23 Fun Facts About Thailand - The Land of Smiles (2024)

Even if you’ve never had the pleasure of visiting Thailand, you likely know that it’s home tosome of the world’s mostbeautifulbeaches, friendliest people, andtastiest dishes.Located in Southeast Asia, Thailand is officially known as the Kingdom of Thailand.

While these reasons are more than enough to convince you to see Thailand for yourself, there’s nothing like somefun facts to show what makes a country and its people truly unique. And trust us,if you thought thatthe ‘Land of Smiles’ was like nowhere on earth before,just wait till you get a load of these weird fun facts!

From curious customsto language linguistics, keep reading to learn more about all these Thailand facts!

Fun Facts About Thailand

1. Bangkok’s Real Name Is a Real Mouthful

Only foreigners call Thailand’scapital city Bangkok. In Thai, its real name isKrung Thep. But, even that’sa shortened version of thecity’s full name: The offical name of Bangkok is one of the longest names in the world! Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom. Try sayingthat after a glass of SangSom!Read more: Thailand Travel Tips – 32 Things to Know Before you Go

Krung Thep translates as ‘City of Angels’, while Bangkok actually means ‘village of wild plums’, so you can see why Thais prefer the former.Check out Ultimate 3 Days in Bangkok – A Local’s guide to The Perfect Bangkok Itinerary

2. Bangkok Was Once the ‘Venice of the East’

While we’re on the subject of Bangkok/Krung Thep, would you believe that the city used to be built on stilts overlooking canals? As in Venice, these waterways or ‘khlongs’ served as the main travel and transport routes for the city. Now, most of these canals have been filled, although there are still floating markets for tourists and locals to enjoy on the outskirts of the city.Read more: 27 Best Things to do in Bangkok, Thailand – Plus Insider Local Tips

3. ThaisAdore Their Royal Family

Thai people have the utmost adoration and respect for their royal family, which is just as well since it’s consideredtreasonto criticize or show disrespect to any member of the monarchy.

You’ll also find that Mother’s Day in Thailand is held on the Queen’s birthday while Father’s Day is held on the King’s birthday, with both days celebrated by Thais all over the country in honor of their beloved monarchs.Read more: Thailand Travel Tips – 32 Things to Know Before you Go

4.Around 95 Percent of ThaisAre Buddhist

AlthoughThailand doesn’t have an official religion, around 95 percent of the population is Buddhist.And, as the ‘guardian of the faith’, the Thai King must always be Buddhist.Read more about Wat Suan Dok Temple at 35 of the Best Things to do in Chiang Mai, Thailand

5. Thailand Is Home to the World’s Largest Solid Gold Buddha

One of the most impressive sights in Thailand has to be the 15-foot-tall golden statue ofPhra Phuttha Maha Suwana Patimakon.Although looters stole from temples throughout the centuries, thisstatue was covered in stucco and was saved as a result.

If you see one Buddha statue, make it this one, not least because it’s worth millions of dollars and weighs an impressive 5.5 tons. You can find it at Bangkok’s Wat Traimit.See it as part of this Bangkok Itinerary.

6.MostThais Have a Nickname

Most Thai people have two names – their full, official name and their nickname. But, unlike in other countries where a nickname is usually just a shortened version of your real name,Thai nicknamesare meaningful and chosen by your parents at birth.

Thai parents will often choose names with significance in Thai or words that they like the sound of in foreign languages.Some common nicknames include Bank, Neung (one),and Benz forboys and Tangmo (watermelon), Chompoo (rose apple), and Nan.

7. The Thai Language Has 76 Letters

If you love learning fun facts about language,Thai has plenty of unique and interesting features.

There are 76 letters in the Thai alphabet, including 44 consonants and 32 vowels!Thai also hasfive tones, making it very difficult to learn. To our Western ears, a lot of tones sound the same but getting an inflection wrong can make all the difference.

For example, ‘s?ai’ with a rising tone means lovely or pretty, but ‘suai’ with a mid-tone means unlucky. For a non-Thai native, it’s easy toconfuse these similar sounds. But doing so could obviously land you in trouble!

8. Monkeys Rule in Lopburi

Ever wanted to visit a city run by monkeys? If so, you should head to Lopburi, where macaque monkeysrule the city’s old town neighborhood.

Themonkey business gets evenweirder in Novemberduring the annual‘Monkey Banquet Festival’ at Lopburi’s Pra Prang Sam Yot temple.

It might not beas fun as the legendarySongkran festival,but watching 600 monkeys feast on menus of rice, salads, tropical fruit, sausages, and even ice cream is a real must-see!Localsholdit to thank thefurry creaturesfor the tourists they bring to the city and because of the luck they thinkit will bring them to treat the monkeys with respect.

9. Thailand was Known as Siam and Siamese Cats Came from there

Thailand was known as Siam until 1939 when it was changed to Thailand. But it was changed back to Siam for a short period from 1945 – 1949 until it settled on its current name. But did you know that Siamese cats originated in Thailand? That explains the name for you! Siamese cats are considered lucky in Thailand.

