Everything you need to know about Thailand: news, reviews, in-depth analysis, opinion and more
Thailand: East Asian Country with Longest Reigning Monarch
In the 6th century Thais were the first to settled in Thailand, former Siam. By the end of the 13th century Thais ruled most of the western portion of Siam. During the next 400 years Thais fought intermittently with the Cambodians to the east and the Burmese to the west. In the second half of 14th century the small kingdoms of Thailand unified and became the Thai kingdom. In 1824 The British gained control over the Thailand but soon in 1896 an Anglo-French agreement made Thailand an independent nation. During 1932 bloodless revolution constitutional monarchy was established in Thailand, which still survives till today and Thailand King Bhumibol Adulyadej is the longest reigning monarch in the world.
Thailand Profile: Overview of Facts and Figures
Geographical Information on Thailand:
Thailand is located in the heart of Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Laos and Myanmar from the North, Laos and Cambodia from the east, Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia from the south, Andaman Sea and Myanmar from the west.
The climate of Thailand is very hot, particularly between March and May. The monsoon season is from June to October but the climate is still hot and humid even with torrential rains.
Culture, Cuisine and Tradition of Thailand:Thai is one of the world's most exciting cuisines because of fine blend of by soups and noodle dishes from China, curries from India and satays from Indonesia. Rice is a common ingredient of Thai cuisine and it is also made with pasta recipes as well. In fact pasta in Thailand are made with rice, beans or eggs. Rice, fish, vegetables and herbs are prominently used in the Thai cuisine and meat is less used.
Economy of Thailand:
The economy of Thailand is export-dependent. The export of goods and services contributes more than 70% to the national income. Thailand diversified its manufacturing sector and became the leading producer of computers and electronics, furniture, wood products, canned food, toys, plastic products, gems, and jewelry. High-technology products such as integrated circuits and parts, hard disc drives, electrical appliances, vehicles, and vehicle parts.
Tourist Attractions of Thailand:
Thailand is a popular tourist destination and offers numerous attractions along with world-class facilities
Bangkok: is the capital of Thailand and one of the most cosmopolitan cities of the whole Asian continent.
Ko Samui: is a beautiful island located in southeastern Thailand. It is famous for its beautiful green coconut plantations and palm lined beaches.
Major Sight-seeing Places in Thailand include:Beijing, June 19 (IANS/EFE) Retired soccer champ David Beckham is in China to build enthusiasm for the game in the world's most populous country, where fans are pretty discouraged at the moment over the poor performance of their national team.
Petaling Jaya (Malaysia), June 18 (IANS) Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri will rely on the short putter in his hunt for a fourth Asian Tour title at the Worldwide Holdings Selangor Masters Thursday.
New York, June 18 (ANI): Thailand's national Buddhism body is keeping an eye on monks nationwide for any inappropriate behavior after a video emerged on YouTube showing Buddhist monks flying on a private jet.
Singapore, June 18 (IANS) The Singapore Open kicked off Tuesday with several of the top players absent from the men's singles event.
Chennai, June 17 (IANS) Global automobile major Ford Motor Company considers India as a major market for it to grow as well as ship out more cars to other markets even as it is bringing down production in line with the demand in Europe, said a top company official.
New Delhi, June 16 (IANS) President Pranab Mukherjee Sunday accepted resignations of cabinet ministers Ajay Maken and C.P. Joshi ahead of expected cabinet reshuffle Monday.
Hefei (China), June 15 (IANS) Poor possession and team work and most of all no fighting spirit resulted in the most humiliating defeat for years for China's national football team as they lost 1-5 to visiting Thailand Saturday.
Chandigarh, June 15 (IANS) Three people, including a native of Thailand, have been arrested for allegedly cheating a Haryana resident by promising to get him a loan, a Harayana Police spokesman said here Saturday.
New Delhi, June 13 (IANS) While the overall number of blood donors in India has grown over the years, women constitute only a tiny 10 percent share owing to health problems like pernicious anaemia and low haemoglobin levels or being underweight.
New Delhi, June 12 (ANI): A perusal of the pages of the Asian Strategic Review of this year will enable us, particularly our policy makers, to understand how important it is for India to develop strategic ties with other countries of the region. The volume surveys the developments in South Asia, China, South-east and East Asia, West Asia, and the impact of U.S. and Russia on countries of the region.
