Thailand Understand & Survival (Chapter) Edition 14th Edition, February 2012 Pages 106 PDF Page Range 695-791 Coverage includes: Understand Thailand, Thailand Today, History, The People & Culture, Thai Temples, Festivals, Eating in Thailand, Environment & Wildlife, Survival Guide, Directory, Transport and Glossary. Useful Links: Having trouble viewing your file? Head to Lonely Planet Troubleshooting. Need more assistance? Head to the Help and Support page. Want to find more chapters? Head back to the Lonely Planet Shop. Want to hear fellow travellers’ tips and experiences? Lonely Planet’s Thorntree Community is waiting for you! © Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd. To make it easier for you to use, access to this chapter is not digitally restricted. In return, we think it’s fair to ask you to use it for personal, non-commercial purposes only. In other words, please don’t upload this chapter to a peer-to-peer site, mass email it to everyone you know, or resell it. See the terms and conditions on our site for a longer way of saying the above - ‘Do the right thing with our content. ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Understand Thailand THAILAND TODAY . .696 Thailand’s economy has continued to boom despite the political uncertainty since the 2006 coup. HISTORY & POLITICS . .699 Great ancient kingdoms, religions and dynasties have left their mark on how this nation has evolved. THE PEOPLE & CULTURE . 721 Despite its outward homogeneity, many subtle regional dif- ferences exist in the country, often infl uened by Thailand’s neighbours. EATING IN THAILAND . 738 For many visitors, the amazing food is one of the main reasons for choosing Thailand as a destination. THE SEX INDUSTRY IN THAILAND . 746 Since the Vietnam War, Thailand has gained a reputation as an international sex-tourism destination. ENVIRONMENT & WILDLIFE. 749 Thailand’s border contains lush rainforest, weathered peaks, inviting fi sh-fi lled seas and those glorious islands and white- sand beaches. population per sq km 696 THAILAND USA UK ≈ 32 people Thailand Today Political Stability? After a fi ve-year period of political instability initiated by the 2006 coup d’état, Thailand has reached a political plateau with the 2011 general election. Ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s politically allied party, Puea Thai, won a clear majority of parliamentary seats, and his sister Yingluck Shinawatra, a political novice, was elected prime min- ister. She is Thailand’s fi rst female prime minister and this is the fi fth straight electoral win for a Thaksin-backed political party. The people have clearly spoken and so far there has been no resistance from opposi- tion groups or the military. Prime minister Yingluck’s fi rst days in offi ce set about fulfi lling cam- paign promises, such as raising the national minimum wage to 300B per day (a 30% increase), extending symbolic olive branches to the monarchy and the military and pledging to work towards national reconciliation. Thailand’s politi- Her appointments for the important cabinet-level positions of security cal protestors are and defence sidestepped hardliners in favour of two candidates who are divided into red believed to straddle the political/military divide. and yellow colour- The next question mark in Yingluck’s administration is if or when coded camps and they swap she will issue a pardon for Thaksin to return from exile. Currently he is anti-government barred from politics until 2012 and is evading a two-year prison term. So positions depend- far Thaksin has publicly stated that he has no plans to return to Thai- ing on which land, though this statement was made from Japan where he appeared group holds the to be on a diplomatic appointment. During the campaign, Thaksin de- prime minister’s chair. scribed his sister as his ‘clone’ and spoke of an indeterminate future when he would return to the country. According to an Asia Time’s ar- ticle (August 25, 2011), the government was described by a source as operating like a family business with Yingluck as the fi gurehead and Thaksin as the CEO. Do & Don’ts Top Films » Do take off your shoes when » Stand respectfully for the Uncle Boonmee Who Can Re- entering a home or temple. Be national anthem (unless you’re call His Past Lives (ApichatTop careful where you put your feet inside a home or building other pong Weerasethakul; 2010) Win- (considered filthy in Thailand). than a theatre). ner of Cannes 2010 Palm d’Or. » Don’t criticise the monarchy. » Dress modestly (cover to the Bangkok Traffi c Love Story » Do smile: it puts Thais at ease. elbows and ankles) for visits to (Adisorn Tresirikasem; 2009) Romantic comedy with public- » Don’t argue or get visibly angry; temples or buildings associated you’ll cause embarrassment. with the monarchy. transit message. belief systems if Thailand were 697 (% of population) 100 people 95 Buddhist 75 would be Thai 14 would be Chinese 11 would be Other 5 1 Muslim Christian Regardless of the division of power, Thais in general seem fatigued from the previous years’ political distress, which undermines a deep- seated sense of a unifi ed ‘Thai-ness’ and a cultural aversion to displays of violence and anger. Bangkokians, especially, are exhausted by the has- sles of traffi c jams and road closures that accommodate the seemingly » Population: endless exercise of freedom of assembly. 