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THAILANDThe Kingdom of Thailand is comprised of 75 provinces including Phuket, which has the dubious distinction of being Asia's most popular mass tourism destination. Roughly the size of France, the newly industrialized and rapidly developing country is mountainous in the north where the highest peak (Doi Inthanon) is 2,565 meters (8,415 feet) above sea level. The Khorat Plateau in the northeast is bordered on the east by the Mekong River. The Chao Phraya river valley in the relatively flat center of the country extends to the Gulf of Thailand. The narrow Kra Isthmus to the south, which attracts most of Thailand's 13 million annual tourist arrivals, is bordered on the west by the Andaman Sea and on the east by the Gulf of Thailand. More than just another dive trip, Thailand invites one to celebrate all of the best things in life. Long before divers arrived, sun 'n fun seekers from around the world discovered Thailand's beautiful islands and beaches, unique cultural treasures, charming and genuinely friendly people and of course the world-renowned cuisine served up in thousands of delicious variations. It's not the bargain it used to be, but it's still relatively cheap and for the price of a week in Hawaii or the Caribbean, you could spend many months in Thailand and more than few do. There are far better places to dive, other places to relax and party, but none puts it all together quite like Thailand. HISTORY From the mid-14th century until 1939, the Thai kingdom was known as Siam. Despite its long tradition of trade, first with neighbors to the west (Indian Ocean) and to the east (South China Sea), and later with the Portuguese and other European powers, Siam is the only Southeast Asian country that was never colonized. After the Japanese effectively forced the country to become an ally during World War II, Thailand sided with the U.S. during the cold war as one military coup followed another. During the 1980s, the constitutional monarchy finally stabilized and the country started to develop rapidly as a newly industrialized nation. Despite a major setback in 1997 due to the collapse of the baht, Thailand soon recovered and has regained its status as one the world's fastest growing economies. In December 2004, a huge tsunami slammed into the west coast of Thailand killing more than 5,000 people and severely damaging many coastal communities. In the days immediatly after the disaster as bodies continued to wash up on the beaches of Phuket and other tourist areas, European dive shop and resort owners launched an orchestrated attack against the media blaming news agencies for "destroying tourism in Thailand". Most recently, a bloodless coup in 2006 and increasing terrorist violence in the south by Muslim terrorists threatens Thailand's fragile democracy. WHEN TO GO The peak season is from mid-November to late March when it is relatively dry and cool and traveler-friendly. The rainy monsoon season is from late June to early November when your body will thank you for not being anywhere in or near the uncomfortable and seemingly life-treatening heat and humidity of sticky Thailand. FACTS ABOUT THAILAND - Location: Southeast Asia bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma
- Geographical coordinates: 15 00 N, 100 00 E
- Area: 514,000 sq km
- Coastline: 3,219 km
- Population: 65,493,298
- Capital: Bangkok
- Government: Constitutional monarchy
- Currency: baht (THB)
- Internet Country Code: .th
- Calling code: +66
- Weights & Measures: Metric
- Ethnic groups: Thai 75%, Chinese 14%, other 11%
- Languages: Thai, English (secondary language of the elite), ethnic and regional dialects
- Religions: Buddhist 94.6%, Muslim 4.6%, Christian 0.7%, other 0.1% (2000 census)
- Major Industries: Tourism, textiles and garments, agricultural processing, beverages, tobacco, cement, light manufacturing such as jewelry and electric appliances, computers and parts, integrated circuits, furniture, plastics, automobiles and automotive parts; world's second-largest tungsten producer and third-largest tin producer
- Agriculture: Rice, cassava (tapioca), rubber, corn, sugarcane, coconuts, soybeans
- Climate: Tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March); southern isthmus always hot and humid
- Terrain: Central plain; Khorat Plateau in the east; mountains elsewhere
- Average temp: 30°C (86°F)
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