1.
Thailand
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Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand, formerly known as Siam, is a country at the centre of the Indochinese peninsula in Southeast Asia. With a total area of approximately 513,000 km2, Thailand is the worlds 51st-largest country and it is the 20th-most-populous country in the world, with around 66 million people. The capital and largest city is Bangkok, Thailand is a constitutional monarchy and has switched between parliamentary democracy and military junta for decades, the latest coup being in May 2014 by the National Council for Peace and Order. Its capital and most populous city is Bangkok and its maritime boundaries include Vietnam in the Gulf of Thailand to the southeast, and Indonesia and India on the Andaman Sea to the southwest. The Thai economy is the worlds 20th largest by GDP at PPP and it became a newly industrialised country and a major exporter in the 1990s. Manufacturing, agriculture, and tourism are leading sectors of the economy and it is considered a middle power in the region and around the world. The country has always been called Mueang Thai by its citizens, by outsiders prior to 1949, it was usually known by the exonym Siam. The word Siam has been identified with the Sanskrit Śyāma, the names Shan and A-hom seem to be variants of the same word. The word Śyâma is possibly not its origin, but a learned, another theory is the name derives from Chinese, Ayutthaya emerged as a dominant centre in the late fourteenth century. The Chinese called this region Xian, which the Portuguese converted into Siam, the signature of King Mongkut reads SPPM Mongkut King of the Siamese, giving the name Siam official status until 24 June 1939 when it was changed to Thailand. Thailand was renamed Siam from 1945 to 11 May 1949, after which it reverted to Thailand. According to George Cœdès, the word Thai means free man in the Thai language, ratcha Anachak Thai means kingdom of Thailand or kingdom of Thai. Etymologically, its components are, ratcha, -ana- -chak, the Thai National Anthem, written by Luang Saranupraphan during the extremely patriotic 1930s, refers to the Thai nation as, prathet Thai. The first line of the anthem is, prathet thai ruam lueat nuea chat chuea thai, Thailand is the unity of Thai flesh. There is evidence of habitation in Thailand that has been dated at 40,000 years before the present. Similar to other regions in Southeast Asia, Thailand was heavily influenced by the culture and religions of India, Thailand in its earliest days was under the rule of the Khmer Empire, which had strong Hindu roots, and the influence among Thais remains even today. Voretzsch believes that Buddhism must have been flowing into Siam from India in the time of the Indian Emperor Ashoka of the Maurya Empire, later Thailand was influenced by the south Indian Pallava dynasty and north Indian Gupta Empire. The Menam Basin was originally populated by the Mons, and the location of Dvaravati in the 7th century, the History of the Yuan mentions an embassy from the kingdom of Sukhothai in 1282
2.
Phetchabun Mountains
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The Phetchabun mountains are a mountain massif in Phetchabun, Phitsanulok, Loei and Chaiyaphum Provinces, Thailand. It consists of two mountain chains, with the valley of the Pa Sak River in the middle. The strange rock formations of Phu Hin Rong Kla and fields where the Siam tulip flower, known as dok krachiao in Thai, the mountain system as a whole is named after the city of Phetchabun which lies within the mountainous area. To the south and southeast lie the Dong Phaya Yen Mountains, both sections of the Phetchabun massif are parallel and of a similar length, extending in a roughly north-south direction. The western range is a prolongation of the end of the Luang Prabang Range. The eastern range separates the broad Chao Phraya river basin of central Thailand from the Khorat Plateau of Isan, the northward-flowing Loei River, a tributary of the Mekong, has its sources in the eastern range. The highest elevation of the Phetchabun mountains is 1,794 m high Phu Thap Buek, other important peaks are Khao Nam Ko Yai, Phu Kradueng, Phu Luang, Phu Ruea, and Phu Lom Lo. Geologically, the mountains consist of limestone, interfused with slate, a few igneous rocks are also found, granite, basalt and porphyry. Historically the long mountainous system of the Phetchabun-Dong Phaya Yen-Sankamphaeng formed a barrier between Isan and the Central Plain, until recently few roads crossed the system. During the period between 1968-1982 the area around 1,143 m high Khao Kho and Phu Hin Rong Kla became an occasional battleground, at that time insurgents of the Communist Party of Thailand established their base in hidden mountain locations and fought skirmishes against the Thai Army. Several protected areas, including parks, forest parks and wildlife reserves are located in these mountains. In 2005 these were accepted by the UNESCO as a future addition to the World Heritage list. Media related to Phetchabun Mountains at Wikimedia Commons Thailands National Parks - Royal Forest Department Luang Prabang montane rain forests, Phu Thap Buek - Cabbage farms
3.
