NEW Land of Smile Ass

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GEOGRAPHYANDTHEPEOPLE


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Today, the people of Thailand share a rich ethic diversity -mainly of Mon, Khmer, Tai, Chinese, Malay, Laotian, andIndian stock - with the result that there is no typically Thai

physiognomy or physique. There are petite Thais, statuesqueThai, round faced Thais, dark-skinned Thais, and light-skinnedThais.

Their people are called thai

Languages

The major language of Thailand is of course Thai. Thesecondary language is Chinese. Many of the merchants inThailand are Chinese. Few of the people speak both oranything else except for the tourists.

The main unit of currency used in Thailand is the baht. One

baht is equal to 3.9 cents. This is what it was called since1912. Before then the name for a baht was tical. 100 satangsequal 1 baht or 1 tical.


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FAMOUSPLACES

Samut Songkhram (63 km) highlights King Rama IIMemorial Park and Amphawa Floating Market.

Wat Phra Keow also known as Temple of the EmeraldBuddha. This is the most important and sacred temple

in Bangkok. Visitors are expected to act with respectwhen inside the temples.

Wat Po/Wat Phra

This is the oldest and largest temple in Bangkok. This

temple became famous due to its huge gold platedreclining Buddha which is 48 meters long and 15 metershigh. Its feet and its eyes are engraved with mother ofpearl decoration.
http://www.thaiwaysmagazine.com/thai_article/2207_samut_songkhram/samut_songkhram.htmlhttp://www.thaiwaysmagazine.com/thai_article/2207_samut_songkhram/samut_songkhram.htmlhttp://www.thaiwaysmagazine.com/thai_article/2207_samut_songkhram/samut_songkhram.htmlhttp://www.thaiwaysmagazine.com/thai_article/2207_samut_songkhram/samut_songkhram.html


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SAMUTSONGKHRAM


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WAT PHRA KEOW /TEMPLEOFTHE EMERALDBUDDHA


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WAT PO/WAT PHRA


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TEMPLEOFTHE EMERALD BUDDHA


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THE PATTAYA FESTIVALIN APRILISAWEEK-LONGNON-STOPCARNIVAL

FEATURINGFLORALFLOATPARADES, BEAUTYCONTESTSANDFIREWORKDISPLAYS. ONEOF THAILAND'SMOSTCOLORFULWATERFESTIVALSISTHERUB BUA (RECEIVINGTHE LOTUS) FESTIVAL, CELEBRATEDINLATE OCTOBER

AT BANG PHLI, JUSTSOUTHOF BANGKOK.


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WAT THAMMIKKARATGREATBLESSINGS: BEINGTHEBELOVED, GOODHEALTH


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WAT YAI CHAI MONGKHONVICTORYOVERENEMIES, FORGIVENESSANDBEINGTHEBELOVED


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THE VIHARAOF PHRA MONGKHON BOPHITPROSPERITYINTRADE, SUCCESSINONE'SJOB


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WAT NAKHON LUANGBEINGTHEBELOVED, STRONGHEALTH, SAFETYFROMALLWEAPONS


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WAT NA PHRA MANEPROSPERITY, BEINGTHEBELOVED


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RELIGION

Buddhist 94.6%, Muslim 4.6%, Christian 0.7%, other0.1%

Thailand protects religious liberty, even though thenational religion is Buddhism and most Thais areBuddhist. The people of Thailand are free to worshipand profess any religion as long as it doesn't go against"good morals," public order or a person's civic duties.

This is written in the Constitution of the Kingdom ofThailand, Section 25, along with the statement that"every person shall be protected from any act by theState, which is derogatory to his right or detrimental to hisdue benefits on the ground of professing a religion,...denomination, ...tenet, ...or exercising a form of worshipin accordance with his belief which is different from thatof others.


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CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS

CultureThailand's culture is about more than music and paintings. Itarises from a complex system of mutual respect andpoliteness that binds the country's people together.

Khon(Thai: ) is the most stylised form of Thai dance. It isperformed by troupes of non-speaking dancers, the storybeing told by a chorus at the side of the stage. Choreographyfollows traditional models rather than attempting to innovate.

Muay Thai (Thai: , RTGS: Muai Thai, IPA: [majtj]) is ahard martial art from Thailand. It is similar to otherIndochinese styles of kickboxing, Muay Thai is Thailand'snational sport.

