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General Background

Flag
Thailand's national flag, ceremoniously raised each morning at 08.00 hrs and lowered at 18.00 hrs in every town and village, is composed of five horizontal bands of red, white and blue.  The outer bands of red symbolize the nation, enclosing equal inner bands of white, representing religion.  The blue band, occupying the central one-third of the total area, symbolizes the monarchy.  The design expresses the complementary nature of these three pillars of the Thai nation.
This tri-coloured flag, first introduced by King Vajiravudh (RamaVI) in 1971, succeeded an earlier design which featured a white elephant on a red background.

Geography
To see Thailand map Nestled in the heart of Southeast Asia with Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Malaysia as neighbours.  Thailand spreads out over 513,115 square kilometres of land and stretches some 1,620 kilometres from north to south and 775 kilometres from east to west.

Climate
The climate is tropical with an average high temperature of 37ēC and low of 20ēC. There are three overlapping seasons: the monsoon that lasts from July to October, from when it turns moderate to cool until February and warms up to sweltering heat until June.

History
Evidence of prehistoric human settlement in Thailand stretches back over 500,000 years. Later, Chinese records mention that a number of city states or independent towns existed in Thailand and its neighbouring states as early as the 3rdcentury A.D. Successive kingdoms/city states since the 13th century include Sukhothai, Lanna, Ayutthaya, Thon Buri and Bangkok, which was founded in 1782.

Population
The overwhelming majority of the over 62 million citizens of Thailand are ethnic Thais, along with strong communities whose ethnic origins lie in China, India and elsewhere. More than seven million people reside in the capital city of Bangkok. Thai is the official language though English and some Chinese dialects are usually understood in business circles.

Education
Complusory education is nine years (from grades 1-9), but the state provides up to 12 grades of free education through to all Thais. The literacy rate in Thailand is 94 percent.

Government
Thailand has had a constitutional monarchy since 1932. Parliament is composed of two houses, the House of Representatives and the Senate. Both representatives and senators are elected by the people. The government is led by a Prime Minister, elected from among the representatives. However, once appointed to serve in the Council of Ministers every minister, including the Prime Minister, must resign from the House.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration comes under an elected governor. Bangkok is divided into 50 districts. Appointed provincial governors administer the other 75 provinces, which are divided into districts (amphoe), sub-districts (tambon) and villages (moo ban).

Travel Documents and Visas
In general, foreigners seeking entry into the Kingdom of Thailand for tourism, study, business, investment, employment or other purposes must possess valid travel documents recognised by the Royal Thai Government and comply with the conditions set forth in the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979) and its related provisions. Visas can be obtained from all Royal Thai Embassies and Consulates-General abroad.
In principle, proper visas should be obtained before entering the country. However, tourists from 59 countries are exempted from visa requirement and allowed to stay up to 30 days, providing they have adequated means of support and hold airline tickets confirming their departure within the period.
Moreover, travellers from 15 countries are allowed to apply for a 15-day tourist visa upon arrival at the immigration checkpoint in one of the country's international ports of entry. Visitors with transit and courtesy visas are permitted to stay up to 30 days and with tourist visas up to 60 days. Visitors with non-immigrant, diplomatic or official visas are allowed to stay up to 90 days. Those who wish to stay longer must apply for a visa extension at the Office of the Immigration Bureau, 507 Soi Suan Plu, South Sathorn Road, Bangkok 10120. (Tel; 662-287-3101-10). Those residing outside Bangkok can contact the local Immigration Office.

Customs
Narcotics and pronographic materials are prohibited. Permits must be obtained for the import of firearms and certain species of plants and animals. The export of Buddha images, with the exception of personal amulets, images of deities and antiques is forbidden without the written permission of the Fine Arts Department, Ministry of Education. An unlimited amount of foreign currency may be brought into the country for personal use.

