Thailand’s industries have traditionally been closely linked with agriculture. From the post-war years up to the late 1950s, the major processing facilities were rice mills, sawmills, sugar mills, ice factories, textile and gunnybag factories, tobacco leaf curing plants and cottage or household industries, such as fabric weaving and basketry, to supply local needs. All these [...]
Rice forms the core of the Thai economic system. The staple food of the nation, it was the country’s largest single foreign exchange earner for well over a century. Thailand is the world’s leading exporter of rice, earning 32,958 million baht in 1993. In recent years though, agriculturalists have found new uses for paddy land. [...]
The Culture of Thailand is heavily influenced by Buddhism. Other influences have included Hinduism, conflict and trade with Southeast Asian neighbors such as Laos and Myanmar, and repeated influxes of Chinese immigrants.
Customs
One of the most distinctive Thai customs is the wai, which is similar to the Indian namaste gesture. Showing greeting, farewell, or acknowledgment, it [...]