4CQ&q=what+is+the+life+expectancy+in+thailand+&oq=what+is+the+life+expectancy+in+thailand+&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0i22i30.809.4759..4914...0.0..0.100.1020.12j1......0....1..gws-wiz.......0i71j0i67j0.NBts7TUNWJQ&safe=active&ssui=on

-https://www.indexmundi.com/thailand/age_structure.html

-http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/thailand-population/

-https://theculturetrip.com/asia/thailand/articles/thailands-story-of-independence/

-https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2016/10/world/thailand-timeline/thailand-timeline-snippet.

- https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-type-of-government-does-the-thailand-have.html

- https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2135396/dozens-new-political-parties-register-thai-election

- https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2018/country-chapters/thailand

- https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/05/what-is-asean-explainer/

- https://thaiembdc.org/thailand-and-asean/

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The growth rate of Thailand's population changes by 0.3 percent annually. The average age in Thailand falls between 25-54 years old. The life expectancy is 70.5 years old, which could be considered good for a country with so much pollution. Thailand also has a lot of urban parts. More than 14 million (or 22.2% of the total population) live in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region. This means Bangkok is much larger than any other urban area in Thailand. A surprising fact is that Thailand is the only country that was never colonized by a European country. This is surprising considering it was the only one.

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Thailand is a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha leading the country. There are seventy-seven parties contested the elections. There are two major parties (Pheu Thai and the Democrat Party). A recent hot topic would consist of the media outlets that are facing punishments if they raise issues that may be sensitive to national security. ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) promotes economic growth and stability throughout the region. Thailand is one of the founding members of ASEAN and has played a very active role in it.

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The history is unique and unlike any of the surrounding Southeast Asian countries. The surrounding countries, such as Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Burma, were all under the control of either Britain or France. Thailand, however, was never colonized and has remained independent throughout its entire history.

Thailand was originally inhabited by migrants from Southwestern China that occurred over the course of centuries and certain indigenous groups. Throughout Thailand's history, there were various kingdoms that dominated the land and established separate states. Over time, these kingdoms battled for power and Thailand was never exactly considered to be under a strong, stable government or power.

Throughout its complicated history, Thailand has had a number of important events involving politics and their government. In 1947, A coup was carried out to overthrow the current Prime Minister of Thailand and replace him with a pro-Japanese leader. Eventually, Plaek Phibunsongkhram became the Prime Minister. In 1973, Multiple student groups throughout Thailand rose up against the government in the form of different rallies and protests. They gained more influence and encouraged the drafting of a new constitution and the use of a more democratic political system. In  1976,   The Thammasat University Massacre occurred when student protesters were killed by Thai state forces and far-right paramilitaries. There were 46 deaths (arguably over 100), 167 injuries, and over 3,000 arrests. With the majority of voters supporting the newly drafted Constitution, the current leader signed the document into law in August of 2007. It was enforced immediately and had the support of the Democrat party but an objection from the Thai Rak Thai party. After months of political turmoil, the Royal Thai Armed Forces launched a military coup against the caretaker government of Thailand in 2014. They established a “junta” and called on the NCPO for help. The NCPO took control and partly repealed the 2007 constitution and took away a lot of the liberties of the people of Thailand.

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The state of Thailand's economy is, on the world scale, decent. Their real GDP growth is at 3.9%. Thought not a fast growing economy, it is at least growing. The GDP per capita remains at a low $17000. 7.2% of the country lives in poverty. Though Thailand is growing, this growth isn't helping the poor. In fact, Thailand's wealth inequality is the largest in the entire world. The Largest Sector in the Thai Economy is the Services sector.

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-Rushi Kulkarni, Bridget Boal, Rhea Punjabi, & Shreya Golakiya (5/6)