So… My plan was to dedicate each of the remaining weeks of 2016 to a country I will be visiting in 2017. My plan changed a little due to my sinus surgery and my Thanksgiving Vacation (I am very thankful that each of these things occurred, so it is okay that the plan changed!) In light of this change of plans, I will be catching up this week! I will post information about the specific country and specific prayer requests. I am excited for the unique differences that each country will bring to the table. As a way to prepare my heart, I will be learning and praying. Come learn and pray with me!
The Country of The Moment…
{THAILAND}
Fun and Interesting Facts You Might Want To Know About…
Thailand: “Land of the Free – Land of Smilies”
Official Name: Kingdom of Thailand
{Thailand is one of a few nations where a monarch still reigns}
Capital: Bangkok
{Bangkok is the most visited city in the world! The full ceremonial name for Bangkok is the longest name for a place in the world. The ceremonial name of the city is Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphimanawatansathit Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit. This name means “City of Angels, Great City of Immortals, Magnificent City of the Nine Gems, Seat of the King, City of Royal Palaces, Home of Gods Incarnate, Erected by Visvakarman at Indra’s Behest”. Bangkok presents a distinctive Buddhist landscape, with gold-layered spires, pagodas, and giant Buddha statues.}
//Geography//
- Located in Southeast Asia
- Thailand is bordered by Burma, Laos, Cambodia, The Gulf of Thailand, Malaysia, and the Andaman Sea
- Slightly larger than twice the size of Wyoming
- 513,120 square kilometers (198,117 square miles)
- Thailand has 1,430 islands
- Dominated by the Chao Phraya River basin, on which Bangkok sits
- The terrain includes central plains, the Khorat Plateau in the east (a sandstone plateau with poor soils supporting grasses and woodlands), and northern mountains (with rich soil that produces opium poppies)
- Highest Point: Doi Inthanon (2,576 meters – 8,451 feet)
- Natural hazards include droughts and the depletion of the water table due to land subsidence in Bangkok
- In December 2004, the catastrophic Indian Ocean tsunami hit Thailand
- The climate is tropical and includes monsoons: Rainy, warm, cloudy, southwest monsoons from mid-May to September, and dry, cool northeast monsoons from November to mid-March. The southern isthmus is always hot and humid
- The average temperature in May is 86° with 17 rainy days
- Thailand is located on the only land route from Asia to Malaysia and Singapore
- The world’s smallest mammal, the Craseonycteris Thonglongyai (the Bumblebee Bat), is found in Thailand and weighs only two grams (~0.07 ounces)
- Thailand’s national symbol is the elephant {which happens to be my favorite animal!}. A century ago, more than 100,000 elephants lived in the country, with about 20,000 untamed; now, there are about 5,000, with less that half living wild. Elephant polo is a popular pastime
- One of the country’s most unusual festivals is the annual Monkey Buffet, where more than 600 monkeys are invited to feast on over two tons of grilled sausage, fresh fruit, ice cream, and other treats. The locals see it as a thank you to the monkeys which inhabit the village and bring thousands of tourist there each year
//People//
- Population: 68,200,824 – About 342 people per square mile
- Known for the easygoing, hospitable nature of its people
- Annual Growth: 0.66%
- Urbanites: 50.4%
- UN Human Development Report Rank: 87 of 182
- Peoples: 115 People Groups (82 Groups – 71.3% Unreached)
- Official Language: Thai
- The number of individual languages listed for Thailand is 72. Burmese, English, Hindi, Japanese, Kayan, and Lao are the other languages most commonly used
- Life Expectancy: 75
- Literacy Rate: 96.7%
- Diet: Thai food is well renowned for dishes that include spicy curries with rice or noodles
- Internet Users: 26.73 million – 39.3% of Population
- Electricity: 99% of Population has Electricity (700,000 without)
- Thailand means “land of the free” but it is anything but free. It is the human trafficking capital of the world. It also has one of the worst child trafficking records in the world
- The head is considered to be the most important part of the body, and Thai culture forbids touching anyone on the head (even a child). Should you meet someone who is older or more important than you, it is best to lower your head in deference to show proper respect
- Muay Thai (Thai Boxing) is a form of kickboxing and is Thailand’s national sport; it is known as “the art of eight limbs” as it uses punches, kicks, elbows, and knees
//Economy//
The Thai economy enjoys fast-paced growth based on exports, but the country faces the challenge of spreading the wealth to poorer regions—the infertile eastern plateau is the poorest. Opium production has been reduced, but heroin trafficking is still a problem.
