Thailand

Country Name: Kingdom of Thailand

Capital City: Bangkok

Population: 10% (2004 est.)

Population Growth: 0.663% (2007 est.)

Currency: baht (THB)

Languages: Thai, English (secondary language of the elite)

Area: 514,000 sq km

Inflation Rate: 5.1% (2006 est.)

Unemployment Rate: 2.1% (2006)

Domain extension:

THAILAND MAIN

Thailand, Bangkok
Bangkok, despite being the business center of Thailand and South East Asia is regarded as one of the most relaxed and laidback cities in the world. It is regarded by many tourists as exotic and adventurous and is constantly rated top the top destination in travel magazines. However, amidst awards for the highest amount of 5-star hotels and hotspots for tourists, Bangkok and Thailand overall has seen a decline in tourist visits. In the past decade, Bangkok's growing influence in services and finances has helped boost the overall amount of tourist arrivals but due to the recent political turmoil and its increasingly more violent means, Bangkok has seen a drop in tourist numbers. But despite this, Bangkok's charm lies in its history, culture and cosmopolitan.The strong Thai culture mixed with centuries of an ever-present European imperialism has shaped Bangkok into the city it is today. Although it is not the most visited city in Asia, it is by far the most tourist oriented and culturally diverse city in East Asia. This continues to be the case as expats choose Bangkok as their regional bases.