Thailand, former Kingdom of Siam, has blown the imagination of millions of people who enjoyed with countless films shot in the country. It is a tourist destination in Asia of first magnitude that is worth visiting, both to know its culture and to contemplate the magnificent natural scenes throughout the country. Join us to know 30 Curiosities of Thailand , the ancient and enigmatic kingdom of Siam.
Curiosities of Thailand
Thailand, in Southeast Asia, is a constitutional monarchy under a military dictatorship that has its capital in the city of Bangkok. In the country live more than 65 million people and ranks number 20 among the most populated in the world. We have divided these 30 curiosities of Thailand into sections for easy reading. Join us to discover this wonderful place of Asia !
Curiosities of Thailand Geographical and political
1. Thai It was formerly known as Siam. In 1939 it took the name of Prathet Thai which translated means "free country" or "country of freedom". Thai is the name of the majority ethnic group in Thailand. Prathet Thai passed to English as Thailand, "land of thai" and to Spanish as Thailand.
2. Among the curiosities of Thailand that make it different from other countries in the area is that it was never colonized by the European powers.
3. Thailand is the world's leading exporter of orchids and you can find more than 1,500 varieties of this flower.
4. Thailand is the homeland of the largest snake in the world: the reticulated python.
5. In Thailand live the smallest mammal, the bumblebee bat, and also the largest fish: the whale shark.
6. The Siamese cats They are originally from Thailand and were preferred by the monarchy of the country.
7. In Thailand there are several places declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Among them Ayutthaya, Sukhothai or the archaeological site of Ban Chiang.
8. The illegal breaking or stepping on the currency of the country and it is not for its value, but because it carries the image of the king.
9. The figure known as Garuda, half man and half eagle that comes from the Indian epic Ramayana, is the national symbol of Thailand.
10. Another of the curiosities of Thailand that maybe you did not know: it is the cradle of the popular drink Red Bull
11. The term Siamese twins comes from the brothers Chang and Eng, natives of Thailand and who were born stuck, being exhibited all over the world.
12. In Thailand you can find public restrooms for transgender males along with those of conventional men and women. They are known as pink baths.
Thai food
13. In the streets of the cities you will find many positions of Thai food . In addition to typical Thai recipes you can find barbecued pork skewers, fried crickets, ice cream sandwiches or banana pancakes, among many other varieties of Thai cuisine .
14. It is considered that Thai food It is one of the tastiest in the world. Although for some the mixture of sweet, acid and spicy present in the Thailand food It can be "surprising".
15. One of the fruits consumed in Thailand is the durian. Its smell is stinky and very similar to sulfur, but its flavor is soft and creamy. It is forbidden to consume it on public transport.
Thai culture
16. Among the customs of Thailand what is most surprising is the celebration of the new year between April 12 and 15 at a large party called Songkran.
17. The Thai culture , religious and superstitious at the same time has many rituals for these dates among which the "water party" . Starting from the Buddhist ritual of the annual blessing of water, a ritual of good luck that eliminates the sins of the previous year, a great and playful battle of water takes place.
18. The Thai culture It is deeply rooted in Buddhism. That's why it's not surprising that one of the customs of Thailand be that the children spend some time, which can be from a few weeks to years, as novice monks in some temple.
19. The monarchy is deeply respected in the Thai culture . However, they have modernized their customs and the taboos that surrounded them and that led to the tragic events that we relate in the post: The absurd taboo that killed Queen Sunanda of Thailand.
Giraffe women
One of the aspects of the Thai culture what impresses visitors the most is the town of giraffe women . Here you have some curiosities about them.
20. Currently the number of Giraffe women it barely exceeds a hundred.
21. Golden copper rings are a symbol of wealth and distinction and can weigh more than 10 kilos.
22. The rings worn by Giraffe women They do not lengthen the neck but push it down to the clavicle and the cavity of the ribs, which gives the impression that the neck has been stretched.
Cities of Thailand
23. The largest of the cities of Thailand It is your capital: Bangkok . In it live 8.5 million people and his name means "city of angels." The rest of the cities of Thailand , except for the City of Nonthaburi, they do not reach 200,000 inhabitants.
24. In most of the cities of Thailand You will also find Thai food stalls, fresh fruit vendors ... prices in Thailand of the fruit are very economical.
25. Bangkok is not only the most visited of the cities of Thailand , but it is ... the city in the world that receives the most visitors !, above London or Paris.
Language of Thailand
26. The language of Thailand It's Thai It is a very curious language since it has 44 consonants and 32 vowels. But the most important thing about the Thai language is the "tone". There are 6 different tones that are critical for its pronunciation.
27. For example in the thailand language the word "mai" can mean "no", "wood", "new", "burn" or "silk" depending on the intonation we give you. -
Elephants Thailand
28. The elephant is the national animal of Thailand. Although currently it is believed that there are little more than 5,000 copies.
29. In addition to the strenuous labor camps for elephants on the border with Myanmar (Burma), there are many places for tourists in which elephants in Thailand They live in terrible conditions. However there are several organizations that are creating sanctuaries for these intelligent animals.
30. The last of the curiosities of Thailand It has to do with elephants and sports: Thailand and India are the only places in the world where polo is played with elephants.
We hope you have been interested in these curiosities of Thailand . Do you know any more? Share it with us!