Thailand has a long, rich history, which is heavily influenced by Buddhism, which accounts for the religion of about 95% of the country's population, and, too a lesser extent, Hinduism, as well as immigrants from neighboring countries like Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, and China. People in Thailand speak Thai, which has 32 vowels, 44 consonants, five tones of pronunciation, and a script that originates from India.
The wai is the accepted greeting in Thailand. This involves raising both of your hands in the air with your palms together pointing upwards in a praying position and touching yourself in the area between your chest and forehead. Besides simply being a greeting, the wai is a way to show respect. If the person with junior societal position wants to wai a person who is sitting down, he will kneel to perform the greeting.
During its history of over 800 years, Thailand has carried the distinction of never having been colonized. In fact, it's the only Southeast Asian country that has never been colonized by another nation. Thailand's history is separated into five periods, the Nanchao Period from 650-1250 A.D., the Sukhothai Period from 1238-1378 A.D., the Ayutthaya Period from 1350-1767, the Thon Buri Period from 1767-1772, and the Rattanakosin Period from 1782 to the present.
One of the most interesting locations to visit in Thailand is the town of Kanchanaburi. This is the site of the Jeath War Museum, which stands as a memorial to the veterans of the second world war. And if visiting longer make arrangements with Expedia hotels because another place you'll want to visit in Kanchanaburi is the Thungyai-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries, a repository of hundreds of different animal species and types of trees. Tigers and elephants, which make up about 70% of Thailand's wildlife, roam these sanctuaries to the delight of visitors. After enjoying these powerful creatures, delight in the abundance of beautiful birds found in the sanctuaries.
By visiting the capital city of Bangkok, you will have an opportunity to see many of Thailand's historical landmarks, the Grand Palace being the most famous. The Grand Palace is the location of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha or Wat Phra Kaew. Along the Mae Nam Chao Phraya River, the city of Thonburi is where you will find the Temple of Dawn or Wat Arun, a stunning 17th-century tribute to Aruna, the God of Dawn. The Neilson Hays Library, founded in 1869 in the city center of Bangkok, houses 20,000 books in a building showcasing astonishing Thai architecture. If you'd like to reflect on Thailand's victory in their war with Indo-China, visit the Victory Monument, a tall obelisk in the center of detailed statues of Thai soldiers, that was created in 1941. A particularly aesthetically pleasing and interesting building with an ornate facade in white and octagonal walls with figures carved in exquisite detail, the Phra Sumeru Fortress has a fantastic watchtower that makes for fantastic photo opportunities.
Even though they are located in the center of an active modern city, the temples of Thailand are some of the best to be found anywhere in Asia!