Islamabad, June 11 (ANI): Israel has exported security equipment to Pakistan over the past five years, according to British Government report.
Bangkok, June 9 (IANS) Twenty-year-old K. Srikanth outplayed top seed Boonsak Ponsana to triumph at the Thailand Open Grand Prix Gold badminton event here Sunday and win the first major title of his blossoming career.
Bangkok, June 9 (IANS) Twenty-year-old K. Srikanth claimed the biggest victory of his career stunning Thailand's top seed Boonsak Ponsana in the final of the Thailand Open Grand Prix Gold badminton event here Sunday.
Bangkok, June 8 (IANS) India's K. Srikanth beat Thammasin Sitthikom in straight games to advance to the men's singles final at the Thailand Open Grand Prix Gold badminton event here Saturday.
Bangkok, June 7 (IANS) On a day when compatriots Saina Nehwal and Prannoy H.S. failed to clear the quarterfinals hurdle in the Thailand Open Grand Prix Gold badminton tournament here, Srikanth K. was the lone Indian to survive and march into the semifinals Friday.
Bangkok, June 7 (IANS) World No.2 Saina Nehwal exited the Thailand Open Grand Prix Gold badminton tournament going down to eighth seed Juan Gu of Singapore in the quarterfinals here Friday.
Mumbai, June 7 (IANS) Bengali star Jisshu Sengupta, who has been a part of a number of Rituparno Ghosh's films, says that post the death of the filmmaker, he feels orphaned.
New Delhi, June 6 (IANS) India supports the freedom of navigation in accordance with the principles of international laws, Defence Minister A.K. Antony said Thursday and offered to discuss with Thailand possible areas of cooperation in defence producution.
Bangkok, June 6 (IANS) World No.2 Saina Nehwal marched into the quarterfinals of the Thailand Grand Prix Gold badminton tournament here Thursday with a convincing victory over Singapore's Juan Gu.
New Delhi, June 6 (IANS) Minister of Commerce, Industry and Textiles Anand Sharma Thursday told Aung San Suu Kyi that India was ready to extend "all necessary assistance" to the development of Myanmar.
Bangkok, June 6 (ANI): Asserting that New Delhi has been of the consistent view that ASEAN is central to any security architecture for the region, Defence Minister A.K. Antony on Thursday said India is committed to efforts of ADMM Plus, ARF and the East Asia Summit for promoting dialogue and consensus building among all countries of the region
Bangkok, June 5 (IANS) India's Saina Nehwal moved in to the second round of the Thailand Grand Prix Gold badminton tournament with relative ease while compatriot Arundhati Pantwane had to fight hard in the opening round of women's singles event here Wednesday.
New Delhi, June 4 (ANI): With Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed warning the political leadership of Islamabad not to renew friendly ties with New Delhi, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid has said India would like to engage with elected governments in Pakistan rather than respond to statements made by non-state actors.
London, June 4 (ANI): Thailand through its milk campaign has urged its citizens to drink at least one glass of cow's milk everyday to augment their growth and extend life expectancy.
New Delhi, June 3 (ANI): Defence Minster A.K. Antony is on a four-day three nation official visit to Singapore, Australia, and Thailand beginning on Monday.
Bangkok, June 1 (IANS) Thailand and Sri Lanka have agreed to expand bilateral and multilateral cooperation on religion, trade and investment, and education, Xinhua reported Saturday.
Tokyo, June 1 (ANI): Ebara Refrigeration Equipment and Systems Co. Ltd. (ERS), a subsidiary of Ebara Corporation has ventured into the chillers business in Thailand by establishing a new business enterprise Ebara Thermal Systems (Thailand) Co. Ltd. on April 1, 2013.
New Delhi, May 31 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday said his great regret as prime minister was that many bills had not been passed due to the "obstructionist" and "impatient" attitude of the opposition.
New Delhi, May 31 (IANS) The Indian trio of Manan Chandra, Brijesh Damani and Alok Kumar thrashed Iran 3-0 to emerge champions in the inaugural Asian Team Snooker Championships held at Doha, in Qatar.
On Board PM's Special Aircraft, May 31 (IANS) Describing his visits to Japan and Thailand as "highly successful", Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday said India's "Look East" policy could benefit the northeastern states to a great extent.
