35+ Interesting Facts About Thailand

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  1. Thailand is a country in Southeast Asia. It is located in an area known as the Indochinese peninsular or mainland Southeast Asia.
  2. The earliest known inhabitants of Thailand arrived here around 20,000 years ago. Tai people arrived here from Taiwan about 1,000 years ago.
  3. Thailand was the only country in Southeast Asia that remained independent during the western imperialism of Asia from the 15th to the 20th Century.
  4. The most expensive pet wedding was held in Thailand in 1996. The wedding cost of two ‘diamond-eyed cats’ was US$16241. (Source)
  5. The Thai capital Bangkok is the world’s most visited city. It received around 22.8 million tourists in 2018. It was the 4th consecutive year for the city to hold this top place. (Source)
  6. The full ceremonial name of Bangkok is the longest city name in the world. Its full ceremonial name has 163 letters. (Source)
  7. Thailand is officially known as the Kingdom of Thailand. The king of Thailand is the head of state. The current monarchy was established in 1782. 
  8. The constitutional monarchy replaced the absolute monarchy after the Siamese Revolution of 1932. Since 1932, Thailand has been mostly ruled by military dictators.
  9. Thailand has five types of geographical features. There are folded mountains in the north and west, a plateau in the northeast, a river basin in the center, a maritime corner, and a peninsular in the southwest.
    Satellite image of Thailand
    Thailand has several geographical features

  10. Office machine parts and cars are the top exports of Thailand. This Southeast Asian country is the world’s biggest exporter of rubber and the biggest importer of steel bars. (Source)
  11. Thailand is one of the world’s best destinations for transgender surgery. More than 2 million medical tourists visit Thailand yearly to undertake sex-reassignment surgery. The reasons behind this popularity are low cost, professional experience, and hospitality in Thailand. (Source)
  12. More than 94% of people in Thailand follow Buddhism. The only other major religion is Islam with around 5% adherents.
  13. Thailand has the second largest number of Buddhists in the world after China. Thailand also has the second-highest percentage of the Buddhist population after Cambodia, with 97%.
  14. The rank of Thailand is the best in Asia and the 6th best in the world for the Global Health Security Index (GHS). The overall score of Thailand on the GHS Index is 73.2. (Source)
  15. Thailand has the 2nd largest economy in Southeast Asia after Indonesia. According to estimates, the country will retain this position by 2028. (Source)
  16. In 2016, scientists discovered a strange fish in the caves of Thailand that can walk on land, like salamanders. Several features of this blind cavefish are different from other fish that walk out of water. (Source)
  17. Thailand is the world’s largest producer and exporter of tropical orchids. There are more than 1,000 species of orchids in this Asian country.
  18. The famous energy drink “red bull” was launched in 1984 in Austria. The founder of “red bull” got inspiration from a Thai drink that was introduced in 1976.
  19. The Thai economy remained one of the fastest in the world between 1963 and 1997. It was the result of shifting the economy from agriculture to industry.
  20. There are around 1,430 islands in Thailand. Phuket and Koh Chang are the two largest islands in this Southeast Asian country.
  21. Bhumibol Adulyadej is the 4th longest-reigning monarch in the world and the longest in Asia. He remained the King of Thailand for 70 years (1946 to 2016). (Source)
  22. The Siam-Burma Railway Bridge, commonly known as the “death railway,” was constructed between 1942 and 1947 to connect Bang Pong in Siam (now Thailand) to Thanbyuzayat in Burma (now Myanmar). Its total length is 415 km (258 mi), of which 304 km (189 mi) is in Thailand.
  23. The world’s largest solid gold structure is the Golden Buddha located in the Thai capital Bangkok. The length of this statue is 9.8 ft. (3 m), with a gold covering of 5.5 metric tons. (Source)
  24. Thai people celebrate the Buddhist New Year with water fights, known as the Songkran festival, from the 13th to the 15th of April. It is known as the world’s largest water fight. (Source)
  25. A woman in Thailand, known as “Scorpion Queen,” lived for 33 days in a glass room with 5,000 venomous scorpions in 2009. She remained alive and healthy despite being bitten by scorpions 13 times on various body parts. Her previous record was staying with 3,400 scorpions for 32 days in 2002.
  26. Various insects, bugs, and worms are easily available in Thailand as food. These insects are usually deep-fried for crispiness. Commonly available edible insects in Thailand are grasshoppers, crickets, silkworms, giant water bugs, etc.
  27. Thailand has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in Asia and the Pacific Region. 9% of HIV patients in Asia-Pacific are in Thailand. (Source)
  28. The Thai national anthem is played daily at the time of the raising and lowering of the national flag (8 am and 6 pm). In addition, the Thai royal anthem is played before every movie, play, and state event. It is necessary to stand and stay silent during both these anthems. (Source)
  29. Maha Vajiralongkorn, the current Thai king, is the world’s richest monarch. He holds up to $43 billion worth of assets. (Source)
    Thai King with a U.S. official
    Thai King is the world's richest monarch

  30. Insulting the royal family is a punishable crime in Thailand. The offenders, even foreigners, can face lengthy prison sentences.
  31. The Phuket vegetarian festival is held annually in Thailand in September or October. This festival is known for dangerous acts like body piercing and firewalking. (Source)
  32. Most of the people in Thailand have nicknames as cultural traditions. These nicknames are from parents at birth. The official name of a person is only used in formal situations. (Source)
  33. Thailand is a favorite location for Hollywood due to its scenery. Famous Hollywood films shot in Thailand include Rambo (1985, 1988, and 2008), Kickboxer (1989), Fast & Furious 9 (2021), No Escape (2015), The Beach (2000), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), and others.
  34. Thailand imposed a logging ban in 1989 to prevent deforestation. It happened after a massive loss of life and property in 1989 due to landslides. But this step has negatively impacted trade balances. (Source)
  35. The Lopburi monkey banquet festival is held yearly in Thailand on the last Sunday of November. The purpose of this festival is to feed wild monkeys.
  36. The military regime of Field Marshal Phibun Songkram changed the name of the country from Siam to Thailand on 23rd June 1939.
  37. ASEAN was established in the Thai capital Bangkok on 8th August 1967. Thailand was one of the founding members of this organization.
  38. There are 6 UNESCO world heritage sites in Thailand. Three of these are cultural, while the other 3 are natural sites. (Source)

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