introduction

thailand the land of the free
who is it that makes Thailand one of the most vibrant energetic,and creative nations in Asia today? Aside from it's magnificent landscapes and lush fertility,Thailands histor yand culture reflect the rich artistic heritage of a magnificent kingdom's identity continues to thrive and evolve,not just by adapting to contemporary trends but also making its own imprint on the world today.
what gives Thailand such a strong presence in the region? For one thing,Thailand has the distinction of being the only country in southeast Asia that was never colonised by a foreign power. There were repeated invasion attempts by the burmese in ancient times. and a brief japanese occupation in ww2, but the most part ,Thailandhas always been,like its name the land of the free.
Thailand evaded European colonisation thank to the intelligence of her rulers,who tolerated foreigners,played them of against one another,and traded outlying land in Loas and Cambodia to saveguard Thai independence.While maintaining an attitude of openness to foreign culture ,the Thai nation has always retained its own strong sense of identity and cultural pride.
Thai people possess a spirit of patriotism and independence ,as well as great zest for life.Their reverence for all its forms is manifest in the gentle compassiongiven to animals and other human beings,and to the passion exhibited in food ,art,faith and work.
thethai smile
the famous Thai smile that gave the country its name,the land of amile characterises its friendly,good-nature people.One of the mostdistinctive traitsis their sense of fun-a characterises which they call sanook and the french refer to as joie de vivre Thai people have a natural cheerfullness and light-hearted spirit that imbues everything they do. Even at work,there is a sense of fun ,plenty of teasing and genuine feelings of warmth among colleagues that make life perpetually enjoyable.And why not smile all day? In Thailand,life really is good and enjoyable.the culture is a social one, with a tradition of extended family and community,and a society where extreme importance is pklaced no one's manners and speech towards others. Because of their great love of community, Thai people revel in social interactio, loud noise and hustle and bustle. In contrast to the European outlook,the thought of being alone,or travelling and dining solo in a foreign land,is deemed a sad affair for the kindred-loving Thai
Thai people are renowned for their gentleness and politeness in any situation. The deeper implication, and more socially significant side of the Thai smile,is that it is agracious way of "saving face" to avoiding embarrassment and loss of dignity.Smiling cover up any potentially negative or distressingsituation.Thai people shun any sort of confrontation, argument or conflick,and will go to great lenghts to avoid it,to the point that they hardly say no,even when they mean it.the simply answer affirmatively and carry on as before.any question is always answered with a yes,even if the answer is otherwise"Do you have money?" "Yes. I don't have money."
A key element of Thai cultureis great respect for religion,the monarchy,elders,and family.At each social stratum,from the humblest servant to the loftiest aristocrat Thai people practise a natural politeness and grace that is unfailingly appealling and always pleasant. Thai culture reveres the head as the highest and most scared part of the body.So in Thailand,one never touch other person's head,this is considered shockingly rude.It is also disrespectfull to have your head higher than the head of an elder or your boss,or someone of a higher social class,which is why Thai manners are so deferential,with lost of bowing and nodding in social interaction.Correspondingly,the foot is considered the lowliest part of the body,It is the height of rudeness to point your foot to someone,or touch another person with your feet.
Another way of showing respect in Thai culture is by keeping good personal hygiene and being properly dressed.Thai people shudderat the thought of venturing out in public shoddily groomed or shabbily attired,as it results in loss of face and is disrespectflull to other people .Due to the tropical heat,Thai people usually shower and powder themselves two or three times a day.When meeting elders or officials,they always dress modestly as a sign of respect.Thai people enjoy dressing up and going out because it adds sanook to the custom of being well groomed,this also appeals to their love of visual arts,creative flair and social interaction,It's no wonder there is a such passion for following fashion trends in Thailand.