- Industry: Tourism, Textiles and Garments, Agricultural Processing, Beverages, Tobacco, Cement
- Agriculture: Rice, Cassava (Tapioca), Rubber, Corn
- Exports: Computers, Transistors, Seafood, Clothing, Rice {Export Partners: US 11.2%, China 11.1%, Japan 9.4%, Hong Kong 5.5%, Malaysia 4.8%, Australia 4.6%, Vietnam 4.2%, Singapore 4.1%}
Currency: Thai Baht
Population Below the Poverty Line: 12.6%
- It is illegal to step on or even tear the currency in Thailand. It may seem odd to respect the money, but the reason is because the currency carries the image of Thailand’s king and it is illegal to disrespect the monarch.
//History//
- Thailand use to be known as Siam, and it is the country where Siamese cats originated
- Thailand’s ruling family has held power for more than a thousand years
- Two 19th-century kings of Siam, Mongkut and his son Chulalongkorn, introduced Western education and technology, but preserved the character of a devout Buddhist society
- The only nation in Southeast Asia to escape colonial rule
- Siam changed its name to Thailand in 1939
- The town of Kanchanburi is home to the famous “Bridge Over the River Kwai”, part of the Burma-Siam railway where an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 people died in the course of the project
- Thailand has not escaped military coups – more than a dozen since 1932, when a revolution transformed the government from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy
- Resentment against leaders of the 1991 coup sparked demonstrations by a pro-democracy movement
- Reforms occurred and a new constitution went into effect in 1997
- The 2001 elections confirmed Thailand’s democracy credentials as the people voted in the new Thai Rak Thai (“Thais Love Thais”) Party
- The long, mountainous border with Myanmar brings refugees, illegal immigrants, and drugs into Thailand. Some 130,000 Burmese refugees live in this nation
- In 2004, a Muslim separatist struggle flared up in southern Thailand
- In 2006, a military coup again ushered in a new government
- King Bhumibol Adulyadej was one of the world’s longest-serving heads of state, with a staggering 70 years as king. He passed away last month and his son will succeed him December 1, 2016. The government has declared a year-long official mourning period, and public discussion of the succession is punishable by lengthy jail terms
//Religion//
In the 10/40 Window
Religion: Buddhism {Official} (93.6%), Islam, Christian, Other, and None(Estimation)
Largest Religion: Buddhism (93.6%) {Official Religion}
Religion Pop % Annual Growth
Christians – 749,532 1.10 2.8
Evangelicals – 307,305 0.5 3.6
Buddhist – 58,136,398 93.6
- With over 250,000 Buddhist monks serving in over 40,000 temples across Thailand, Buddhism is not only the largest faith, but is is part of the Thai national identity and permeates into every level of society and culture. The Christian church remains small with less than two percent of the population being evangelical Christians.
//Prayer//
I ask that you would join me in praying for Thailand.
EXPLOSIVE GROWTH IN THE CHURCH ~ peace ~ FrEeDoM ~ MORAL CONVICTION ~ mercy ~ LOVE ~ cleanse spirits ~ God-fearing Church Leaders ~ HOPE ~ SeX TrAdE to be DeStRoYeD ~ oppression ~ Prayers Against IDOLATRY – SEX – MURDER – DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE – HUMAN TRAFFICKING ~ REPENTANCE ~ fOrGiVeNeSs of SiNs ~ healing from HIV/AIDS ~ OPPORTUNITY ~ messengers ~ Missionaries and Local Believers ~ BOLDNESS ~ light in the dark ~ wItNeSs to all ~ Reception of the TRUTH ~ breaking BARRIERS ~ enCouRagEmeNt ~ strength ~ hEaLiNg ~ THE GOSPEL TO PERMEATE THE BUDDHIST CULTURE ~ ALL TO SEE AND COME TO KNOW THE ONE TRUTH GOD – Father, Son, and Spirit ~ May people know —
JESUS
To God Be The Glory
Forever…AMEN!
Click the link below to watch a video on how you can pray for Thailand:
Let Heaven Come.
On Earth As It Is In Heaven.
To God Be The Glory!
Amen!
// Your EXCITED daughter //
LoVe,
Cary
Information Gathered From:
CIA World Factbook
National Geographic Travel
Operation World
Joshua Project
Ethnologue
Prayercast