Transportation
Air
International
Thai Airways International - the World's First Choice Carrier.
Even after 40 years in the commercial airline and air cargo business, Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (THAI) continues to expand and develop its standards to meet those of modern air travellers. THAI now serves 76 key destinations in 33 countries across four continents, using a sophisticated fleet of 76 state-of-the art aircraft. THAI operates 58 online and offline offices worldwide and, with the co-operation of its 13 Star Alliance partners, THAI is able to offer air transportation to over 800 destinations in 130 countries. A fine blend of Thai culture and cuisine has been incorporated into THAI's service to further promote the experience of Thailand for air travellers. THAI has an uncompromising policy to ensure safety as its first priority, both in-flight and on the ground, from reservation to destination. THAI's advanced crew training center in Bangkok, which trains the cabin crew of other airlines also, enhances the in-flight skills of flight attendants, even simulating emergencies to hone their professional capabilities.
THAI also uses flight simulators to train THAI and other airline pilots. These are upgraded continuously to ensure the highest international flight safety standards. THAI"s maintenance of its own and other airlines' aircraft is internationally accepted and recognised by organisations such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the U.S.A. and Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) in Europe.
By dialing 1566, flight information is accessible through an automated information system that provides a wide range of information about THAI's flights, including all arrivals and departures at Bangkok International Airport for the next 24 hours.
THAI strongly supports human resource and social development through educational and environmental activities and is deeply concerned for the welfare of the Thai community.
Educational trips to THAI facilities inform about its catering services, technical departments and flight simulators. This encourages and motivates learning skills. THAI also co-operates with other aviation-related organizations to support education overseas through student exchange programmes.
Over the years, THAI has continued to provide and maintain the highest standards of safety and service, not only to promote Thailand among visitors but also assure the well-being of the local community and the protection of the environment through effective management.
Looking ahead, THAI aims to become the First Choice Carrier for all visitors to Thailand.

Regional
Besides the national carrier, air services in Thailand have alternatives to provide air travellers with convenience and highly-regarded Thai service. Bangkok Airways, a privately-owned airline, flies to eight domestic destinations, from Bangkok to Ko Samui, Ranong, Sukhothai and Chiang Mai, and from Ko Samui to Phuket and U Tapao, and covers three regional destinations: Phnom Penh and Siem Reap in Cambodia and Singapore. Another domestic and regional carrier is PB Air, which flies to Roi Et and Krabi in Thailand, Medan in Indonesia and Singapore.
There are many more choices such as helicopter charters and private jets that offer short distance travel for both business and pleasure. This convenience has helped Thailand become more well-known as a tourist first stop in Southeast Asia.

Rail
The State Railways of Thailand has domestic rail links from Bangkok to every region in the country. First and second class carriages with ordinary and air-conditioned berths are available, with third class carriages making trains a convenient and inexpensive means of travel around the kingdom.
Within Bangkok, the Mass Rapid Transit System has been partially completed with the opening of two elevated lines on 5 December 1999, marking His Majesty the King's 72nd birthday, that run from Sukhumvit Road (Soi 77) to the Northern Bus Terminal (Morchit) and from Sathorn Bridge to the National Stadium. This Green Line was eventually complemented by an underground system, called the Blue Line, which link Hua Lamphong Central Railway Station with Bangsue Junction in the North of Bangkok. The Blue Line was operated on July 3, 2004.
The extensive network of roads through-out the country is being consistently upgraded. The main trunk lines to each region are four-lane highways. There are also plans to develop a network of motorways to link the main cities of each region, following heavy traffic routes out of Bangkok and to major development zones countrywide.
In Bangkok, over 100 kilometres of expressway are open to general traffic, forming a comprehensive inner ring network. In addition, the Bangna-Bang Pakong eastern elevated expressway, which is over 55 kilometres long, was inaugurated on 7 February 2000 and the 32 kilometres long northern elevated expressway became operational on 1 November 1999.
In most cities a variety of transportation services are on hand, from buses, minibuses, taxis and rental cars to motorcycle taxis and motorised tricycles or tuk-tuks. Bangkok has the same major transport services found in other cities of the world, including an airport shuttle bus service linking the international land domestic airports with keylocations in the city.
While taxis are now metered, starting from a minimum fare of 35 baht, un-metered tuk-tuks, the capital's famous three-wheelers, rely on a certain amount of negotiation before boarding, as do motorcycle taxis, one of the fastest ways of getting around Bangkok. The use of helmets for both driver and pillion is now mandatory.

Water
There are five international ports in Thailand: Bangkok, Laem Chabang, Mab Ta put, Songkhla and Phuket. The two most important are the inland Bangkok Port and the Laem Chabang deep sea port to the east. Both can accommodate commercial shipping and tourist liners. In 1999, Bangkok Port accounted for 10,795,149 tonnes of container cargo while Laem Chabang accounted for 15,748,371 tonnes. Over 2,175 cargo vessels callled in at Bangkok Port in that year, followed by Laem Chabang with over 3,311, bringing in 3,999.57 million baht and 1,162.78 million baht respectively.

Bangkok's main waterway, the Chao Phraya River, is home to a wide variety of vessels, including ferries and river buses that ply their trade along its majestic length and into the numerous canals that intersect it and connect different parts of the metropolis. Further afield, ferries operate to the major tourist destination islands that dot the coast of Thailand.