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Thailand

Thailand is located in Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and the southern extremity of Burma.

The country is a constitutional monarchy with King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who has reigned since 1946, making him the world's longest-serving current head of state and the longest-reigning monarch in Thai history.

The region known as Thailand has been inhabited by humans since the Paleolithic period, about 10,000 years ago and was heavily influenced by the culture and religions of India.

After the fall of the Khmer Empire in the 13th century, a number of states thrived here, such as the various Tai, Mon, Khmer and Malay kingdoms. Prior to the 12th century however, the first Thai state is considered to be the Buddhist kingdom of Sukhothai, which was founded in 1238.

Following the fall of the Khmer empire in the 13th–14th century, the Buddhist Tai kingdoms of Sukhothai, Lanna and Lan Chang were rose in power. A century later, the Sukhothai were dwarfed by the kingdom of Ayutthaya in the lower Chao Phraya River area. Ayutthaya became a strong trading center with European traders arriving in the 16th century.

Ayutthaya fell in 1767 to the Burmese. King Taksin the Great moved the capital of Thailand to Thonburi for approximately 15 years. The current Rattanakosin era began in 1782 following the establishment of Bangkok as capital of the Chakri dynasty under King Rama I the Great.

In 1932, a bloodless coup was carried out by the Khana Ratsadon group, and King Prajadhipok was forced to grant the people of Siam their first constitution, thereby ending centuries of absolute monarchy.

During World War II, Thailand and Japan signed an alliance with whereby Japan agreed to help Thailand regain territories lost to the British and French. Thailand would help Japan in its war against the Allies. After the war, Thailand emerged as an ally of the United States. Over the following decades, Thailand then went through political instability and frequent coups, but eventually emerged as a stable democracy in the 1980s.

Capital: Bangkok
Largest City: Bangkok
Population: 63,723,953
Area: 198,115 sq mi
Highest Point: Doi Inthanon - 8,415 ft
Lowest Point: Sea Level
Time Zones: Pacific: UTC +7

Travel Guides (1)

Total Articles: 200 | Added today: 0

Last updated on: Feb-05-2012

Bangkok, Thailand Travel Guide
Bangkok is Thailand's capital city and the main entry point into Thailand. It is by far the largest city in Thailand and is both a fascinating and overwhelming city. It juxtaposes old and new with temples and skyscrapers, billboards and Buddhas. Added: Mar-21-2010, Hits: 1,407, Reviews: 1, Rating: 4, Votes: 1 Add To Favorites \| Add Review

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