Thailand has 1,430 islands including the famous Koh Samui, Koh Phi Phi, Phuket and Koh Lipe
The world’s smallest mammal, Kitti’s hog-nosed bat, is found in western parts of Thailand. It is just two to three centimeters long and weighs only 2 grams.
The demand for edible insects is so great in Thailand that they have to import over 800 tons per year from Cambodia, Myanmar, China and Laos.
It is illegal in Thailand to leave the house without wearing underwear
Miss Tiffany’s Universe, a beauty contest for transgenders, takes place annually and attracts over 15 million viewers on National Thai television
Each year in Mekong River a phenomenon known as Naga Fireballs occurs when balls of fire spontaneously explode over the surface of the water.
The children of a tribe of sea nomads called Moken people can see clearly underwater because they spend a lot of time diving underwater for food that their eyes got accustomed to it.
In 1880 the queen of Thailand Sunandha Kumariratana drowned after her boat capsized even though there were many around because they were forbidden to touch her on pain of death
Almost half the workers died while building the railway bridge over the River Kwai in Kanchanaburi
Thai cops who commit minor offences are punished with a bright pink Hello Kitty armband that they have to wear for several days
The blue-eyed felines, Siamese cats, are native to Thailand
The term “Siamese twins” originated here when the country was still known as Siam.
Shaking hands is not common in Thailand. A typical Thai greeting is the “Wai”. Place your hands together and raise them upwards towards your face while lowering your head in a slight bow
Man-eating sharks are not native to the waters of Thailand, but poisonous jellyfish are
Songkran is a Buddhist festival that tourists can participate in. During the hottest month of the year – April – friendly water fights and parties take place in the streets for all to join
The Grand Palace in Bangkok is one of the most frequented attractions in the world with an estimated eight million tourists visiting each year
The more you use the Thai language in market bartering, the less likely you are to be ripped off. Knowing a few numbers and the phrase thao rai (how much) will get you far
While plenty of red light districts can be found throughout the county, prostitution was actually banned in 1960
The Durian, a fruit of Thailand, is so pungent it’s banned from hotels, trains and public places
Finally – You’re lucky that you know Bangkok as “Bangkok.” Its real name is one of the longest names of a place in the world :
Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphimanawatansathit Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit.
What does that name mean? It means “City of Angels, Great City of Immortals, Magnificent City of the Nine Gems, Seat of the King, City of Royal Palaces, Home of Gods Incarnate, Erected by Visvakarman at Indra’s Behest.”