Thailand is called Land of Smiles because of the Thai welcoming and friendly creature. No matter where in Thailand one travels, you will experience this, which is completely unique to Thailand.

There are 65 million registered residents in Thailand and and population growth is approx. 0.95% per annum.

With its 517,000 km2 Thailand is approximately 12 times larger than Denmark, and the number of inhabitants per. km2 is 126

Thailand has the entire 3219 km of coastline!

Thailand has constituted monarchy, headed by King Bhumibol

The shape of Thailand looks like with a little good will of an elephant's head.

The country is situated midway between China and India, with the boundary in the west to Myanmar (Burma), Laos in the north, Cambodia in the east and Malaysia in the south. Here is everything - from the mountains, rainforests, island paradises, the most beautiful beaches, crystal clear water, parks, temples, golf courses, cities and much more.

Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital of Thailand. The city has 8 million registered residents in the metropolitan area, but it is estimated, however, that today there are living up to 12 million people. (3,600 inhabitants per Km2)

Bangkok is slightly away from Gulf of Siam, and through the city flows Mae Nam Chao Phraya (Chao Phraya River), associated with channels. It is a major transport route. On the west side of the river, almost all traffic is along the canals. The eastern side is the most wealthy. However, this is changing as there are more and more "high end" homes on the western side of the Chao Phraya River.

Bangkok oozes of metropolitan area, the city is big and dirty and at the same time clean and neat - it is what is part of the charm! You do not get bored in Bangkok, which is always full of life. The city has many tourist attractions such as the floating markets, temples, large international shopping centers, various cultural shows in the evening and large selection of varied markets, etc.

The people
In Thailand you are always welcome. You will meet the smiling and helpful people with a sincere and honest kindness, and genuine and heartfelt emotion. Here people take care of each other, take care of the elderly and love all children. To interact and laugh with each other and have a genuine joy of life.

A Thai very rarely gets upset. They look at live very lightly and does not create problems that are not there. However, there may easily arise "problems" if you ask a Thai of an honest opinion! It's not like in Denmark. In Thailand they say what the other party wants to hear and neglect very often his personal opinion.

The population consists of 75% Thais, 14% Chinese and 11% other Approximately 98% of the population are Buddhists. Many consider Buddhism more as a philosophy than an actual religion.

Life expectancy for women is about 74 years and for men approximately 70.

The primary language is Thai, and the secondary is English.

General
One should not be offended if one becomes directly asked about his age. Thais ask this to find out how much respect they must show. If you will be charged as "phi" before your name, it represents a major step. "Phi" means the older person, as a Thai counting like a family member or very close family.

During "small talk" you should avoid flighty topics such as art and music, unless you know the other person has a knowledge in these areas. A Thai will "lose face" if he exposes a gap in his knowledge, and to lose face, they do not like it.

Topics that should not be mentioned in negative terms is politics and especially the royal family. It enjoys enormous respect among all sections of the Thai population. It is very important to understand that there is no room for comments and jokes and "smart" remarks about the royal family! It is simply not respected!

Thais have lots of humor, but it does not apply when it comes to the beloved royal family!

The climate
Thailand has a tropical climate that makes you enjoying the warmth in a very pleasant way. It blows frequently a pleasant cool breeze, so "we from the North" find the climate optimal.

The temperature and precipitation changes during the year, also in relation to where in Thailand you are staying. Actually you have three seasons in Central and Northern Thailand. This is because of the two monsoon periods, the southwest monsoon in mid June to September and the northeast monsoon from November to mid-March. When we from the north goes into "hibernation" and begin to yearn for sun and summer, the weather in Thailand, is at the most optimal. In the period from November to March, the temperature in the areas where Oriental Invest is active, is around 30 degrees and the humidity almost like a Danish summer at its best.

The area of least precipitation is Rayong province which is located in the center of Thailand. Hua Hin area are close behind, while much precipitation falls on Ko Samui and Phuket also in the "cold months" in Europe. So one must choose his destination in Thailand with care.

Roughly speaking, the average temperature in Thailand is around 29 degrees, and bathing water temperature is between 24 to 32 degrees year round.

Summer:
March - May 25-34C

Rainy season:
June - October 24-32C

Cold season:
November - February 21-32C

The food
The food in Thailand is very varied with rice dishes from mild to very spicy dishes. Meat, chicken, and sea delights gives you the Thai food in a huge variety and forms. A really good restaurant can offer up to 280 different main courses. Many restaurants and "fast food" kitchens offer western food to please the tourists - but do not cheat yourself of the culinary experiences you will find in Thailand.

Prisen på mad er meget billig i Thailand, og en almindelig middagsret med ris, kylling og grøntsager koster på en gaderestaurant mellem 3 og 8 kr. (jo den er god nok).

There will be understandably drunk a lot of fluid in Thailand. A half liter of water or soft drinks can be purchased for approx. DKK 1 The price for a bottle of wine is however slightly more expensive. The price of imported wine is close to Danish prices.

Besøger man en mere international restaurant, koster det mellem 30 og 60 kr. inkl. drikkevarer pr person.