On Board PM's Special Aircraft, May 31 (IANS) There was no decision on a visit to neighbouring Pakistan despite an invitation from the Pakistan government, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said here Friday.
On Board PM's Special Aircraft, May 31 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday said his great regret as prime minister was that many bills had not been passed due to the "obstructionist" and "impatient" attitude of the opposition.
Mumbai, May 31 (ANI): Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar has described recent developments in Indian cricket over the last fortnight - the spot-fixing charges against three Rajasthan Royals players and betting charges against top Chennai Super Kings official Gurunath Meiyappan - as "shocking and disappointing".
On Board PM's Special Aircraft, May 31 (IANS) There are no permanent allies in politics and no permanent enemies either, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Friday.
On Board PM's Special Aircraft, May 31 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday said his great regret as prime minister was that many bills had not been passed due to the "obstructionist" and "impatient" attitude of the opposition.
On Board PM's Special Aircraft, May 31 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Friday he was considering expanding the cabinet.
Bangkok, May 31 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh left for India Friday, concluding his two-day visit to Thailand. He will reach New Delhi Friday afternoon.
Bangkok, May 30 (IANS) Emphasizing that India and Thailand stand to benefit from increased trade, the prime ministers of both countries Thursday directed their respective commerce ministers to work out the India-Thailand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) "at the earliest".
Bangkok, May 30 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh could not meet Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej Thursday as the monarch is indisposed and hospitalised.
Bangkok, May 30 (ANI): The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, on Thursday said India and Thailand will together work to promote regional economic integration and connectivity, and the evolution of an open, balanced and rule-based regional architecture, anchored in ASEAN centrality.
Bangkok, May 30 (IANS) Marking an end to over two decades of tiring negotiations, India and Thailand finally inked an extradition treaty that will pave the way for extradition of those involved in terror and other crimes in both countries.
New Delhi, May 30 (ANI): Defence Minster A.K. Antony will be making a three-nation official visit to Singapore, Australia, and Thailand from June 3 to 6.
Bangkok, May 30 (ANI): Noting that institutional links between the two countries are progressing very well, India and Thailand on Thursday welcomed the increase in direct university to university collaboration and progress in the realisation of the shared goal of making the modern Nalanda University an international institution of excellence.
Bangkok, May 30 (ANI): India and Thailand have reiterated their strong support for the ongoing reform of the United Nations and its principal organs with a view to making the United Nations more democratic, transparent and efficient so that it can deal more effectively with the myriad challenges of the contemporary world.
New Delhi, May 30 (IANS) Defence Minister A.K. Antony will embark on an official visit to Singapore, Australia and Thailand June 3 to discuss India's bilateral defence cooperation with the three countries, an official release said Thursday.
Bangkok, May 30 (ANI): India and Thailand have agreed to strengthen cooperation in the field of counter terrorism and intelligence sharing through expedited follow-up of each other's requests for legal assistance.
Bangkok, May 30 (ANI): In order to further create a supportive atmosphere for trade and investment promotion as well as to facilitate travel of business persons of both countries, India and Thailand have agreed to provide fast track business visa service to the qualified entrepreneurs of each other's countries.
Bangkok, May 30 (ANI): India and Thailand on Thursday signed the extradition treaty, which provides the legal framework for seeking extradition of fugitive offenders, including those involved in terrorism, transnational crimes, economic offences etc.
Bangkok, May 30 (IANS) With Thailand expressing its interest in India's defence industry and the Indian defence minister scheduled to visit Thailand next month, defence ties between both the countries are likely to get stronger.
Bangkok, May 30 (IANS) Emphasizing that both countries stand to benefit from increased trade, the prime ministers of India and Thailand Thursday directed their respective ministers to work out the India-Thailand Free Trade Agreement "at the earliest".
Bangkok, May 30 (ANI): Asserting that the cooperation between the two nations is growing in multiple dimensions and each area holds enormous potential, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on Thursday said Thailand was also the springboard for India's engagement with Southeast and East Asia and remains the vital link in our Look East Policy and our strategic partnership with ASEAN.
Bangkok, May 30 (IANS) The much awaited extradition treaty between India and Thailand was signed Thursday, paving the way for extradition of those involved in terrorism and other crimes in both countries.