Monsoon
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Usually, the term monsoon is used to refer to the rainy phase of a seasonally changing pattern, although technically there is also a dry phase. The term is sometimes used for locally heavy but short-term rains. The major monsoon systems of the world consist of the West African and Asia-Australian monsoons, the inclusion of the North and South American monsoons with incomplete wind reversal has been debated. The south-west monsoon winds are called Nairutya Maarut in India, the English monsoon came from Portuguese monção, ultimately from Arabic mawsim and/or Hindi mausam, perhaps partly via early modern Dutch monsun. Strengthening of the Asian monsoon has been linked to the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau after the collision of the Indian sub-continent and Asia around 50 million years ago. Because of studies of records from the Arabian Sea and that of the wind-blown dust in the Loess Plateau of China, testing of this hypothesis awaits deep ocean sampling by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program. The monsoon has varied significantly in strength since this time, largely linked to climate change. A study of marine plankton suggested that the Indian Monsoon strengthened around 5 million years ago, then, during ice periods, the sea level fell and the Indonesian Seaway closed. When this happened, cold waters in the Pacific were impeded from flowing into the Indian Ocean and it is believed that the resulting increase in sea surface temperatures in the Indian Ocean increased the intensity of monsoons. Five episodes during the Quaternary at 2.22 Ma,1.83 Ma,0.68 Ma,0.45 Ma and 0.04 Ma were identified which showed a weakening of Leeuwin Current. The weakening of the LC would have an effect on the sea surface temperature field in the Indian Ocean, thus these five intervals could probably be those of considerable lowering of SST in the Indian Ocean and would have influenced Indian monsoon intensity. The impact of monsoon on the weather is different from place to place. In some places there is just a likelihood of having a more or less rain. In other places, quasi semi-deserts are turned into green grasslands where all sorts of plants. The Indian Monsoon turns large parts of India from a kind of semi-desert into green lands, see photos only taken 3 months apart in the Western Ghats. In places like this it is crucial for farmers to have the right timing for putting the seeds on the fields, Monsoons are large-scale sea breezes which occur when the temperature on land is significantly warmer or cooler than the temperature of the ocean. These temperature imbalances happen because oceans and land absorb heat in different ways, in contrast, dirt, sand, and rocks have lower heat capacities, and they can only transmit heat into the earth by conduction and not by convection. Therefore, bodies of water stay at an even temperature
4.
Yasothon
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Yasothon is a town on the Chi River in the north-eastern region of Thailand. It is the capital and administrative center of Yasothon Province and seat of its City District, within this district, subdistrict Nai Mueang comprises the bounds of the town proper, which had a population of 21,134 in 2005. It lies a more than 500 km north-east of Bangkok. Chao Racha Wong Singh more often transliterated Sing, led a number of people to landing on the River Chi, Sing was a son of Chao Phraya Wichai in the capital of Champasak The town was first called Ban Sing Kow or Ban Sing Tha. While there are numerous Khmer artifacts in and around the city, the wat, which had been deserted until dense jungle growth blocked the landing, was cleared, re-built and renamed after the new village. The change from Thong to Tha was influenced by two factors, Tha means port or landing, and also pose with many connotations. Thus the change in name to Sing Tha means Port Lion, and also Imposing Lion such as those posed on the Lion Gate, King Rama II announced a change in the towns name to Mueang Yasothon. During the 1827–1829 Laotian Rebellion led by Chao Anouvong, Fai was active in encouraging left bank people to migrate to establish their muang on the bank of the Mekong. King Rama III, in recognition of his achievements, also appointed him as chao muang of Nakhon Phanom, and he briefly governed both Yasothon and Nakhon Phanom. On 15 August 2011, in the Thai solar calendar month of Singhakhom a monument was erected in the city on the grounds of Wat Srithammaram, dedicated to Singh, the first Phra Sunthon Ratcha Wongsa. Rain fell heavily as the statue was raised onto its pedestal, the towns unofficial nickname is Mueang Yot Nakhon เมืองยศนคร Proud Capital. Chao Phraya Bodindecha, is held annually over the weekend that falls in the middle of the month of May. The festivals origins lie in a custom of firing rockets into the sky at the start of the season to remind King of the Sky, Phaya Thaen. The festival is a marked by a weekend of celebration, including highly decorated floats parading through the town, accompanied by partying, dancing, music. Friday the main thoroughfare is transformed into a parade ground lined on both sides by concert stages, which will feature Mor lam performers throughout the night, saturday sponsored parade groups compete for prizes. Many of the dances and floats have to do with the legend of Phadaeng and Nang Ai. Sunday the action moves from the city center to Phaya Thaen Park at its eastern edge. The park is not only a playground with an athletic stadium and outdoor stage
5.
