What day is Thailand's Independence Day?

Thailand does not celebrate an independence day, but it does celebrate a national day. Right now, the country celebrates the birthday of its king on 5 December. Thailand's national day changes depending on the king's birthday.

ii.Religion: Main article: Religion in ThailandThailand religiosity[62] religion Buddhism Islam 4.6% 0.1% 0.7% percent 94.6%

Christianity Others

Thailand has a prevalence of Buddhism that ranks among the highest in the world. The national religion is Theravada Buddhism. According to the last census (2000) 94.6% of the total population are Buddhists of the Theravada tradition. Muslims are the second largest religious group in Thailand at 4.6%.[63][64] Thailand's southernmost provinces Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and part of Songkhla Chumphon have dominant Muslim populations, consisting of both ethnic Thai and Malay. The southern tip of Thailand is mostly ethnically Malay, and most Malays are Sunni Muslims. Christians represent 0.7% of the population. A tiny but influential community of Sikhs in Thailand and some Hindus also live in the country's cities, and are heavily engaged in retail commerce. There is also a small Jewish community in Thailand, dating back to the 17th century.

v.Thai literature was traditionally heavily influenced by Indian culture. Thailand's national epic is a version of the Ramayana called the Ramakien. A number of versions of the epic were lost in the destruction of Ayutthaya in 1767. Three versions currently exist: one of these was prepared under the supervision (and partly written by) King Rama I. His son, Rama II, rewrote some parts for khon drama. The main differences from the original are an extended role for the monkey god Hanuman and the addition of a happy ending. shoRt story

Ride to Heaven: The chariot of the late Princess Galyani Vadhana Princess Galyani Vadhana By:Willard G. Van De Bogart October 22, 2008 Photography: Willard Van De Bogart Photograph of Princess Galyani from Nation Newspaper

Princess Galyani, the elder sister of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, passed away on Jan 2, 2008. Ever since that day Thailand has been in mourning and all government employees wore black for the first 100 days. If you are not from Thailand it is very difficult to understand the significance of the passing of Princess Galyani and the effect she had on the people of Thailand.

King Bhumibol is called The King of Hearts and is the longest reigning monarch in the world. Since age fourteen, when he ascended the throne, he has looked after the peoples needs in Thailand. The royal families religious beliefs are governed in great part by Hindu rituals as well as ceremonial protocol which was used by the kings of the late Khmer Empire especially those between 1100 and 1300AD. The fusion of ritual and ceremony defines the current belief structure of the royal family with the chief Brahmin priest, Phra Rajaguru Vamadevamuni, leading the rituals for Princess Galyani.

The passing of Princess Galyani set the stage for the most elaborate royal ceremony ever to be seen by the Thai people. In a world constantly being subjected to the forces of sectarian strife, economic instability and political turmoil the Royal Family of Thailand appears set in another time or even in another world. The monarchy in Thailand is for all accounts neutral in its response to any political strife but shows immense humanitarian support in times of natural disasters and high profile human interest stories.

Understanding the lifestyle and culture of the Royal family is limited to what is shown on the government controlled media and then what is usually seen are dedication ceremonies, funerals, commencement exercises and the international goodwill which takes family members all around the world to visit heads of state and cultural landmarks. The numerous activities conducted by the Royal family are similar to the activities of heads of state of non-royal backgrounds with the one outstanding difference being the religious heritage of the Thai monarchy. The belief structure of the Royal Thai family is a syncretism of Buddhism and Hinduism with a Brahmin priest presiding over all family religious functions. Having witnessed many religious ceremonies in Thailand as well as researching the Khmer royal heritage and Hindu belief systems the announcement of the construction of a new royal crematorium as well as the refurbishing of an 18th century royal chariot to carry Princess Galyanis funeral urn captivated my attention

i.significant events 3000BC - 1000BC Bronze age culture at Ban Chiang 600 BC 300 BC 1000 AD 1150 1497 Chinese T'ai migration recorded Indian settlements bringing the Hindu religion The Mons, from Burma, had established themselves in Central Thailand Suriyavarman II built Angkor Wat in today's Cambodia July 8: Vasco da Gama set out on expedidition to India via Africa stopping at Mombasa, Mozambique, Malindi, Kenya, and Quilmana trading centres Portuguese send an envoy to Thai Court and sign a treaty War with Burma 1529 - 1569 The Spanish settle in Manila to trade and spread Christianity 1575 - 1650 The Dutch, French, Danish, Arabs, Chinese and British established trade agreements Beginning of the Chakri dynasty under King Rama I 1833 First American envoy to the Thai Court 1833 - 1847 Thai-Vietnam war 1868-1910: Reign of King Chulalongkorn. 1905 Slavery was abolished 1909 Great Britain establishes protectorates 1914 - 1918 WWI - Thailand joins the Allies Siam becomes ally of Great Britain in World War I. 1932 Revolution and the obsolete monarchy is abolished Siam changes its name to Thailand ("Land of the Free"). 1939 - 1945 WWII Thailand declares war on the Allies

1516 1529 1571 1575 1782 1833

1868 1905 1909 1914 1917 1932 1939 1939

iii.language
examp le senten ce examp le senten ce

1 .

khoon kheuu khrai

"Who are you?"

2 .

khoon ja bpai gap khrai

"Who are you going with?"

3 .

graL saeH khaoFmaaM nitH jaL daiFoonL kheunF

examp le senten ce

"Snuggle up a little closer so that you can be warmer." "The armed force has moved a bit closer to the capital." "Living without being useful will bring it closer to the slaughterho use." to step or proceed closer "Could you please move your chair a little closer to the window?"

4 .

gaawngM gamM langMdtitL aaM wootH graLtheerpL khaoF glaiFmeuu angM luaangRlaaeoH

examp le senten ce

5 .

gaanM yuuL yaangLraiH bpraL yo:htL jaLphaaM manM khaoFglaiF ro:h ngM khaaF

examp le senten ce

6 .

khaL yaawnL

verb

7 .

khoonM chuayF khaLyeerpL gaoF eeFbpaiM glaiF naaFdtaangL eekL nit HdaiF maiH khrapH

examp le senten ce

iv.cultural practices
1. The Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej and the Royal Family hold a deservedly high and revered position in the country. You will do well to respect this popular public sentiment. You can get into serious trouble for poking fun or disparaging them. 2. Show respect to Buddhist monks. They also command a great deal of respect in Thai society. Women should step aside to make way for passing monks and avoid any accidental contact. 3. Buddhism, especially Theravada Buddhism, is the main and government supported religion of Thailand. Other religions followed are Hinduism, Christianity and Islam. 4. The Thai language is derived from Khmer, Sanskrit, Pali, Malay and Chinese. English is widely spoken nowadays, but it'll be great if you make an effort to learn a few simple phrases. Like 'Sawadee khrap/ka' for 'hello/goodbye'; 'Sabaai dee mai khrap/ka' for 'how are you?'; and 'Sabaai dee khrap/ka' for 'I'm fine, thank you'. 5. One Thai custom you'll encounter frequently is the Wai. This is similar to the Indian Namaste gesture. You put your palms together at chest level and bow your head. The Wai is used in greeting, in farewell or in acknowledgment.

The traditional customs of Thai people were gathered and described by Phya Anuman Rajadhon in the 20th century, at a time when modernity changed the face of Thailand and a great number of traditions disappeared or became adapted to modern life. Still, the strife towards refinement, rooted in ancient Siamese culture, consisting in promoting what is refined and avoiding coarseness is the main emphasis in the daily life of all Thai people and topmost in their scale of values