ประเทศไทย หรือชื่อทางการว่า ราชอาณาจักรไทย

ประเทศไทย หรือชื่อทางการว่า ราชอาณาจักรไทย เป็นรัฐชาติอันตั้งอยู่บนคาบสมุทรอินโดจีนและมลายู ในภูมิภาคเอเชียตะวันออกเฉียงใต้ มีพรมแดนด้านตะวันออกติดประเทศลาวและประเทศกัมพูชา ทิศใต้เป็นแดนต่อแดนประเทศมาเลเซียและอ่าวไทย ทิศตะวันตกติดทะเลอันดามันและประเทศพม่า และทิศเหนือติดประเทศพม่าและลาว มีแม่น้ำโขงกั้นเป็นบางช่วง ปกครองด้วยระบอบประชาธิปไตยแบบมีรัฐสภา มีศูนย์กลางการบริหารราชการแผ่นดินอยู่ที่กรุงเทพมหานคร และการปกครองส่วนภูมิภาค จัดระเบียบเป็น 76 จังหวัด

ประเทศไทยมีขนาดใหญ่เป็นอันดับที่ 50 ของโลก มีเนื้อที่ 513,115 ตารางกิโลเมตร และมีประชากรมากเป็นอันดับที่ 20 ของโลก คือ ประมาณ 66 ล้านคน กับทั้งยังเป็นประเทศอุตสาหกรรมใหม่ โดยมีรายได้หลักจากภาคอุตสาหกรรมและการบริการ ไทยมีแหล่งท่องเที่ยวที่มีชื่อเสียงเป็นอันมาก อาทิ พัทยา, ภูเก็ต, กรุงเทพมหานคร และเชียงใหม่ ซึ่งสร้างรายได้ให้แก่ประเทศ เช่นเดียวกับการส่งออกอันมีส่วนสำคัญในการพัฒนาเศรษฐกิจ และด้วยจีดีพีของประเทศ ซึ่งมีมูลค่าราว 334,026 ล้านดอลลาร์สหรัฐ ตามที่ประมาณใน พ.ศ. 2553 เศรษฐกิจของประเทศไทยนับว่าใหญ่เป็นอันดับที่ 30 ของโลก

ในอาณาเขตประเทศไทย พบหลักฐานของมนุษย์ซึ่งมีอายุเก่าแก่ที่สุดถึงห้าแสนปี นักประวัติศาสตร์มักถือว่าอาณาจักรสุโขทัยเป็นจุดเริ่มต้นของประวัติศาสตร์ไทย ซึ่งต่อมาตกอยู่ในอิทธิพลของอาณาจักรอยุธยา อันมีความยิ่งใหญ่กว่า และมีการติดต่อกับชาติตะวันตก อาณาจักรอยุธยามีอายุยืนยาว 417 ปีก็เสื่อมอำนาจและล่มสลายไปโดยสิ้นเชิง สมเด็จพระเจ้ากรุงธนบุรีทรงกอบกู้เอกราชและสถาปนาอาณาจักรธนบุรี เหตุการณ์ความวุ่นวายในช่วงปลายอาณาจักร นำไปสู่ยุคสมัยของราชวงศ์จักรีแห่งกรุงรัตนโกสินทร์

ช่วงต้นกรุง ประเทศเผชิญภัยคุกคามจากชาติใกล้เคียง แต่หลังรัชสมัยพระบาทสมเด็จพระจอมเกล้าเจ้าอยู่หัวเป็นต้นมา ชาติตะวันตกเริ่มมีอิทธิพลในภูมิภาคเป็นอย่างมาก นำไปสู่การเข้าเป็นภาคีแห่งสนธิสัญญาหลายฉบับ และการเสียดินแดนบางส่วน กระนั้น ไทยก็ยังธำรงตนมิได้เป็นอาณานิคมของชาติใด ๆ ต่อมาจนช่วงสงครามโลกครั้งที่หนึ่ง ไทยได้เข้าร่วมกับฝ่ายสัมพันธมิตร และในปี พ.ศ. 2475 ได้มีการปฏิวัติเปลี่ยนแปลงจากระบอบสมบูรณาญาสิทธิราชมาเป็นประชาธิปไตย และไทยได้เข้ากับฝ่ายอักษะในระหว่างสงครามโลกครั้งที่สอง จนช่วงสงครามเย็น ไทยได้ดำเนินนโยบายเป็นพันธมิตรกับสหรัฐอเมริกา ทหารเข้ามามีบทบาทในการเมืองไทยอย่างมากหลังปฏิวัติสยามอยู่หลายสิบปี กระทั่งมีการตั้งรัฐบาลพลเรือน และเข้าสู่ยุคโลกเสรีในปัจจุบัน

By http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thailand

An introduction to dating Phuket women

An introduction to dating Phuket women

by Alex Wright

There are so many beautiful Thai women in Phuket that it can be overwhelming for Western men seeking Thai dates. A lot of the women in Phuket are bar girls, but what if you want to date someone who isn't part of Phuket's bustling nightlife scene? The answer may come in the form of a Phuket dating agency.

