Thailand’s Background:

Thailand has so much to catch your interest: The chaotic but fascinating capital of Bangkok is alive with commerce nearly every hour of the day. The city and country are generally quite safe, and both have decades of experience catering to business and leisure travelers.

In fact, in Bangkok, the capital, you might want to lose your way on purpose -- to discover the hidden parts of the city that you might otherwise miss.

History:

The first true Thai kingdom was established in AD 1238, though the country had been settled since 3,600 BC. The ensuing two centuries are known as the Sukhothai period, a kind of Golden Age when Thais made great contributions to writing and Theravada Buddhism and generally expanded their empire. The empire eventually fell into decline, and though it was occasionally dominated for periods by its Southeast Asian neighbors, Thailand (or Siam, as it was called then) was the only country in the region not colonized by Europeans. Perhaps because it was never a colony, the ruins of Sukhothai and other ancient Thai kingdoms are exceptionally well preserved today. Modern Thai history begins with the revolution of 1932, which shifted power from the king to a coalition of military and elected officials. In 1939, the country changed its name from Siam to Thailand. Despite its loss of power, the monarchy continues to exert enormous influence on Thai people. The current king, Rama IX, is the longest-reigning monarch in Thai history and is beloved by nearly everyone. Royal birthdays are treated as national holidays, and pictures of the king and queen can be found in most homes and many public places. The near-unanimous approval of the monarchy has lent stability to Thailand not found in some other Southeast Asian countries. That stability has helped Thailand become one of the leading countries in the region.

Climate:

The weather in Thailand is always hot and humid, although the northern highlands are generally 10 degrees F/5 C cooler. The best time to go is November-February, when the days are milder and the nights are cool. March-June is especially hot, with average high temperatures in the mid 90s F/32-35 C. Avoid mid May through October, when it's particularly humid and rainy (the streets of Bangkok flood easily).

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