100 Things You Didn't Know About Thailand

[qwertz]

This is one for Nignoy, Bendix and the few Thai BMs - or anyone else who knows things.

I know so little but I'll start eith - only one hill tribe in Thailand has a written language.

[bonobo]

There have been fossils of 8 different dinosaurs found in Thailand.

Thailand is the world's number one maker of surfboards.

[enyaw]

Worlds largest exporter of rice.

Oo, and some buddist monks stab each other after drunken card games.

Edited July 15, 2008 by enyaw

[PhilHarries]

This is one for Nignoy, Bendix and the few Thai BMs - or anyone else who knows things.

I know so little but I'll start eith - only one hill tribe in Thailand has a written language.

In the same vein.

King Ramkhamhaeng, who ruled at the end of the thirteenth century, created the first Thai alphabet.

[toptuan]

Restroom "bum guns" came from American kitchen sinks, discovered by a Thai contractor on vacation in the USA.

[Bluelotus]

Red Bull is from Thailand

[Who, me ?]

I have been living here for more than nine years

Edited July 15, 2008 by Who, me ?

[PeaceBlondie]

Thai chile peppers originated in Latin America, as did squashes, maize (corn), chocolate, other foods.

[Vato]

five of the of the loudest car stereos (bass, sound pressure level competition) within the past 3 years are from thailand...but not recognized, because overseas shipping to finals is prohibitively expensive.

[dee123]

Bankoks real name is KRUNGTHEP named after a packet of fags.............or maybe not

Edited July 15, 2008 by dee123

[farang555]

didnt know bendix has to watch his bahts and satangs, maybe he is not financially savvy.

[Who, me ?]

Thailand is bigger than the United Kingdom, Iceland, Belgium and Austria combined.

[mrt273nva]

Traditional Thai dancing was taken from Cambodia.

[lazeeboy]

thailand is the biggest exporter of chickens

[PeaceBlondie]

Thailand is bigger than the United Kingdom, Iceland, Belgium and Austria combined.

Yes, but that is not saying much. Thailand is smaller than Alaska or Texas or France or several provinces of Canada.

[dee123]

the 1984 hit "one night in Bangkok" was composed by ABBA front men Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson with lyrics added by Tim Rice which reached no.12 in the charts,also the same year the Thai Ladies first set their eyes on me. .....well I told my mum I wouldn't need my balaclava ! oh and it was Murray Head on vocals

Edited July 15, 2008 by dee123

[laphroaig]

.....well I told my mum I wouldn't need my balaclava !

It would take the wool from approximately 1.118 million average sheep to knit a balaclava helmet for each member of the Thai population......(and a considerable number of old women to knit them too)

Edited July 15, 2008 by Tonykiwi

[Who, me ?]

Thailand is bigger than the United Kingdom, Iceland, Belgium and Austria combined.

Yes, but that is not saying much. Thailand is smaller than Alaska or Texas or France or several provinces of Canada.

point taken

[dee123]

.....well I told my mum I wouldn't need my balaclava !

It would take the wool from approximately 1.118 million average sheep to knit a balaclava helmet for each member of the Thai population......(and a considerable number of old women to knit them too)

how the hel_l did you know that, are you on performance enhancing drugs or something?

[cobra]

A species of albino blind crocodiles live in the open sewers,

[Gimbo]

Only 20 million of Thailands 66 million people have Thai as their first language. And many Thais are multi lingual. My wife for example has Northern Khmer as her first language, then Lao (Isaan) Thai is only on 3rd place....

[kiakaha]

The bar girls aren't calling you "Darling" (English)..... they are called you "NaLing" (Thai -> Monkey Face)

You wont find that on Wikipedia !!!

[Who, me ?]

The world's tallest Buddhist monument in the world stands 127 meters (387 feet) in the town of Nakhon Pathom.

[Xangsamhua]

Traditional Thai dancing was taken from Cambodia.

Aarghh...Wash your mouth out, quick. The Ministry of Truth is watching.

The politically correct view (in Thailand) credits the "Khom" (sounds different from Khmer, though it isn't).

See http://kyotoreview.cseas.kyoto-u.ac.jp/iss...icle_242_p.html for a discussion by a Thai scholar on the Khom/Khmer sleight of hand and a history of Thai-Khmer/Cambodian relations.

[mrt273nva]

The full name of Bangkok is the longest place name in the world and recorded in the Guinness book of records, 163 letters

Krungthepmahanakhon Amornrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharat Ratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphiman Awatansathit Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit

which translates into english as

The city of angels, the great city, the residence of the Emerald Buddha, the impregnable city (of Ayutthaya) of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated God, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukarn.

[Xangsamhua]

There are between 74 and 86 languages spoken in Thailand, not including foreign languages.

The UNESCO survey says 86. Professor Suwilai Premsriratana, an ethnolinguist from Mahidol University, has counted 74.

[mrt273nva]

Sexual harassment was finally made illegal in Thailand in the Labour Protection Act of 1998, making employers liable to punishment under civil law. So far, not a single case has been brought before the courts.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

If you put all Thai transvestites head-to-toe you would span the globe twice.

[dee123]

The bar girls aren't calling you "Darling" (English)..... they are called you "NaLing" (Thai -> Monkey Face)

You wont find that on Wikipedia !!!

speak for yourself!

[guava]

Many Thai people cannot lick their own elbows