Thailand is one of the most popular destinations in Asia for tourists and backpackers alike. Many are drawn to the idyllic beaches, islands and tropical waters of Southern Thailand, inspiration for both party-goers and Hollywood films, though the perfect deserted beach is likely to remain a myth. However there's more to Thailand than sun and sand. In the northern mountains around the city of Chiang Mai, the country's rich cultural heritage can be explored, by trekking to villages of the numerous hill tribes who live in the area, exploring the hundreds of temples in the area, or taking a Thai cooking class. Elsewhere the remains of the Kingdom of Siam can be explored at Ayutthaya and Sukhothai whilst remote wildlife reserves off the chance to see endangered species in beautiful locations. Explore in depth highlights of Thailand.
| Tours | Unesco WHS | Guidebooks |
|---|---|---|
| groups tours with set departures |
World Heritage Sites | country, regions and cities |
| Time zone: | GMT +7 (Southeast Asia time) | Daylight savings: None |
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| Main languages: | Thai |
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| Other languages: | English, Malay, Mandarin Chinese |
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| Currency: |
baht (THB) €1 = ฿0.00, $1 = ฿34.79, £1 = ฿46.26 (rates as of Sep 2016) |
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| Internet Domain: | .th | International Dialling Code: 66 |
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For help planning your trip to Thailand including visas, vaccinations, currency exchange, flights, accomodation and insurance, see our Thailand trip planning page.
Further information on Thailand
Discover more about Thailand - the country's geogrpahy and natural features, an assessment of its status on freedom and rights and data on the country's population and economy.
Geography & Natural Features
Total area: 514,000 sq km (2,230 sq km under water)
Coastline: 3,219 km (Andaman Sea, Gulf of Thailand)
Neighbours (border lengths): Burma (1,800km), Cambodia (803km), Laos (1,754km), Malaysia (506km)
Climate: Tropical climate with a rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon from mid-May to September and a dry, cool northeast monsoon from November to mid-March. The beaches and islands of the southern isthmus are always hot and humid.
Highest mountain: Doi Inthanon (2,576m)
Freedom & Rights
Summary status and rankings for Thailand from classifications of different organisations measuring political and economic freedom, democracy and civil rights. See more details of these rankings.
| Index | Status | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Freedom in the World | Not Free | - |
 | Democracy Index | Hybrid regime | 93/167 |
 | Economic Freedom | Moderately Free | 75/179 |
 | Press Freedom | Difficult situation | 132/179 |
 | ILGA LGBT rights | Limited rights | - |
 | Corruption Perceptions | Medium corruption | 85/174 |
| Overall Ranking: | 123/195 | ||
Other Data & Links
Full name: Kingdom of Thailand Status: Independent Country
Population: 67,741,401 (rank: 20/196) Density: 131.7 people/sq km (rank: 64/196)
Ethnic groups: Thai 75%, Chinese 14%, other 11%
Religions: Buddhist 94.6%, Muslim 4.6%, Christian 0.7%, other 0.1% (2000 census)
GDP (PPP): $673 billion GDP per capita: $9,900 (rank: 95/195)
Information derived from the CIA World Factbook. Other country profiles: BBC News.