The Royal Kingdom of Thailand is a country with an inspiring culture and a unique history. As one of the most developed S.E.Asian nations, Thailand has in recent years become the regions most popular tourist destination.

With the growth of travel and tourism, Thailand has also become an attractive investment opportunity with a large expat population choosing to make their home here.

Overseas investments, on both corporate level and smaller private enterprises has seen the country make giant steps forward and despite occasional political pressures has become a major player in Asian economics and the global travel industry.

Thailand is a mixture of old and new, east meets west. Blessed with golden beaches and islands in the south, stunning mountain scenery in the north and of course the "City Of Angels", Bangkok - the city that never sleeps!

Below are just a few details of Thai customs and traditions which all visitors to The Kingdom should be aware of, lest we forget that there is always a clash of cultures!

HIS MAJESTY KING RAMA IX

The Kingdom of Thailand has a highly respected Royal Family headed by His Majesty King Rama IX, the world's longest reigning monarch. Revered by his loyal subjects, respect is shown twice daily at 8.00am and again at 6.00pm in public places everywhere, with the national anthem played via loudspeakers situated everywhere and it is custom to stand up.

RELIGION

Without question, the most important aspect of every day Thai life is Buddhism with 95% of the population devout Theravada Buddhists. His Majesty the King, Buddhist as required by the constitution is the protector of all faiths.

The second largest religion is Islam (around 4%), mainly in the four most southerly provinces and there is also a small percentage of Christians who run several hospitals and schools.

Thailand has over 750,000 temples (Wat), with stunning craftsmanship decorating both interior and exterior, making these places of worship unique to any other place in the world.

TRADITIONAL THAI CULTURE

The real way to appreciate the true value of Thai society is to head away from the main tourist centers. Particularly in the North and North East (Issan) you will see "ordinary" Thai people living their daily lives.

The North - The obvious symbol of Thai culture in the North is the different hill tribes located around the provinces of Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son. The various tribes have their own unique customs and dress and are still generally wary of visitors.

The North East - The life blood of "Issan" is the Mae Klong River, or as the western world knows it, the Mekong. Isaan is the poorest region in Thailand, being mainly farming communities. Yet despite the lack of luxuries, the Issan people are among the friendliest in the Kingdom.