If you want to meet women in Phuket, employing the services of a Thai dating site is usually a good way to go. Through these websites it's possible to meet hundreds of beautiful Thai women, all looking for love and companionship.

Phuket dating can be so easy if you just relax and go with the flow. The large number of Thailand dating services on offer means that meeting single Thai women is no longer the burden it once was - it also means that you don't have to resort to meeting girls in bars.

There are lots of Phuket women signed up with these Thailand dating sites. You can meet them online and spend a bit of time getting to know them through email and chat. Soon enough, you'll probably find yourself going on your first date with a Phuket woman.

You will both be as excited and nervous as each other, so just enjoy the moment, have dinner, catch a movie and enjoy your time together. Many Thai women seeking marriage use these dating agencies, so you might just find yourself a partner for life.

The Internet is full of stories about men who met their sweethearts online and went on to live happily ever after. It might sound like a fairytale, but the Phuket dating scene is always full of surprises. Dating Phuket women is fun and there's no time like the present, especially if you are planning a trip to the magical Thai island.

http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=1352549

How safe is Patong Beach for tourists?

How safe is Patong Beach for tourists?

by Prabhat

Patong is the most popular part of Phuket, but as with any holiday destination, where you have a mass of tourists, you have a few risks, especially as Patong is party town and everyone is trying to make a quick buck.

The roads in Patong are always full of bikes, cars, vans, buses and trucks. If you're planning on riding a motorbike around Patong, take extreme care. The number of people who drink and drive is scary and there is a death on the roads of Phuket every day.

Far too often, tourists who don't really know how to ride a motorbike arrive in Patong, get drunk and then cruise around, only to end up smashing into something or someone.

Be especially careful about riding alone late at night, especially if traveling out of Patong. There have been cases of people being kicked off their bikes and mugged in the early hours of the morning. The muggers usually carry knives or guns, so don't put up a fight.

Also take care while walking, even on the sidewalk, as motorcyclists have been known to inadvertently clip pedestrians.

When you're staying at a hotel, there's a tendency to think that anything left if your room is secure. However, this is not always the case, even if you leave items in a room safe. Try not to leave anything valuable in your room and certainly don't leave money anywhere. There have been numerous reports of money and items going missing from room safes in Patong.

Whatever you do, don't aggravate the tuk-tuk drivers. People have been beaten in the street for parking in the wrong place and refusing to move, for not paying a fare, or for becoming aggressive during a negotiation. It's not worth landing yourself in hospital for the sake of proving a point.

Pickpockets operate in Patong so keep your belongings close to you at all times. Also be wary of ladyboys that approach you and try to grab onto your arm. Some cunning ladyboys even flash passers-by as a diversionary tactic. Only in Thailand.

Food is generally safe in Patong, including food sold on the street. Use common sense when eating out. If something looks or tastes like it isn't cooked then don't eat it. Even residents in Patong get food poisoning from time to time.

Perhaps the biggest concern is the passing on of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The alcohol-fuelled environment in Patong can lead to people having sex without using contraception. This is especially dangerous for men courting Patong's bar girls. HIV/Aids and other STDs all exist in Patong.

Keep your wits about you and you'll be sure to have a great time in Patong. Phuket is generally safe for tourists, but every now and then a story pops up that reminds us all to stay on our toes. Patong is also family friendly, although the exotic nightlife and occasional pestering make some of the other areas of the island more appealing, especially if traveling with younger children.

http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=1355773

A Rocker's Guide to Phuket

A Rocker's Guide to Phuket

by Gen Wright

Fans of rock music will certainly not be disappointed with a trip to Phuket. The island has a vibrant live-music scene that covers most of the bases, from jazz through to good old rock n roll. If you'd rather mosh to rock than bop to dance beats, there are a few clubs and pubs you ought to know about.

Although it's something of a cliché on the island, Rock City on the beach road in Patong is an established rock club that caters to a primarily tourist clientele. As soon as you see the enormous gorilla above the entrance, you know you're in for a treat, and Rock City delivers.

Rock City is a fun kind of place with bands comprising of locals, Aussies, Swedes, Filipinos and so on. There are usually three or four bands on per night and each has a different style and character. You won't hear any original songs at this Phuket club, but you will be able to dance away to the links of Bon Jovi, Metallica, ACDC and Guns n Roses, as well as a few more-modern bands.

