At this point in our preview of nations to come, we've reached our final (we think) continent. But who knows what can happen next. Our first port of call has gone from Ireland to Turkey to Albania, so who really knows what's in store 10 months from now. However, at this point, the plan is…
Love Nation #9: Thailand
A lil' History
One of the most interesting features of Thailand's history is the fact that it is the only country in Southeast Asia that can make the claim that it was never colonized by a European nation… something the Thai people take great pride in.
Thailand was known as Siam (Sanskrit for "dark" or "brown") until 1939, when the official name was changed to Thailand (named for the Thai people in the central plains of the country). Oddly enough, the country was renamed Siam from 1945 to 1949, when it was once again named Thailand.
Thailand had a military alliance with Japan in the 1940's, and officially declared war on the United States in 1942 in order to assist the Japanese in its war against the allied forces.
After the war, Thailand emerged as an ally of the United States and went through decades of instability, thanks to numerous coups d'etat, but eventually progressed to a stable democracy in the 1980's.
Religion in Thailand
The dominant religion in Thailand is Buddhism, specifically Theravada Buddhism, which is one of the oldest sects of Buddhism, and is the most closely related to original Buddhist sects.
Buddhists make up 94.6% of the Thai population, while Muslims make up another 4.6% of Thailand. The remaining .8% consist of small pockets of Christianity, Hindi, Sikhism, and oddly enough, Judaism.
What we're doing in Thailand
Sadly, Thailand has grown to be one of the most popular destinations for sex-tourism in the world. Of all the countries along our route, Thailand is in the greatest need for assistance in raising awareness for trafficking, and getting the government motivated to put their forces to work in bringing an end to human trafficking.
It's very possible that we may work heavily with anti-trafficking organizations, or possibly working with orphans and schools.
Why I'm Excited
Thailand ranks up there with one of the countries on our route that I know the least about. Though the more I look into the country, it seems that there is loads of natural beauty to be seen in Thailand.
Also, this time in Asia will be very impactful on my heart, as I have a great desire to fight human trafficking in the future, so I look forward to learning more about the ministries at work in Thailand.
Fun Facts
Muay Thai, an ancient form of boxing, is Thailand's national sport.
Siamese cats are native to Thailand.
The world's smallest mammal, the Craseonycteris thonglongyai (bumble bat) is native to Thailand.
A medicine man named Hoo Sateow has the world's longest documented hair-16'11".
The longest name of any city in the world is the official name of Thailand's capital city, Bangkok.It's true name is, "Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphimanawatansathit Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit", which 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"… but you already knew that.