Thai massage is also called Thai yoga massage, because thetherapist uses his or her hands, knees, legs, and feet to moveyou into a series of yoga-like stretches. Many people say Thaimassage is like doing yoga without any work.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choirhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stage_(theatre)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choreographyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Thai_General_System_of_Transcriptionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPAhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPAhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPAhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPAhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPAhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_martial_arthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thailandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indochinahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indochinahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thailandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_martial_arthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPAhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPAhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPAhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPAhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPAhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Thai_General_System_of_Transcriptionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choreographyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stage_(theatre)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choirhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_language


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Respectfully YoursThai culture evolves largely around Buddhism and respect for seniority, whetherin terms of age, status or wealth. However, monks receive absolute deferenceand it is common to see healthy young monks sitting on buses while elderlypassengers stand.

Paying Your WaySeniority is complex and involves unwritten obligations. For example, a managerdining with her staff will automatically pay the bill, regardless of the ages of thosepresent. Some visitors find this unfair. A common assumption in Thailand is thatforeigners are rich and should therefore pay higher prices than locals; hence thetwo-tiered pricing system seen at many tourist attractions.

A Wai Goes a Long Way!A traditional greeting is the wai, made by pressing the fingers and palms togetherat chest level while slightly bowing the head. The wai serves several functions:saying hello, showing respect to a senior and asking forgiveness. A wai is alwaysreturned, unless it is from a child.

Keeping it InsideKeeping calm is important, and outward displays of anger are unwelcome.People generally overlook minor misdeeds, and even major offences are dealt

with as discreetly as possible. Patience is a virtu


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DO:

Always be respectful about Buddhism. Dress correctly in Temples

(wear sleeves, do not wear short pants etc.). Don't sit on Buddhaimages if you want to be photographed. Sit before the image then.That is perfectly all right. You will insult Thai people deeply if youoffend Buddhism in these ways.

Always speak respectfully about HM The King and HM The Queen.They are respected deeply by the Thai people and not withoutreason! The King is the initiator of many programs to replace opiumculture by vegetable culture and you find "Royal Projects" all over theCountry (especially in the North) where you can see the results ofthis work.

Always be respectful to the elderly, in every situation. If you arebargaining at the market with a seller who is obviously older than youare, or if you are bargaining with a tuk-tuk driver who is older thanyou, do this in a polite way, with a smile on your face and don't berude. (Apart from being considered to be a polite person, as a bonusyou will see the result in the price!)


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Take your shoes off before entering a Thai house, if youare invited to visit somebody in his/her home. Do thesame at other places where the Thai people do so too(for instance before entering beauty salons, hairdressers etc.). It is very common to see something like

shown on the picture below when you enter a Thaihouse.

Have some patience when you have to do business inan bank or in a post office. Sometimes you will have towait for a long time, but the Thais are accustomed to

that and will find your behavior quite badly if youbecome impatient. Just relax and wait for your turn! Thepicture below was taken in a Post Office. If you just haveto buy some stamps, you may have to wait like thepeople on the photograph!


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DONT

- point at people or things with your feet. This is considered ashighly impolite, as the feet are considered as the most inferiorparts of the human body. And do not sit on the floor of aTemple with your feet pointing at the Buddha Image!

- touch the heads of children, even if you may see this as a formof caressing. The head is considered as the most superior part of

the body, and touching this part is not a privilege for foreigners! - be too familiar in public, even if you are married. So don't kiss in

public, don't walk with your arms around each other. Thesethings are considered very impolite in Thailand.

- shout in public (to anybody). If you want to argue with your wifeor with your children, do this in the privacy of your hotel room and

not in public! You will loose much of your respect if you do thingslike this in public. You will -for the same reason- loose much ofyour respect if you find you should punish your children in public.


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think that Thai women are "easily available". Though around 1% of thefemale population is working in the sex industry, this also means that99% is not working there! You can get yourself in big trouble if you

offend a woman in this way. Her husband may find he should takerevenge, which could be very unpleasant for you.

- take any packages through Thai customs for anybody! If you arecaught carrying drugs, you risk the death penalty or life in prison. Andprisons in Thailand are not exactly like the Hilton. Apart from that, youcan hardly expect a milder punishment than life in prison. So bewarned!

- buy any precious stones on the streets. If you are familiar with pricesyou can buy them in (large) shops. That will normally be safe, but -again- be sure you don't pay too much. If you buy precious stones in thestreet against this advice and regret it afterwards (which will be the casein 99% of the cases), go to the Tourist Police! They know how to handlethis and they do it well. (Or call 1155 for the Tourist Police)

- accept any offers from strangers to assist you in finding the right placesto do your shopping. They will get a commission from the shops theytake you to and you will be the person who pays for that commission (inthe price you pay).


