The Best Of Thailand: The Best Thailand Ever

Thailand ( or /?ta?l?nd/Merriam-Webster Online; Ratcha Anachak Thai, ) is an independent country that lies in the heart of Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and the southern extremity of Burma. Its maritime boundaries include Vietnam in the Gulf of Thailand to the southeast and Indonesia and India in the Andaman Sea to the southwest.

The country is a kingdom, a constitutional monarchy with King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the ninth king of the House of Chakri, who has reigned since 1946, making him the world's longest-serving current head of state and the longest-reigning monarch in Thai history. The king is officially titled as the Head of State, the Head of the Armed Forces, an Upholder of the Buddhist religion, and the Defender of all Faiths. The largest city in Thailand is Bangkok, the capital, which is also the country's center of political, commercial, industrial and cultural activities.

Thailand is the world's 50th largest country in terms of total area (slightly smaller than Yemen and slightly larger than Spain), with a surface area of approximately 513,000 km2 (198,000 sq mi), and the 21st most-populous country, with approximately 64 million people. About 75% of the population is ethnically Thai, 14% is of Chinese origin, and 3% is ethnically Malay;CIA World Factbook Thailand, CIA World Factbook. the rest belong to minority groups including Mons, Khmers and various hill tribes. There are approximately 2.2 million legal and illegal migrants in Thailand.THAILAND: Burmese migrant children missing out on education. IRIN Asia. June 15, 2009. Thailand has also attracted a number of expatriates from developed countries.Hard lessons in expat paradise. BBC News. December 14, 2006. The country's official language is Thai.

Thailand has a prevalence of Buddhism that ranks among the highest in the world. The national religion is Theravada Buddhism which is practiced by more than 94.7% of all Thais. Muslims make up 4.6% of the population and 0.7% belong to other religions.Population by religion, sex, area and region, National Statistic Office of Thailand. Culture and traditions in Thailand are significantly influenced by India, as are Burma, Laos and Cambodia. Thailand experienced rapid economic growth between 1985 and 1995 and is a newly industrialized country with tourism, due to world-class tourist destinations such as Pattaya, Bangkok, and Phuket, and exports contributing significantly to the economy.Thailand and the World Bank, World Bank on Thailand country overview.The Guardian, Country profile: Thailand, 25 April 2009.