Greetings
A handshake is polite when you meet a man for the first time. When you meet a woman for the first time, it is recommended that you only have to smile. For safety's sake, you can let the woman take the initiative to hand pressure. If you do not get automatically a smile, one can use the below described greeting - and so should the smile be guaranteed.

For hello and goodbye, you can use the traditional Thai greeting. This is accomplished by pressing your hands together like a prayer, while keeping the arms and elbows close to body, then bend your head so that it touches the fingertips and says "sawatdi". This greeting with hands in front of the chest signals status in society! Are you lucky enough to meet His Royal Highness, the hands should be pressed together in front of your face. If you meet, on the other hand, a person who has the same status as yourself, it is enough to squeeze your hands together in front of the chest.

If you greet a monk, do not touch him - a verbal greeting is enough. Respect towards monks is important. Women should never touch a monk or hand him something directly. But there's nothing bewitched of trying to get in touch or talk to a monk - they are always very friendly.

A smile or a nod is an adequate greeting to people you meet daily. However, it is clear that society in Thailand are also moving toward a form of "globalization". Are you a regular part of a local Thai community, it is considered quite natural if you greet people with "Sabai dee mai" (how are you?). So now you almost always answer "Sabai dee krap / ka" (I am fine).

Verbal greetings like "good morning" or "hello, how are you" is redundant and is not used in most cases in Thailand. But a smile always works, and if you can you speak a little Thai, it brings out a big smile, but also verbally greet the people you meet. Most Thais are happy to have "Farang's" (Westerners) in their circle of friends.

Schools / International Schools
All Thai children are entitled to 12 years of schooling, of which 9 are mandatory. Yet there seems a degree of illiteracy (7% - 13%), because some families can not afford the mandatory school uniforms, school bus and servicing equipment - with the result that they can not get their children to school. Moreover, there are still places, especially in northeastern Thailand, where parents choose to take their children out of school to participate in the work of agriculture and other.

There are many excellent international schools in Thailand and which are taught by the English school system.

Thaimassage
You must not miss the traditional Thai massage. It costs approx. DKK 30.00 for a full hour massage, and in addition to the experience is simultaneously healthy for body and soul.

Sport
In Thailand there are many kinds of sports as we know from Europe. The most popular sport is Thai boxing, which can be experienced in many markets and sports arenas.

Shopping Malls
Everywhere in the major cities in Thailand, there are, within a short distance, large shopping centers. Many of these centers also has European goods on the shelves. Moreover, there are plenty of 7-eleven stores throughout Thailand. These 7-eleven stores to compare with Netto in Denmark.

Tailor
You can get a tailored suit, a dress or other in the finest materials from DKK 450.00 But be aware of quality, many see a good business in providing a cheap, but bad product.

Haggle over the prices
It's ok to "haggle" on prices in markets and other trading places. But you must remember to do it with respect. That said, about 1/3 of the offered price is often the right price. Remember this! Try walking 20 meters away and if the seller does not come after you, you hit the minimum price. Instead, you can come back an hour or two later and see if he remembers what his product cost. It should of course be done with respect, but a Thai sells very seldom its products without also earning what he should.

Economics and Business
Thailand can feed themselves while being the world's largest exporter of rice. Other main export products are rubber, tapioca, coconut and fish / shellfish. More than half of Thailand's workforce is engaged in production of these goods. If you look at a can of tuna in Denmark, 9 out of 10 times it will be from Thailand.

The largest income earned however, is by the 30% of the workforce who are employed in industry and tourism.

Thailand's economy has since 1999 been like a cat poised to follow the big tiger economies, for example, Singapore and Taiwan.

Transport
In most places in Thailand you can catch a taxi. The price is very reasonable and is approx. DKK 15-30 each 15 minutes for driving in the city. Should you out on a long trip, it costs approx. DKK 175 per 100 km.

In the larger cities there are even Tuk Tuk's ("motorized wagon"), and it is a very cheap way of transport.

For both the above means of transport, we recommend that you always agree to the price before the journey, or that you are running by taximeter (which is rarely found in Tuk Tuk's

There are good train and bus services in most parts of Thailand and this can also be done at very reasonable price.

Rental car & motorcycle / scooter
Virtually everywhere in Thailand, you can rent cars and motorbikes / scooters. A normal car will cost from DKK 100-250 a day. A motorcycle / scooter, you can rent from DKK 20-35 a day.

The traffic
There are many cars on the road in Thailand and thus an enormous traffic almost all day. You drive a little more relaxed than we are accustomed to in the West. On the other hand Thais are very nice to consider others on the road. It is rare that a Thai get excited over other road users doing something wrong. He does it often with a smile and drive on.

In contrast, traffic in Bangkok is entirely without comparison and it is not recommended that you even hire a car and drive around town, as it requires your full attention all the time.

Animal
Thais are Buddhists and the Buddhist belief says that one can be reborn as an animal, which means that they are not to make an animal hurt or kill it. The result, unfortunately, is that everywhere in Thailand there are many wild dogs. Many of these dogs are lame or sick, and living freely in the streets. These dogs should not be touched - let them be.

Enjoy your trip!

Send us an email, if you have questions or comments to the above. We are always ready with a helping hand!

We hope to see you in the Land of Smiles :-)