Bangkok is Thailand's vibrant
capital city and is where you'll
find the past, present and future
living in harmony. Known as the
~Venice of the East~ it is a
national treasure trove with its
Buddhist temples, palaces, floating
markets, gleaming skyscrapers and
legendary shopping and nightlife.
Northern Thailand offers the visitor
secluded jungle, exotic rivers,
mysterious hill tribes and unusual
temples. The North is the birthplace
of the earliest Thai civilization
and has many sites of cultural and
archaeological interest.
The city of Chiang Mai makes an excellent base for visiting ethnic tribes, soft adventure and shopping. Further north, Chiang Rai offers rafting, trekking and tours of tribal villages.
Culture of
Thailand - Arts
Thai visual art
was
traditionally
primarily
Buddhist. Thai
Buddha images
from different
periods have a
number of
distinctive
styles.
Contemporary
Thai art often
combines
traditional Thai
elements with
modern
techniques.
Literature in
Thailand is
heavily
influenced by
Indian culture.
The most notable
works of Thai
literature are a
version of the
Ramayana called
the Ramakien,
written in part
by Kings Rama I
and Rama II, and
the poetry of
Sunthorn Phu.
There is no
tradition of
spoken drama in
Thailand, the
role instead
being filled by
Thai dance. This
is divided into
three
categories- khon,
lakhon and likay-
khon being the
most elaborate
and likay the
most populist.
Nang drama, a
form of shadow
play, is found
in the south.
The music of
Thailand
includes
classical and
folk music
traditions as
well as string
or pop music.
Culture of
Thailand - Religion
Thailand is
primarily a
Theravada Buddhist
country, with
minorities of
Muslims, Christians,
Mahayana Buddhists,
and other religions.
Thai Theravada
Buddhism is divided
into two main
orders, the
Thammayut Nikaya and
the Maha Nikaya. All
Thai Buddhists are
under the legal
authority of the
Supreme Patriarch of
Thailand, currently
Somdet Phra
Nyanasamvara
Suvaddhana Mahathera.
A recent reformist
group, Santi Asoke,
is legally forbidden
to describe itself
as Buddhist.
Prior to the rise of
Theravada Buddhism,
both Indian
Brahmanic religion
and Mahayana
Buddhism was present
in Thailand.
Influences from both
these traditions can
still be seen in the
present day.
Brahmanist shrines
play an important
role in Thai folk
religion, and the
Mahayana Buddhist
influence is
reflected in the
presence of figures
like Lokesvara, a
form of the
bodhisattva
Avalokitesvara
sometimes
incorporated into
Thai iconography.
Culture of
Thailand - Cuisine
Thai cuisine is famous for the
blending of four fundamental tastes:
sweet (sugar, fruits, sweet
peppers), spicy hot (chilies), sour
(vinegar, lime juice, tamarind),
salty (soy sauce, fish sauce). Most
of the dishes in Thai cuisine try to
combine most, if not all, of these
tastes. It is accomplished by using
a host of herbs, spices and fruit,
including: chili, cumin, garlic,
ginger, basil, sweet basil, lime,
lemongrass, coriander, pepper,
turmeric and shallots.
Culture of
Thailand - Customs
One of the most distinctive Thai
customs is the wai, which is similar
to the Indian namaste gesture.
Showing greeting, farewell, or
acknowledgment, it comes in several
forms reflecting the relative status
of those involved, but generally it
involves a prayer-like gesture with
the hands and a bow of the head.
Physical demonstrations of affection
in public are common between
friends, but less so between lovers.
It is thus common to see friends
walking together holding hands, but
couples rarely do so except in
westernized areas.
A notable social norm holds that
touching someone on the head may be
considered rude. It is also
considered rude to place one's feet
at a level above someone else's
head, especially if that person is
of higher social standing. This is
because the Thai people consider the
foot to be the dirtiest and lowest
part of the body, and the head the
most respected and highest part of
the body. This also influences how
Thais sit when on the ground --
their feet always pointing away from
others, tucked to the side or behind
them. Pointing at or touching
something with the feet is also
considered rude.
It is also considered extremely rude
to step on a Thai coin, because the
king's head appears on the coin.
When sitting in a temple, one is
expected to point one's feet away
from images of the Buddha. Shrines
inside Thai residences are arranged
so as to ensure that the feet are
not pointed towards the religious
icons -- such as placing the shrine
on the same wall as the head of a
bed, if a house is too small to
remove the shrine from the bedroom
entirely.
It is also customary to remove one's
footwear before entering a home or a
temple, and not to step on the
threshold.
There are a number of Thai customs
relating to the special status of
monks in Thai society. Because of
their religious discipline, Thai
monks are forbidden physical contact
with women. Women are therefore
expected to make way for passing
monks to ensure that accidental
contact does not occur. A variety of
methods are employed to ensure that
no incidental contact (or the
appearance of such contact) between
women and monks occurs. Women making
offerings to monks place their
donation at the feet of the monk, or
on a cloth laid on the ground or a
table. Powders or ungents intended
to carry a blessing are applied to
Thai women by monks using the end of
a candle or stick. Lay people are
expected to sit or stand with their
heads at a lower level than that of
a monk. Within a temple, monks may
sit on a raised platform during
ceremonies to make this easier to
achieve.
Thailand is home to several different ethnic groups, but about 80 percent of the population belong to a group that speaks one of the Tai languages. The largest of these groups are the Thai (Siamese) and the Lao. The Thai are found throughout the nation, while the Lao are concentrated in the northeast.