Johannesburg, May 30 (ANI): Bangkok, the transport hub has been touted as the first Asian city to be the world's most popular air travel destination according to a ranking by the MasterCard Index of Global Destination Cities.
Bangkok, May 30 (ANI): The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, arrived here on Thursday afternoon on a two-day official visit to Thailand.
Bangkok, May 30 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived here Thursday on a two-day official visit to Thailand.
Bangkok, May 30 (IANS) Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will pay official visits to Sri Lanka and Maldives from Friday to Sunday, the foreign ministry said.
Bangkok, May 30 (IANS) Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived here on a two-day official visit Thursday.
Hanoi, May 30 (IANS) The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has officially awarded the finals of the 2014 women's Asian Cup to Vietnam, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) announced here.
Beijing, May 30 (IANS) Japan's hope to encircle China is just an illusion, said a state-run Chinese daily Thursday as Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh concluded his Tokyo trip and flew out to Thailand.
Tokyo, May 30 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday concluded his three-day visit to Japan. He will arrive in Bangkok later in the afternoon.
London, May 29 (IANS) A 76-year-old retired NASA official who served on the Apollo Navigation Team has been found dead with a rope around his neck and genitals inside a home in Thailand, a British daily reported Wednesday.
Tokyo, May 27 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh landed in Tokyo Monday saying that there were "enormous potentialities" for Indo-Japan relations.
Tokyo, May 27 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday landed in Tokyo for the first leg of a five-day tour that will also take him to Thailand.
New Delhi, May 27 (ANI): Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on Monday said that he proposed to invigorate India's relations with Japan in the political, security and energy spheres.
New Delhi, May 27 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh left for Japan and Thailand Monday morning on a five-day visit during which he will attend a bilateral summit with Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe and also meet his Thailand's premier Yingluck Shinawatra.
New Delhi, May 27 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday, in statement before his departure on a three-day visit to Japan, said that he proposed to invigorate India's relations with Japan in the political, security and energy spheres.
New Delhi, May 25 (ANI): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will undertake a five-day official visit to Japan and Thailand from Monday.
Bangkok, May 25 (IANS/AKI) An Italian national, suspected of defrauding Italian lenders of over $8 million, has been arrested in Thailand and will be deported to his country, Thai police said.
New Delhi, May 24 (IANS) Civil nuclear cooperation talks will be high on the agenda, besides economic and regional and international issues, when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh goes to Japan on a three-day visit Monday to attend the postponed bilateral summit.
Bangkok, May 24 (IANS) Five Thai soldiers were killed and one was injured in a roadside bomb explosion in a Thai province of Pattani Friday. The rangers were returning to their base in their pick-up truck after duty at a Buddhist temple.
London, May 23 (ANI): Petra Nemcova has gone bra-less in sheer lace lingerie as she made a spectacular return to modelling.
Bangkok, May 22 (IANS) Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will pay an official visit to Thailand from May 30 to 31, the Thai foreign ministry announced here Wednesday.
Beijing, May 21 (IANS) A total of 812 drug crime suspects have been arrested as part of a joint anti-drug campaign launched by China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand on the trans-boundary river of Mekong, Xinhua reported.
New Delhi, May 18 (ANI): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is slated to pay official visit to Japan from May 27 to 29 and to the Kingdom of Thailand on May 30 and 31.
Thrissur (Kerala), May 18 (IANS) The festivities and fireworks at the Thrissur Pooram festival have stunned two US-based filmmakers who are making a movie on pyrotechnics across the globe. They have termed it as one of the most amazing display they have ever witnessed.
New Delhi, May 17 (IANS) An ever-increasing number of Indians want to indulge in adventure tourism but are deterred by high costs and lack of trust in operators managing such activities in the country, a survey revealed Friday.
Singapore, May 17 (IANS) Singapore's non-oil domestic exports, a key gauge of the trade hub's export performance, fell by 1 percent year-on-year in April, trade promotion agency International Enterprise Singapore said Friday.
Panaji, May 17 (IANS) When Goa Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar travels to Israel next month, he will be hoping to persuade its tour and travel companies to add the popular beach tourism-oriented state to their itineraries.
