Joanna James
While it's one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, there's are a great many things most of us don't know about Thailand. Here are five facts that few tourists are aware of when visiting the great nation.
One of the most fascinating aspects of coins minted in Thailand is that they all feature engraved representations of temples. These are no random temple images that have been used to beautify the coins but iconic temples located in the country's capital Bangkok. The 1 baht coin, for example, features the Temple of the Emerald Buddha which is now found in the Grand Palace while the 2 baht coin has the Temple on the Mount or Wat Saket on its facade. The Marble Temple or Wat Benjamabophit decorates the 5 baht coin while the highest denomination coin worth 10 baht is where the captivating likeness of the Temple of Dawn or Wat Arun is featured. Those based at lyf by Ascott or any other shared community living hub will be within close range of all of these temples.
While we all know and call the capital of Thailand by the name "Bangkok" it is not the official name of the city. Locals refer to Bangkok as Krung Thep which is a further abbreviation of the city's actual name that's a whopping 169 characters long. A real tongue twister, the name of Thailand's capital city is " Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahinthara Yutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udom Ratchaniwet Mahasathan Amonphiman Awatansathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukamprasit." This extensive name is full of meaning and translates to " City of angels, the great city of immortals, magnificent city of the 9 gems, seat of the king, city of royal palaces, home of gods incarnate, established by Visvakarman at the behest of Indra."
It is not uncommon to begin cultural showcases, movie screenings and other public occasions by playing the King's Anthem. Every BTS station plays the anthem at 8 am and again at 6 pm to pay homage to the monarch and visitors can witness hundreds of commuters standing in attention to pay their respect to the anthem. Tourists must also follow suit as not doing so is considered offensive as well as illegal.
Fans of the globally renowned energy drink Red Bull may be surprised to find that this popular beverage is a Thai product. Having been a much-loved brand of beverage since the late 1970s, the creator of Red Bull was none other than Chaleo Yoovidhya who passed away in 2012 as the third wealthiest person in Thailand. His Austrian business partner Dietrich Mateschitz was also instrumental in creating the brand and promoting it to Western markets.
Thailand was one of the first nations in the world to offer transgendered individuals their class of bathrooms. Most public bathrooms in Thailand are divided into 3 categories with the third being reserved for those who identify as transgender.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
