Study, Work or Volunteer in Thailand

The Kingdom of Thailand is located in the Southeast Asian region and a lies closely to Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia and Myanmar. Bangkok is the nation’s capital and largest city as well. Its official language is Thai. The type government is constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. Thailand has a total of 75 provinces and each province is divided into districts. There are all in all 877 districts as of 2006. In terms of land area, Thailand ranks 50th in the world with an area of 514,000 sq. km (198,000 sq. mi). As of December 2007, Thailand’s population ranks 20th in the world with a total of 63 million.

Thailand is a newly developed country. Before the 1997 Asian crisis, it has one of the world’s highest growth rates with an average of 9%. Due to its strong export performance, it began its recovery in 1998. Its GDP is $519.9 billion (21st) and per capita is $8,000 (69th) by the end of 2007.

Based on the latest census which was in 2000, 95% of Thais are Buddhists; while Muslim is the nation’s second largest religious group. Theravada Buddhism has great influence in Thai culture. Also, foreign influence particularly from Cambodia, India, China and other Southeast Asian neighbors have contributed to Thailand’s traditions. The wai, a traditional Thai greeting that is demonstrated by pressing the hands together with the fingertips pointing upward while the head is bowed, is still very much alive and also quite popular amongst foreigners. Thai cuisines are also known around the globe for its flavors and spices. Like most Asian countries, rice is still part of every meal.