Bangkok, May 15 (IANS) Enhanced Thai-Bangladeshi cooperation will double their trading volume to $1.7 billion in the next three years, the Thai commerce minister said Wednesday.
New Delhi, May 14 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh goes to Japan May 27-29 for the annual bilateral summit with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during which nuclear energy cooperation will be high on the agenda. He will then go to Thailand at the invitation of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
New Delhi, May 14 (ANI): The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, will pay a three-day official visit to Japan beginning on May 27 at the invitation of his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe.
Paris, May 14 (IANS) Eighteen-year-old debutante Hu Limei of China took only 11 minutes to beat Haliti Ilirjana of Kosovo in the first round of qualifying at the World Table Tennis Championships here.
Chennai, May 13 (IANS) India's largest tyre manufacturer MRF has joined forces with Czech car maker Skoda to enter a two-car team in the six-round 2013 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC).
New Delhi, May 12 (IANS) India's first gems bourse is coming up in Jaipur at an initial investment of Rs.50 crore (Rs 500 million/9 milllion USD) to facilitate organised trading of gem stones that would garner a sizeable business from abroad.
Thiruvananthapuram, May 12 (IANS) Neera, a coconut water-based non-alcoholic drink, is awaiting the Kerala government's nod to become a money spinner for coconut farmers in the state.
Tokyo, May 7 (ANI): Life is back to normal after two years of the devastating earthquake and Tsunami that hit East Japan on March 11, 2011, and this can be seen in the revival of several business enterprises.
New Delhi, May 5 (IANS) Pakistan may be headed for a real crisis, with Islamists openly targeting secular forces and the Pakistan Army unwilling to combat Islamic zealots, says a strategic year book.
Kuala Lumpur, May 3 (IANS) Top seed P.V. Sindhu of India stormed into the Malaysia Open Grand Prix Gold final defeating Thailand's Sapsiree Taerattanachai at the Juara Indoor Stadium here Friday.
Moscow, May 3 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Ukraine has been designated the world's top violator of intellectual property rights in a new report by US Trade Representative (USTR). India and Pakistan are also in the list.
Thiruvananthapuram, May 2 (IANS) Excitement is mounting at the famed tourist destination of Kovalam as it gets ready to host the first ever surfing and stand-up paddle competition to be held over three days starting Friday. The event has been named as the Spice Coast Open.
Colombo, May 2 (IANS) Pakistan has now eased tariffs on three commodities it directly imports from Sri Lanka, the industry and commerce ministry said Thursday.
New Delhi, May 1 (IANS) Owing to its rich culture and heritage, India is one of the top tourism destinations in Asia, a survey by CNN has said.
Kuala Lumpur, April 29 (IANS) India's S.S.P. Chowrasia believes he is getting closer to a first Asian Tour victory outside of his country after a strong showing at the Ballantine's championship in South Korea last week.
London, April 29 (ANI): Scientists have identified new drug-resistant strains of the parasite that causes malaria.
Bangkok, April 29 (IANS) At least five people were killed and 45 injured, five of them seriously, when a bridge collapsed in Thailand's central province of Ayutthaya Sunday evening, local media reported.
Jakarta, April 25 (IANS) English Premier League side Liverpool is scheduled to visit Indonesia in mid July this year to play a friendly match with Indonesian national football team, Liverpool senior officials said here Thursday.
Beijing, Apr. 25 (Xinhua-ANI): ASEAN leaders Thursday reaffirmed their full support for all efforts to bring about the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the early resumption of the Six-party Talks.
Geneva, April 25 (IANS/EFE) The BASELWORLD 2013 watch and jewellery trade show opens this week in the Swiss city of Basel, where more than 2,000 exhibitors from 45 countries, including India, will showcase their wares.
London, April 24 (IANS) A British businessman has been found guilty of selling "golf ball finders" worth $20 for $40,000 apiece as "bomb detectors" to countries in the war zone, including Pakistan. He made $75 million during the Iraq war alone, a court was told.
New Delhi, April 21 (IANS) A history lesson at the War Remnants museum in Ho Chi Minh city in Vietnam, adventure sports in South Africa for an adrenaline rush or taking a dip in the crystal clear waters of Krabi in Thailand. An ever increasing number of Indians are exploring offbeat destinations around the world with rise in disposable incomes and lifestyle changes, travel experts say.