Laos
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Present day Laos traces its historic and cultural identity to the kingdom of Lan Xang Hom Khao, which existed for four centuries as one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asia. Due to Lan Xangs central geographical location in Southeast Asia, the kingdom was able to become a hub for overland trade. After a period of conflict, Lan Xang broke off into three separate kingdoms— Luang Phabang, Vientiane and Champasak. In 1893, it became a French protectorate, with the three territories uniting to form what is now known as the country of Laos and it briefly gained independence in 1945 after Japanese occupation, but returned to French rule until it was granted autonomy in 1949. Laos became independent in 1953, with a monarchy under Sisavang Vong. Shortly after independence, a civil war ended the monarchy. Laos is a one-party socialist republic and it espouses Marxism and is governed by the Lao Peoples Revolutionary Party, in which the party leadership is dominated by military figures. The Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Vietnam Peoples Army continue to have significant influence in Laos, other large cities include Luang Prabang, Savannakhet, and Pakse. Laos is a country with the politically and culturally dominant Lao people making up approximately 60 percent of the population. Mon-Khmer groups, the Hmong, and other hill tribes, accounting for 40 percent of the population, live in the foothills. It is a member of the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, East Asia Summit, Laos applied for membership of the World Trade Organization in 1997, on 2 February 2013, it was granted full membership. According to the anti-corruption non-governmental organisation Transparency International, Laos remains one of the most corrupt countries in the world and this has deterred foreign investment and created major problems with the rule of law, including the nations ability to enforce contract and business regulation. This has contributed to a third of the population of Laos currently living below the poverty line. Laos has an economy, with one of the lowest annual incomes in the world. In 2014, the country ranked 141st on the Human Development Index, according to the Global Hunger Index, Laos ranks as the 29th hungriest nation in the world out of the list of the 52 nations with the worst hunger situation. Laos has also had a human rights record. In the Lao language, the name is Muang Lao or Pathet Lao. Stone artefacts including Hoabinhian types have been found at sites dating to the Late Pleistocene in northern Laos, archaeological evidence suggests agriculturist society developed during the 4th millennium BC
6.
Nakhon Sawan
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Nakhon Sawan is a city in Thailand, the name literally means Heavenly City. As of 2006 it has a population of 93,141, Nakhon Sawan is 238 km north of Bangkok. Nakhon Sawan is about 250 kilometres north of Bangkok, and marks the point of confluence of two of Thailands major rivers, the Ping and the Nan and these converge in Nakhon Sawan to form the Chao Phraya which flows south to Bangkok and out into the Gulf of Thailand. The citys surroundings are mostly flat, but in the city itself a hill rises about 110 metres above the plain, bueng Boraphet, east of Nakhon Sawan, is Thailands biggest freshwater swamp. Nakhon Sawan has a savanna climate. It is located in a valley, thus resulting in some of the highest overnight lows in the country, often reaching 33 °C in the summer, Route 117 leads north to Phitsanulok, and Route 225 leads east to Chaiyaphum. Nakhon Sawan has a station on the Northern Line of the State Railway of Thailand, the station is on the east side of the river, opposite the main city, which is on the west side. The city is served by Nakhon Sawan Airport, http, //www. thainationalparks. com/mae-wong-national-park http, //nsm. go. th/index. asp http, //www. nakhonsawanprovince. com Nakhon Sawan travel guide from Wikivoyage
7.
