The Kingdom of Thailand is an independent country in Southeast Asia. To its north lies Laos and Burma; to its east, Laos and Cambodia; to its south, the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia; and to its west, the Andaman Sea and Burma. Its capital and largest city is Bangkok.

Thailand is the world's 50th largest country in terms of land area, whilst it is the world's 28th largest country in terms of population. It is comparable in terms of population to countries such as France and United Kingdom, and is similar in land area to France and California, United States.

The Thai language is Thailand's official language.

The culture of Thailand incorporates a great deal of influence from India, China, Cambodia, and the rest of Southeast Asia. Like most Asian cultures, respect towards ancestors and elders are an essential part of Thai spiritual practices. Thais have a strong sense of hospitality and generosity, but also a strong sense of social hierarchy. Seniority is an important concept in Thai culture. Elders have by tradition ruled in family decisions or ceremonies.

Thailand has one of the longest monarchies in history.

Agricultural products include: rice, cassava, rubber, corn, sugarcane, coconuts and soybeans.

Major trading partners: U.S., Japan, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan.

The Flag

The flag of Thailand shows five horizontal stripes in the colours red, white, blue, white and red, with the middle blue stripe being twice as wide as each of the other four. The three colours red-white-blue stand for nation-religion-king, an unofficial motto of Thailand.

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Did you know Thailand is the world’s biggest exporter of rice, exporting about 6.5 million tons of rice annually?