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Thailand |
| April 27-30 | Chiangmai, Thailand |
| April 30 - May 3 | Golden Triangle |
| May 3-7 | Singapore & Malaysia |
Background: A unified Thai kingdom was established in the mid-14th century. Known as Siam until 1939, Thailand is the only Southeast Asian country never to have been taken over by a European power. A bloodless revolution in 1932 led to a constitutional monarchy. In alliance with Japan during World War II, Thailand became a US ally following the conflict. Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma Capital: Bangkok Area - comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Wyoming Climate: tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March); southern isthmus always hot and humid Environment - current issues: air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from organic and factory wastes; deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by illegal hunting Population: 64,265,276 (July 2003 est.) Religions: Buddhism 95%, Muslim 3.8%, Christianity 0.5%, Hinduism 0.1%, other 0.6% (1991) Languages: Thai, English (secondary language of the elite), ethnic and regional dialects Life expectancy at birth: 71.24 years |