Bangkok
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Bangkok is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep. The city occupies 1,568.7 square kilometres in the Chao Phraya River delta in Central Thailand, over 14 million people live within the surrounding Bangkok Metropolitan Region, making Bangkok an extreme primate city, significantly dwarfing Thailands other urban centres in terms of importance. Bangkok was at the heart of the modernization of Siam—later renamed Thailand—during the late 19th century, the city grew rapidly during the 1960s through the 1980s and now exerts a significant impact on Thailands politics, economy, education, media and modern society. The Asian investment boom in the 1980s and 1990s led many multinational corporations to locate their headquarters in Bangkok. The city is now a regional force in finance and business. It is a hub for transport and health care, and has emerged as a regional centre for the arts, fashion. The city is known for its vibrant street life and cultural landmarks. The historic Grand Palace and Buddhist temples including Wat Arun and Wat Pho stand in contrast with other tourist attractions such as the scenes of Khaosan Road. Bangkok is among the top tourist destinations. It is named the most visited city in MasterCards Global Destination Cities Index, Bangkoks rapid growth amidst little urban planning and regulation has resulted in a haphazard cityscape and inadequate infrastructure systems. The city has turned to public transport in an attempt to solve this major problem. Five rapid transit lines are now in operation, with more systems under construction or planned by the national government and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. The history of Bangkok dates at least back to the early 15th century, because of its strategic location near the mouth of the river, the town gradually increased in importance. Bangkok initially served as a customs outpost with forts on both sides of the river, and became the site of a siege in 1688 in which the French were expelled from Siam. After the fall of Ayutthaya to the Burmese Empire in 1767, the newly declared King Taksin established his capital at the town, in 1782, King Phutthayotfa Chulalok succeeded Taksin, moved the capital to the eastern banks Rattanakosin Island, thus founding the Rattanakosin Kingdom. The City Pillar was erected on 21 April, which is regarded as the date of foundation of the present city, Bangkoks economy gradually expanded through busy international trade, first with China, then with Western merchants returning in the early-to-mid 19th century. As the capital, Bangkok was the centre of Siams modernization as it faced pressure from Western powers in the late 19th century, Bangkok became the centre stage for power struggles between the military and political elite as the country abolished absolute monarchy in 1932
8.
Lopburi
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Lopburi is the capital city of Lopburi Province in Thailand. It is about 150 kilometres north-east of Bangkok, as of 2006 it had a population of 26,500. The town covers the whole tambon Tha Hin and parts of Thale Chup Son of Mueang Lopburi district, Lopburi lies 138 km north of Bangkok. It was originally known as Lavo or Lavapura, meaning city of Lava in reference to the ancient South Asian city of Lavapuri, the city has a history dating back to the Dvaravati period more than 1,000 years ago. According to the Northern Chronicles, it was founded by King Kalavarnadish, Lopburi, or Lavapura as it then was, was under the rule of the rising Angkor regime and became one of the most important centers in the Chao Phraya Basin from then on. Epigraphic evidence indicates that the dominant population of the city was Mon, there is some evidence the Khmer Empire, under Suryavarman II, fought against the Mons in the 12th century over suzerainty. Lopburi sent embassies to China in 1115 and 1155, Lopburi is described in Book III of Marco Polo’s Travels, where it is called Locach. This came from the Chinese pronunciation of Lavo, Lo-huk, the city is referred to as Lo-ho in chapter 20 of the History of Yuan, the official history of the Mongol, or Yuan Dynasty of China. After the foundation of the Ayutthaya Kingdom in the 14th century and it became the capital of the kingdom during the reign of King Narai the Great in the mid-17th century and the king resided there about eight months a year. Lopburi lies on the Lopburi River at an elevation of 20 metres mostly surrounded by alluvial plains, Lopburi has a tropical savanna climate. Winters are dry and very warm, temperatures rise until April, which is very hot with the average daily maximum at 36.8 °C. The monsoon season runs from late April through October, with rain and somewhat cooler temperatures during the day. Route 311 leads west to Sing Buri, and Route 3196 leads south-west to Ang Thong, Lopburi is a station of the State Railway of Thailands Northern Line, forming the end of Bangkoks suburban service. Lopburi is served by the Khok Kathiam airport,9 kilometres north of the town. Today the city is best known for the hundreds of crab-eating macaques that live in the middle of the city, especially around the Khmer temple, Prang Sam Yot and they are fed by the local people, especially during the Monkey Festival in November. Because they are not afraid of humans, they steal whatever items or food they can find from unwary visitors. In the city signs are posted reading, To prevent monkeys attacking people and those who want to feed monkeys other than these times, please contact the officer or caretaker. Prang Sam Yot, originally a Hindu shrine, has three prangs that represent Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva and it was later converted to a Buddhist shrine
9.
