Thailand

Thailand is a country in Southeast Asia. It sits between Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Malaysia, with coasts on both the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea. About 70 million people live there. The capital and largest city is Bangkok. The country's official language is Thai, and its money is called the baht.

Thailand used to be called Siam. The name was changed to Thailand in 1939. The word "Thai" means "free" in the Thai language. Thailand is proud of a rare fact in its history: it is the only country in Southeast Asia that was never taken over by a European empire. While Britain, France, and the Netherlands colonized its neighbors, Thailand stayed independent by making careful deals with both sides.

The land is shaped a bit like an elephant's head. Mountains and forests cover the north. A wide, flat plain runs down the middle, watered by the Chao Phraya River. Rice grows well in this plain, and Thailand is one of the largest rice exporters in the world. In the south, a long narrow strip of land reaches down toward Malaysia, lined with beaches and hundreds of small tropical islands.

Thailand is a kingdom. It has a king as head of state and a prime minister who runs the government. The king is deeply respected, and his image hangs in many homes, schools, and shops. The country's politics have been rocky, however, with several military takeovers in the last hundred years.

About 93 percent of Thai people are Buddhist. Golden temples called wats stand in every city and village. Orange-robed monks walk through the streets each morning, collecting food offerings from people who want to earn good karma. Many Thai boys spend a few weeks or months living as monks when they are young.

The elephant is Thailand's national animal. Elephants once carried soldiers into battle and hauled heavy logs through the forests. Today only a few thousand wild elephants are left, and many others live in sanctuaries that care for retired working elephants.

Thai food is famous around the world. Dishes like pad thai, green curry, and tom yum soup mix sweet, sour, salty, and spicy flavors all at once. Street food stalls line the sidewalks of Thai cities, selling grilled meat, fried noodles, and fresh fruit late into the night. Millions of tourists visit Thailand every year, drawn by the beaches, the temples, and the food.