Thailand

Thailand

Thailand 

Thailand (/ˈtaɪlænd/ ty-land or /ˈtaɪlənd/ ty-lənd;[11] Thai: ประเทศไทย, RTGS: Prathet Thai), officially the Kingdom of Thailand (Thai: ราชอาณาจักรไทย, RTGS: Ratcha Anachak Thai; IPA: [râːt.tɕʰā ʔāːnāːtɕàk tʰāj] ( listen)), formerly known as Siam (Thai: สยาม; RTGS: Sayam), is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and the southern extremity of Burma. Its maritime boundaries include Vietnam in the Gulf of Thailand to the southeast, and Indonesia and India in the Andaman Sea to the southwest.
The country is a constitutional monarchy, headed by King Rama IX, the ninth king of the House of Chakri, who, having reigned since 1946, is the world's longest-serving current head of state and the longest-reigning monarch in Thai history.[12] The king of Thailand is titled Head of State, Head of the Armed Forces, Adherent of Buddhism, and Upholder of religions.[13]
Thailand is the world's 51st-largest country in terms of total area, with an area of approximately 513,000 km2 (198,000 sq mi), and is the 20th-most-populous country, with around 64 million people. The capital and largest city is Bangkok, which is Thailand's political, commercial, industrial and cultural hub. About 75–85% of the population is ethnically Tai, which includes the four major regional groups of Central Thai (Khon Pak Klang) : 30%, Northeastern Thai (Khon [Lao] Isan):[2] 22%, Northern Thai (Khon Lanna): 9% and Southern Thai (Khon Tai): 7%. 14% are of significant Chinese heritage (Thai Chinese)[5] and up to 40% have at least partly Chinese ancestry.[14] 3% are ethnically Malay; the rest belong to minority groups including Mons, Khmers and various "hill tribes". The country's official language is Thai. The primary religion is Buddhism, which is practised by around 95% of the population.

Thailand experienced rapid economic growth between 1985 and 1996, and is presently a newly industrialized country and a major exporter. Tourism also contributes significantly to the Thai economy.[15][16] There are approximately 2.2 million legal and illegal migrants in Thailand,[17] and the country has also attracted a number of expatriates from developed countries.[18]

National flag of Thailand

Emblem of Thailand

                                

                                                                    Symbolism

The Garuda is a birdlike mythological beast of the Hindu and Buddhist tradition. According to mythology the Garuda is a large hybrid half-man and half-bird creature. The Garuda is often depicted in art as having the head, beak, wings and talons of an eagle, while his torso is like that of a human man.[1] In the book Traiphum Phra Ruang, a Thai Buddhist literary work composed in the 14th century, he is described as having a body that was 150 yojanas across (1 yojana equivalent to 16 kilometers), his left and right wings 150 yojanas each, his tail 60 yojanas long, his neck 30 yojanas, his beak 90 yojanas and his talons 12 yojanas each.[2][3]

The Garuda's physical strength and martial prowess is recounted in the Sanskrit Puranas.[4] In these stories he is described as the most powerful of all the winged-creatures and as such is regarded as the king of all the birds.[5] In Buddhist literature, the Garuda lives in the legendary Himavanta forest and is regarded as semi-divine or supernatural.[2] In the Buddhist tradition the emphasis is put on the Garuda's deeds, which portray him as a righteous and merciful being.[5]

According to the Mahabharata, the Garuda was so powerful that no god could defeat him in battle, eventually the Hindu god Vishnu intervened. Impressed with his abilities, Vishnu made the Garuda immortal and promised him a higher seat than that of his own. Henceforth the Garuda became the 'vahana' or vehicle of Vishnu and was allowed to sit atop the god's flagpole as a reward.[6][7]

The Garuda's relationship with Vishnu or Narayana is especially significant. The doctrine of ancient Thai kingship was heavily influenced by those of India. Accordingly the king was nothing less than an 'avatar' or incarnation of god, just as King Rama of the epic Ramayana was the incarnation of Narayana. Thus the god Narayana and the Garuda became the accepted symbol of divine and sacred kingship in ancient Thailand.[8]

Royal seals

During the Ayutthaya Kingdom (1350–1767), the king had in his possession several seals (ตรา, tra) of various designs. These stamp seals were used in the authentication of official documents, especially on those sent out from the central administration to the provinces. They were usually made from carved blocks of ivory.[8][9] In 1635 a law was passed, regulating the use of each seal for a specific purpose or on specific documents.[9] For example one was used for the interior administration, one for foreign affairs, one for military affairs and one for dynastic affairs.[8] The king would entrusted a seal to an individual minister, with a 'seal secretary', whose role it was to write and seal all documents on his behalf.[9]

The importance of the seals were attested when another law provided a punishment for the forgery and altering of sealed documents.[9] Simon de la Loubère remarked that the king's own authority was linked to that of his seal. In times of turmoil and dynastic conflict, exceptional importance was attached to the seals, as it was considered that the kingdom's power and authority laid with their custodian. These seals did not survive the sacking and destruction of the city by a Burmese army in 1767.[10]

The use of royal seals continued in the first four reigns of the Rattanakosin Kingdom (founded in 1782). The Chakri kings would use a personal seal for private letters and four official seals for government business. The four great royal seals (พระราชลัญจกร, Phra Ratcha Lanchakon) included: the Maha Ongkan (มหาโองการ), the Khrut Pha (ครุฑพ่าห์), the Hongsaphiman (หงสพิมาน) and the Airaphot (ไอราพต) seals. The seals represented four gods: Shiva (known in Thailand as Phra Isuan), Vishnu (Phra Narai), Brahma (Phra Phrom) and Indra (Phra In). The first three belong strictly to the Hindu Trimurti (or Trinity) and the last is a popular king of the gods in Buddhism.[11]

The four seals are now kept by the Cabinet Secretariat (a department within the Office of the Prime Minister) and are affixed to documents by its officers in different combinations, depending on the purpose of those documents.[11][12][13]