Chaiyaphum Province
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Chaiyaphum is one of the northeastern provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Khon Kaen, Nakhon Ratchasima, Lopburi, the word chaiya originates from the Sanskrit word jaya meaning victory, and the word phum from Sanskrit bhumi meaning earth or land. Hence the name of the province literally means land of victory, the province is cut in two by the Phetchabun mountain range, with the highest elevation in the province at 1,222 m. The east of the province is part of the Khorat Plateau, four national parks are in the province. Tat Ton National Park is in the northwest, featuring some scenic waterfalls, the biggest attraction of the Sai Thong National Park in the west is the Sai Thong waterfall, but also some fields of the Siam tulip. Similar fields can be found in the Pa Hin Ngam National Park in the southwest and this parks name derives from the strangely-shaped rock formations found there. Phu Laenkha National Park covers 200 km² of forested hills northwest of Chaiyaphum city, the history of the city of Chaiyaphum dates back to the Khmer Empire in the 12th century, when it was a small city on the route from Angkor to Prasat Singh. The Prang Ku still remains from this time, in 1817 the area was settled by Laotians led by Nai Lae, an official of King Anouvong of Vientiane, which was a tributary state of the Thai monarch. They settled in Baan Nam Khun Nong E Chan in Nakhon Ratchasima Province, in 1826 Anouvong rebelled against the Thai King Rama III, seeking to gain complete independence. Nai Lae, by made an chao praya by the Thai monarch. Chao Phaya Lae was killed defending his city against Anouvongs army, King Rama III remembered Chao Phraya Lae for his loyalty and awarded him the title Phraya Phakdi Chumpon. He is still a hero and his statue has become a symbol of the province. Most people in Chaiyaphum province are ethnically Lao, the first language of most people is the Isan language, a dialect of the Lao language. Principal crops in Chaiyaphum include rice, tapioca, sugar cane, Chaiyaphum is known as a center of the Thai silk industry. The provincial seal shows a flag, a symbol of victory in war. The provincial tree is Siamese senna, and the flower the Siam Tulip. The province is divided into 16 districts, the districts are further subdivided into 124 sub-districts and 1393 villages
10.
Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai sometimes written as Chiengmai or Chiangmai, is the largest city in Northern Thailand. It is 700 km north of Bangkok and is situated amongst the highest mountains in the country, the city sits astride the Ping River, a major tributary of the Chao Phraya River. Chiang Mai means new city and was so named because it became the new capital of the Lan Na kingdom when it was founded in 1296, succeeding Chiang Rai, the former capital founded in 1262. Chiang Mai gained prominence in the sphere in May 2006. Chiang Mai was one of three Thai cities contending for Thailands bid to host the World Expo 2020, ayutthaya, however, was the city ultimately chosen by the Thai Parliament to register for the international competition. Chiang Mai has positioned itself to become a Creative City and is considering applying for Creative City status with UNESCO, Chiang Mai was one of two tourist destinations in Thailand on TripAdvisors 2014 list of 25 Best Destinations in the World, where it stands at number 24. Chiang Mais historic importance is derived from its proximity to the Ping River. While officially the city of Chiang Mai only covers most parts of the Mueang Chiang Mai district with a population of 160,000, the Chiang Mai Metropolitan Area has a population of nearly one million people, more than half the total of Chiang Mai Province. The city is subdivided into four wards, Nakhon Ping, Srivijaya, Mengrai, the first three are on the west bank of the Ping River, and Kawila is on the east bank. Nakhon Ping district comprises the part of the city. Srivijaya, Mengrai, and Kawila consist of the west, south, the city center—within the city walls—is mostly within Srivijaya ward. King Mengrai founded the city of Chiang Mai in 1296 on the site of a city of the Lawa people called Wiang Nopburi. Chiang Mai succeeded Chiang Rai as the capital of the Lan Na kingdom, Pha Yu enlarged and fortified the city, and built Wat Phra Singh in honor of his father Kham Fu. The ruler was known as the chao, with the decline of the Lan Na Kingdom, the city lost importance and was occupied by the Burmese in 1556. Chiang Mai formally became part of Siam in 1775 by an agreement with Chao Kavila, because of Burmese counterattacks, Chiang Mai was abandoned between 1776 and 1791. Lampang then served as the capital of what remained of Lan Na, Chiang Mai then slowly grew in cultural, trading, and economic importance to its current status as the unofficial capital of Northern Thailand, second in importance only to Bangkok. The modern municipality dates to a district that was created in 1915. It was upgraded to a municipality on 29 March 1935, as published in the Royal Gazette, first covering just 17.5 km2, the city was enlarged to 40.2 km2 on 5 April 1983
Chaiyaphum travel guide from Wikivoyage
