The most interesting facts about Thailand, from a color for every day of the week to the women who spent 33 nights with deadly scorpions.
Fast facts
Official name: Kingdom of Thailand
Population: 69.9 million
Area: 513,120 sq km
Capital city: Bangkok
Major languages: Thai, Malay, Burmese, English
Major religions: Buddhism, Muslim
Time zone: UTC+7 (Indochina Time)
Interesting facts about Thailand
1. Thailand is a country in Southeast Asia, bordering Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia.
2. Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia and one of just five countries in the world to have never been under European colonial rule (the others being Japan, North Korea, South Korea and Liberia).
3. The Mekong River runs through Thailand, acting as the border between it and Laos. At 4,350km, it is the longest river in Southeast Asia, the 7th longest in Asia, and the 12th longest in the world.
4. Archaeological evidence suggests Thailand has been continually inhabited by humans for around 20,000 years.
5. Thailand was known as Siam until 1939 when it changed its name to Thailand following a coup against the king at the time. Led by an army officer called Phibun (Luang Phibunsongkhram), the aim was to replace the king with a democratic government. However, Phibun would eventually become a dictator.
6. The Thai flag is made up of horizontal stripes of red, white, blue, white and red. Red is the symbol of the blood Thai people have shed for their country, white is for religious laws and the purity of Buddhism, and blue stands for the royal family.
7. Thailand’s capital city, Bangkok, has the world’s longest place name. The transliteration 168-letter official name for Bangkok is krungthepmahanakhonamonrattanakosinmahintharaayuthayamahadilokphopnoppharatratchathaniburiromudomratchaniwetmahasathanamonpimanawatansathitsakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit. The official short 111-letter version (without capital letters which are not used in Thai) is krungthephphramahanakhon bowonratanakosin mahintharayuthaya mahadilokphiphobnovpharad radchataniburirom udomsantisug.
8. Thailand is the second-largest exporter of rice in the world after India. In 2022, Thailand exported $4.29 billion worth of rice.
9. Siamese cats, known for their striking blue eyes, are native to Thailand.
10. Thai conjoined twins, Chang And Eng Bunker were the “original Siamese twins”. Born in 1811, Chang And Eng were joined at the sternums and were taken to America in 1829 and forced to perform in a freak show. They would later both marry and father 21 children between them. They died in 1874.
11. The name Thailand means “Land of the Free”.
12. Thailand’s national sport is Muay Thai boxing, a combat sport that originated in the 16th century known as the “art of eight limbs”.
13. In 2009, Thai woman Kanchana Ketkaew spent 33 days and nights in a glass room with 5,000 deadly scorpions. Known as the “Scorpion Queen”, she was stung 13 times on her arms, legs and fingers, but appeared unharmed.
14. Thailand is known as the “Land of Smiles”.
15. Bangkok was known as the “Venice of the East” as it was built upon water, with its rivers and canals forming thoroughfares until roads were constructed in 1851.
16. In Thailand, the feet are considered the lowest part of the body so it is considered bad etiquette to point them (especially the soles) towards somebody.
17. The world’s smallest mammal can only be found in Thailand and Myanmar. The bumblebee bat or Kitti’s hog-nosed bat (Craseonycteris thonglongyai) has a body no bigger than a large bumble-bee: 29-33mm (1.14-1.29in) in length; a wingspan of approximately 130-145mm (5.1-5.7 in); and a weight of 1.7-2g (0.05-0.07oz).
18. Thailand is home to the world’s largest solid gold sculpture. The Golden Buddha, officially called Phra Phuttha Maha Suwan Patimakon, in Bangkok, is 3m (9.8ft) tall and is made of 5.5 metric tonnes of solid gold.
19. In 2018, 12 members of a junior soccer team and their coach became trapped in a Thai cave by monsoon rains for 17 days. The massive rescue operation sparked intense worldwide public interest when it included over 10,000 people and anesthetized the trapped boys. Eventually, all were saved.
20. Nearly 92.5% of Thailand’s population is Buddhist, a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of Buddha.
21. There are over 40,000 temples in Thailand with more than 33,000 still in use by Buddhist monks.
22. Thailand holds a giant water fight every year – often referred to as the world’s biggest water fight. The traditional Thai New Year is celebrated on 13 April every year and sees people splashing water over each other as a symbolic sign of cleansing and washing away the sins of the past year.
23. Thailand has a color for every day of the week. It is widely believed that dressing in a particular color each day will bring good luck. Monday is yellow; Tuesday, pink; Wednesday, green; Thursday, orange; Friday, blue; Saturday, purple; Sunday, red; and black is reserved for funeral days.
24. Thailand is one of Southeast Asia’s biodiversity hotspots. The country is home to elephants, tigers, bears, around 10% of the world’s bird species, and a huge host of marine wildlife.
25. Thailand has seven properties inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List: four cultural and three natural. These include archaeological sites, historic settlements, forests and wildlife sanctuaries.
26. Thailand is the eleventh most visited country in the world, receiving 28.15 million visitors in 2023.
27. Elephants are a national symbol in Thailand and a source of cultural identity. The country celebrates National Elephant Day every year on March 13th. They are, however, also used for labor, transport, and entertainment, and the country has come under pressure from animal rights groups to end the traditional elephant shows and rides.
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Caitriona Maria is an education writer and owner of The Facts Institute. A teacher for seven years, she has been committed to providing students with the best learning opportunities possible, both domestically and abroad. Dedicated to unlocking students' potential, Caitriona has taught English in several countries and continues to explore new cultures through her travels.