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Accept any introduction to participate in any form of gambling. Gamblingis against the law in Thailand and penalties are severe!

Get involved in prostitution in Thailand. You do not only put your healthat serious risk, but the chance of getting robbed is very real. And apart

from these dangers for yourself, give it a thought that having "budget"sex in a developing country like Thailand is very unfair towards thepeople involved.

Buy bus, tickets from anyone, except from an official at a bus terminal.The bus you buy your ticket for elsewhere might never be leaving or inthe best case you will pay too much. If you use a Travel Agency fortickets (or other services), make sure they are licensed by the TourismAuthority of Thailand (TAT). Of course the Travel Agencies in hotels canbe trusted and are licensed.

Call a waiter or waitress with the fingers of your hand pointing upward.This is considered to be very impolite. (It will make a similar impressionas if you put your middle finger up to somebody at home). Put your handup, but with your fingers pointing downward (or make a fist, if you prefer

that or if you don't understand what I mean here). Finish the dishes when you are having dinner with Thai friends in a

restaurant. Your Thai friends will keep ordering more, until you leavesomething on your dish, so that they can clearly see that you have hadenough!


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SOCIAL SYSTEM

The most frequent narrative subjects for paintingswere or are: the Jataka stories, episodes from thelife of the Buddha, the Buddhist heavens and hells,and scenes of daily life.

They were brightly colored clothing normally madein silk. They only wear them to special occasionsthough. In everyday life they normally wearWestern style clothing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jatakahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddhahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavenshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavenshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddhahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jataka


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THE JTAKA TALES-REFERTOAVOLUMINOUSBODYOFFOLKLORE-LIKE

LITERATURECONCERNINGTHEPREVIOUSBIRTHS (JTI) OFTHE BUDDHA.


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FAMOUS DANCES

Likeh

Likeh, containing elements of pantomime,comic folk opera, and social satire, is generallyperformed against a simply painted backdropduring temple fairs. Its court-derived stories are

embellished with local references andanecdotesNang and HunTwo other dramatic forms are the Nang Yai

shadow plays and Hunmarionettes. Intricatelyfashioned cowhide figures are held against aback-lit white screen.


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KHONDANCETHEKHONMASKEDDRAMADRAWSITSSTORYLINEFROMTHE RAMAKIAN,THE THAIVERSIONOFTHE INDIANEPIC RAMAYANA. KHONPERFORMANCESARECHARACTERISEDBYVIGOROUS, HIGHLY-FORMALIZEDACTION.

LAKHON


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L SIMPLESTOFALLINFORMANDPRESENTATIONISLAKHONCHATRIWHICHCANBESEENATSHRINESWHENDANCERSAREHIREDBYTHOSEWHOSE

WISHESHAVEBEENGRANTEDTOPERFORMFORTHESHRINEDEITY. LAKHONNAIISGRACEFUL, ROMANTICANDHIGHLYSTYLIZED. PLAYSWERE

ORIGINALLYPRESENTEDONLYINTHEPALACE.

R M


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RAM MUAYTHERAMMUAYISA MUAY THAIBOXINGDANCETHATPRECEDESEVERYMUAY THAIMATCH. ITISAFORMOFWAIKRUANDISAWAYFOR MUAY THAIBOXERSTOSHOWRESPECTTOTHEIRTEACHERS. ITSERVESASAGRACEFUL

EXPRESSIONOFTHESPECIALRELATIONSHIPBETWEENA MUAY THAIBOXERANDHISTRAINER.


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FOOD

Everybody knows the famous food of Thailand, which is a mixof spicy and sour tastes.

Rice is the basic aliment in Thailand. Rice is eaten with mostdishes. The word "to eat" in Thai language is "KIN KHAO"(), which means "to eat rice".

During a Thai meal, all the food is served together. No entre,main dish and dessert like in westerner countries. Meals areeaten together and shared. In most cases, Thai people don'teat dessert. Dessert (fruits, cakes) are eaten when going outfor a walk. All food in the plate shall be eaten. Thai peopledon't like to waste food, especially rice.

Thai food is famous for its small pimento ("PHRIK KHI NOO"-). Some are red, green and most of times pimento are cutin slices. Most people think they can get rid of the "spicy" tasteby drinking water. That is false. A good way is to eat rice.


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FOODS


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THE GIANT! (MURALAT WAT PHRA KAEW)


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Documents

NEW Land of Smile Ass