As if one Rock City in Patong wasn't enough, there is now a second venue at the top of Soi Bangla, on the opposite from the beach. It's much the same as the original Rock City, but the acoustics are a little bit different. Expect to drink and dance until about 2 am.

Although it's primarily a jazz club, Karma Lounge in Kata is a fun live-music venue where the music sometimes drifts into rock. The vibes are always positive at this Phuket club and people get down until the early hours of the morning.

Of course, no trip to Phuket would be complete without sampling the local rock scene. Although there aren't many bands in Phuket penning and playing their own songs, there are a lot of decent cover bands playing in local clubs.

9 Richter in Phuket Town is a good place to catch Thai live music. The venue also hosts special events with famous stars from the Thai rock and indie scenes.

Also in Phuket Town is Blue Marina, at the TK Hotel. This is an exciting club popular with young people in Phuket. The music is always fast and fun, plus Blue Marina also hosts special events with popular bands.

The majority of Phuket's rock clubs can be found in Patong. It usually takes a little stroll around the area to find somewhere playing live music. The quality of the bands varies considerably and there is an unhealthy obsession with the likes of Bon Jovi, but it's all in the holiday spirit and the drink are cheap and even the Thais seem to have a good time.

http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=1361942

What are Thailand's main tourist attractions and activities?

What are Thailand's main tourist attractions and activities?

by Farazila Abu

Bangkok

Most people spend a few days in the Thai capital, but many find the pollution, traffic congestion and chaotic street life extremely wearing. There's plenty to take you off the street, however, including the glittering Grand Palace compound and its beautiful gigantic Reclining Buddha; the comprehensively stocked National Museum; the massive Chatuchak weekend market; with over eight thousand different nightlife that suns the full range from cutting-edge clubs to depressing strip joints.

Beaches

Thailand's beaches are among the world's best. You'll find the most developed and expensive resorts, and some of the finest sands, on the islands of Ko Samui and Phuket, while backpakers tend to head for the more budget oriented Ko Pha Ngan, Ko Tao, Ko Lanta and Ko Mook. Krabi's Railay beaches are nothing short of stunning, Ko Samet makes and easy and economical break from Bangkok and Ko Chang is handy for travelers headingin and out of Cambodia.

Trekking

Unlike the organized treks in the Himalayas, Thailand's "hill-tribe treks" focus on the ethnic-minority villages that you walk to, rather than on the walking itself or the scenery. The hill tribes live way out in the sticks, but their villages are connected by tracks, so the hiking is not difficult. Most treks last two to four days and feature nights in the villages, as well as an elephant ride and river rafting. The main trekking centres are the northern cities of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, but routes out of both are hugely over subscribed, so it's better to start from Mae Hing Sin, Pai, Kanchanaburi or Umphang instead, where trails are quieter and more rewarding.

The ruined former capitals of Sukhothai and Ayutthaya

Dating from the thirteen century, Sukhothai is a beautiful example og thoughtful city planning enlivened by lakes and elegant statues of the Buddha. The 300-year-old temples and palaces of Ayutthaya display a refined mix of Hindu and Buddhist sculpture and are fun to explore by bicycle. Both sets of ruins are now conserved as historical parks. There are plenty of sobering World War II sights in the town, as well as reasonable range of trekking, rafting and cycle options that make the most or the fine river scenery, plus some appealing rafthouse accommodation too.

Kanchanaburi

Sited on the banks of the River Kwai, the town is most famous for its role as a POW camp in World War II and for its bridge, whose destruction by the Allied Forces was immortalized in Davis Lean's movie. There are plenty of sobering World War II sights in the town, as well as a reasonable range of trekking, rafting and cycling options that make the most of the fine river scenery, plus some appealing rafthouse accommodation too

Khao Sok National Park

Here you can sleep in a tree house under limestone karst, wake to the sound ogf the hooting gibbons, and take an adventure tour via waterlogged caves and jungles trails to a lake

The ancient Khmer temple of Phanom Rung

This exquisite pink sandstone complex was built in the tenth century as a blueprint for the Angkor temples across the border in Cambodia

Thai massage

Enjoy a traditional massage at Bangkok's Wat Pho temple, then learn the techniques yourself at a course in Bangkok or Chiang Mai.

Snorkelling and diving off the remote Similan Islands

The turquoise water, powdery sands and banks of coral are regularly visited by sharks, rays and turtles

The Mae Hong Song loop

Hire a motor bike and spend as many days as you can spare on the circular 600-kilometre route through the glorious upland scenery of the remote northwest

Kayaking along the Krabi coastline

An exhilarating way of exploring the spectacularly craggy outcrops and remote uninhabited islands of the south west-coast

Sang Khom

It's great to just chill out in this idyllis tree-shaded little town on the Mekong river, where you can hire bicycles to visit traditional local villages and mess about on the water in inner tubes and dugout canoes

Pai

This laid back north-Thai town has a distinct New Age air and is the perfect place to take some courses in alternative therapies, browse the art shops and arrange a trek.

