Welcome to Thailand, the land of smiles! Before I tell you more about our ministry this month, I thought I’d give you some facts about this beautiful country. So, here you go-
Geography: The Kingdom of Thailand covers and area of 514,000 square kilometers and lies in the heart of Southeast Asia. It shares borders with Myanmar (Burma), Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia.
Topography: Thailand is divided into four distinct areas: the mountainous north, the fertile central plains, the semi-arid plateau of the northeast and the tropical beach peninsula of the south.
Climate: Thailand remains with in the humid tropics and remains hot throughout the year. It is currently about 90F during the day and 80F during the evening…oh, and don’t forget about the humidity!
I spent a week in Bangkok for our month 8 debrief and will be serving in Phuket, Thailand for the month.
Population: Thailand has a population of about 65 million. Ethnic Thais form the majority, though the area has historically been a migratory crossroads and thus strains of Mon, Khmer, Burmese, Lao, Malay, Indian, and most strongly Chinese stock produce a degree of ethnic diversity.
Religion: Thailand is predominately a Buddhist nation with 94% professing to be Buddhist. The saying here is “To be Thai is to be Buddhist.” However, there are a lot of animistic beliefs mixed into their brand of Buddhism as well. 4% of the population professes to be Muslim, 1% professes Christianity.
Monarchy: His Majesty King Bhumibaol Adulyadej is the ninth king of the Chakri Dynasty. He was born in December 1927, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where his father (Prince Mahidol) was studying medicine at Harvard University. He ascended the throne in 1946 and is the longest reigning Thai monarch.
Money: The Thai currency is Baht (pronounced bot, rhymes with pot); the exchange rate is about 30 Baht to 1 USD.
More to come, here's some pictures of my first week in Bangkok:
My buddy in the market. Bangkok, Thailand.
I'm still a good head taller than most Thais…
Cashew chicken and pad thai are the dishes of choice. You can get a plate for 30 Baht, about $1 USD!
Fresh fish! Lots of seafood in Thailand.
You know you're in Asia when there are seaweed flavored chips…