10. Rice Is a Staple at Every Meal

To Thai people, rice is such a staple that it stands alone as its own category. Rather than a type of food, it’s an essential part of every meal, including breakfast.

In fact, a common way to greet people translates as ‘Have you eaten rice?’, while saying you’re hungry in Thai has the literal meaning, ‘I want to eat rice.’

11. Thailand Was Never Colonized by Europeans

As this impressive feat shows, random fun facts can be educational too!

Unlikeneighboring Southeast Asian countries Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Malaysia, Thailand wasnever colonizedby Europeans. It seems apt, then, that Thailand’s name in Thai is Prathet Thai,which translatesas‘Land of the Free’.

12. ThaisEat WithSpoons and Forks

First-time visitors to Thailand are often surprised to see a distinct lack of chopsticks.But the truth is that Thais only use chopsticks when eating Chinese food.

Otherwise,they use a spoon as their main utensil for eating and cutting, while they use a fork to push food onto their spoon.

13. Heads Are Sacred and Feet Are Lowly

Thai culture considers the head as the most important part of the body. As such, you should never touch someone else’s head, not even a child’s.

At the other end of the body,Thais considerfeetto be lowly. Feet are seen as symbols of our attachment to the earth, linking our human bodies to suffering and struggle. For this reason, you should never put your feet up on a table and show the soles of your shoes. Andusing your feet to point at another person or a temple statue is considered the height of rudeness.

14. The National Anthem Is Played Twice a Day

If you’re ever in a public place at 8 am or 6 pm, be prepared tostand up, stop what you’re doing, and keep silent as the national anthem plays. These times mark the raising and lowering of the Thai flag, and it’s considered offensive to talk or remain seated when the anthem is playing.Also note that the Thai National Anthem plays before every movie. Be sure to stand up, watch the video that goes with it and remain silent.

15. Deep-Fried co*ckroaches Are a Popular Snack

Thailand is a popular spot forculinary travel, and with good reasons. The intense combinations of flavors used in Thai cooking make sampling local delights a real treat for all the senses.

But, there are some Thai favorites that take a little more getting used to, including deep-fried co*ckroaches and other insects. Many tourists try them out on the Khao San Road for a dare but they’re actually not a gimmick like many foreigners think. At fairs and markets all over the country,you’ll see Thais tucking into a bag of fried insects in the same way we’d munch on candies or potato chips.

16. Be Careful With Your Hands

It’s not just pointing or gesturing with your feet that’s rude in Thai culture. Using your index finger to point at another person is also unacceptable.

Thais also consider the beckoning motion we use in the West as impolite.Rather than facing your palm up and moving your fingers to beckon, you should tell people to come closer with your palm facing down.

As for shaking hands, while it’s not rude,you won’t see any Thais doing it. Instead, they do the ‘wai’, where they place their hands together and lift them up to their faces while lowering their heads in a bow. The higher you raise your hands, the more respect you show.

17. Expect To Keep Your Clothes on During a Thai Massage

Although you’ll often see massage beds on many of Thailand’s busier beaches, a traditionalThai massageis usually performed with loose and comfortable clothing still on.

Unlike other forms of massage, the Thai technique involves stretching and twisting your body using a sequence of yoga-like movements. Often, your therapist will use the weight of their whole body to put you in various positions and work your entire body foran unforgettable relaxing experience.

18. Home Cooking Isn’t Common

How about this for one of the most surprising weird fun facts?Thai people rarely cook food athome, especially if they live in big cities like Bangkok.Many Thais live in small apartments where there isn’t room for much of a kitchen beyond a sink and a fridge for essentials.

What’s more, eating out is so cheap that it’s often more affordable to eat a typical street dish than it is to buy the ingredients and make it yourself.And, since Thais don’t like to eat by themselves, they’re often motivated to head out to eat for company as well as convenience and cost.Read more: 9 Massively Tasty Thai Dishes

Fun Facts About Thailand to Impress Your Friends

Thailand Facts 19 – 22

And now it is time for the lightening round of Fast Thailand facts.

• 19. Thailand hosts the world’s largest waterfight called Songkran. Read more here Songkran Festival
• 20. Thailand is the world’s largest exporter of orchids. It’s no wonder, there are 1500 orchid species that grow in the wild in The Kingdom of Thailand.
• 21. Thailand is also the world’s largest exporter of rice (by value) India is #1 but Thailand exports more expensive Jasmine rice.
• 22. There are 40,000 temples in Thailand – When visiting temples in Thailand, be sure to cover up!
• 23. The smallest mammal in the world is located in Thailand. The bumblebee bat is the smallest mammal on earth and we have never seen one while traveling Thailand.

As these fun facts about Thailand show, it sure is a fascinating country!

If learning aboutthis special slice of Southeast Asiahas inspired your wanderlust, be sure to take a look at ourThailand travel guidefor all the best tips and tricks.

Or, for moregeneral travel tips and information, feel free tocontact ustoday!