Full-moon beach party

Join the hordes for the monthly full-moon parties on Ko Pha Ngan, an infamous back-packers' beach rave attracts up to 30,000 clubbers.

http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=1371968

Things to do in Phuket

Things to do in Phuket

by Alex Wright

Phuket is an action-packed place to go on holiday. There are so many things to do in Phuket. Whether you like your kicks adrenaline-fuelled or you're into more subdued activities, there's no way you could ever be bored during a vacation in Phuket.

One of most popular things to do in Phuket is diving. Phuket is revered as one of the world's top-10 diving destinations. Diving in Phuket is a great activity thanks to warm, clear waters and an abundance of marine life, corals and rock formations.

There are lots of great dive spots around the coast of Phuket. Shark Point, for example, is where divers often come across leopard sharks. Nearby, the King Cruiser wreck where the remains of an 85-meter catamaran can be explored. North of Shark Point is Anemone Reef, which is a large, submerged rock covered with sea anemones.

Snorkeling is another fun activity to experience during a visit to Phuket. Snorkel equipment can be hired at most of the beaches. Kata Beach and Freedom Beach are two particularly good spots for snorkeling in Phuket.

Sticking with an aquatic theme, surfing is a sport that has grown in popularity in recent years in Phuket. There's now a fully active surf community ready to tear it up on the waves whenever the swell is big enough. Kata Beach is widely regarded as Phuket's best surfing beach.

Whether you're a beginner or more advanced, surfing in Phuket is always a lot of fun. Other beaches worth checking out include Kata Noi, Laem Singh and Kalim Beach. There are several surf contests in Phuket throughout the year, so there's no excuse not to get involved.

Jet-skis are, unfortunately, also common at Phuket's main beach spots. No doubt it's tempting to speed through the waves, but the noise disturbance is a real turn-off for anyone enjoying the sun, sea and sand. There have also been several incidents of people riding jet-skis into helpless swimmers.

If you're looking for more conventional things to do in Phuket, there are several cinemas, a handful of bowling alleys and a couple of shooting ranges. The Patong Go-Kart Speedway is always good for a bit of fun, especially if you're with a large group of friends.

As with many of Southeast Asia's most popular destinations, there are several places where you can go bungee jumping. Jungle Bungee Jump and World Bungee Jumping are two operators ready to let you take a leap of faith while in Phuket.

http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=1372016

Have fun in gay Patong

Have fun in gay Patong

by Alex Wright

Patong has become synonymous with nightlife in Phuket. There are beer bars, discos, go-go bars and nightclubs all over the area. What you may not be aware of is that Patong also has a bustling gay scene. Gay Patong is full-on fun - and even if you're not gay, it's definitely worth a look because it's where you'll find some of the best parties in Phuket.

The action of gay Patong primarily takes place at the Paradise Complex located in front of the Royal Paradise Hotel on Rat-U-Thit Road. Paradise Complex is a huge mass of gay-friendly venues. The place never sleeps, although during the day the area has a laidback kind of vibe.

Gay Patong is like a playground for gay travellers. There are several hotels and guesthouses that cater to a primarily gay clientele, although all genders and preferences are welcome.

There are also gay-friendly gyms, restaurants, Internet shops, massage parlours and so on. Paradise complex has more than 50 different venues, each offering something unique. During the day, there's a market where you can buy clothing and various odds and ends.

But people don't go to gay Patong just for shopping - they go to party. Paradise Complex has an ensemble of the island's best cabaret shows. If you've never seen a cabaret show, it's definitely worth trying at least once, just for the experience. The boys in the shows spend hours rehearsing every day, so expect lots of dancing, lip-syncing and general tomfoolery.

Phuket Simon Cabaret is known for some of the island's most elaborate cabaret shows. Anther venue you shouldn't miss is Uncle Charlie's, which is more of the same.

While Soi Bangla is home to most of Patong's "straight" go-go bars, Paradise Complex has the gay equivalent. If you don't have a desire to see rows of young Thai men gyrating on stage, don't go. However, if that sounds like you're idea of fun, try out Sparacus, CU Tonight and My Way.

The party scene isn't all about looking at gorgeous Thai boys, though. Paradise Complex has some fantastic nightclubs. Boat Bar is the place to go if you like your beats tough and techno. The island's finest DJs spin at boat bar and the parties usually go on well into the AM.

Karaoke bars are also popular with the Patong gay community. If you've had a bit to drink then no doubt a quick blast on the mic will be in order. Wow Café and Karaoke is the place to go.

You don't have to be gay to enjoy gay Patong, so give Paradise Complex a look next time you're in Patong.

http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=1374529