66.7 million During the height of the 2010 crisis, the Western press was intrigued » GDP: $580.3 by the apparent class divide that defi ned the two political sides: the billion proletariat (pro-Thaksin) Red Shirts and the aristocratic (anti-Thaksin) » GDP per Yellow Shirts. But Thai intellectuals feel this is an over-simplifi cation of capita: US$8700 the situation and that the lines aren’t as clearly drawn. In the middle of » the extremes are the uncolour coded Thais who have sympathies with Unemploy- ment: 1.2% both sides. They might agree with the Red Shirts on the grounds of » restoring democracy and disapproving of the military’s and the court’s Education spending: 4.1% meddling in politics, but they are sceptical of the Red Shirts’ unques- of GDP tioning loyalty to Thaksin. For the political troubles in Thailand’s south, see the boxed text, p 596 . The Ageing King Thais don’t often discuss the topic openly but many are worried about their beloved monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX). Now in his mid-80s, he is the world’s longest-serving king and is respected, and virtually worshipped, by his subjects. But as the king’s health has de- clined, his role in society has diminished. He has been hospitalised for nearly two years and his public appearances are so rare that they make laudatory coverage in Thai national news. In King Bhumibol’s more active years, he was viewed as a stabilising force in times of political crisis. But he has not exercised that role during Top Books Agrarian Utopia (Uruphong Very Thai (Philip Cornwell- Raksasad; 2009) The daily Smith) Colourful photos and rhythms and fi nancial struggles essays on Thailand’s quirks. of farmers in northern Thailand. Chronicle of Thailand (William White Buff alo (Shinoret Kham- Warren ) History of the last 50 wandee; 2011) A man returns to years. his Isan village to fi nd that all the local ladies love Western men. 698 THAILAND TODAY THAILAND TODAY the most recent political troubles, which are partly due to the impend- ing power vacuum that will result after his passing and the power-con- solidating eff orts of then-prime minister Thaksin. Beginning in 2006, the anti-Thaksin faction adopted the colour yellow, which is the colour associated with the king’s birthday, to signal their allegiance with the political interests of the monarchy. Losing the king will be a national tragedy: he has ruled for more than 60 years and defi ned through his life what many regarded as the mod- Thais who want ern Thai man (educated, family-oriented, philanthropic and even styl- to show that they ish). The heir apparent, his son the Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, has love the king but assumed many of the royal duties his father previously performed but don’t want to the ongoing political problems complicate a smooth transfer of crown claim a political identity now wear from father to son. pink shirts as a neutral colour. On Tefl on Economy his most recent From an economic perspective, you’d never know that Thailand is so public appear- politically divided. The former Asian tiger economy has moved into the ance, the king himself also wore new millennium as a Tefl on economy: misfortune doesn’t seem to stick. a pink shirt. Outside forces – the global recession, a weakening US dollar – had some negative eff ects on the economy. In 2008 to 2009, manufacturing and exports, which constitute about half of GDP, took a dip but rebounded a year later with a growth rate that rivalled the boom times of the mid- 1990s. With or without democracy, investors remain confi dent in the country, and tourism continues to grow despite the bloody Bangkok clashes in 2010. High growth is expected for 2011, meaning that unem- ployment remains relatively low and that Thais continue to experience stable and increasing standards of living. Modernisation marches on. 699 History & Politics History Thai history begins as a story of migrants heading into a frontier land claimed by distant empires for trade, forced labour and patronage. Eventually the nascent country develops its own powerful entities that unite feuding localities and begins to fuse a national identity around language, religion and monarchy. The kings resist colonisation from the expansionist Western powers on its border only to cede their absolute grip on the country when challenged from forces within.