Speaking Thai will get you lots of smiles and better deals while on your holiday in the Land of Smiles. But, you can get by knowing just a few words. The traditional greeting in Thailand is Sawasdee (pronounced Sa-wat-dee) and a polite article is added to the end. For women, ka is added. For men, kharp is added. This is not required but is used 99% of the time. So the typical greeting would be Sawasdee khrap (or ka) to say Hello. Typically after saying hello, or sawasdee, you will be asked one of two things. Sabai dee mai, or geen kow mai. It is normal to be asked if you are fine or if you have eaten. You may also be asked where you have been or where you are going – bpai nai mah or bpai nai.

The Thai language is not that difficult to learn and there are many resources online. There are also paid programs like Pimseleur or Berlitz. Many sites also have downloadable mini-dictionaries in English, Thai and phonetics. This way you can try to speak the word or phrase and as a last resort, just point. You can also download files so that you can hear how words are pronounced. I have had both bad and good experiences speaking Thai. Some people like the fact that I can speak enough to get by and can understand more. Some tell me that “I know too much” and I take this as a compliment since that means that they can’t rip me off.

Sukhothai is to modern Thailand what Rome is to Italy, or Athens to Greece, starting point, golden age, departed glory. It was the first independent Thai state. It gave its name to one of Thailands most fertile styles of Buddhist art, credited with introducing the walking Buddha to the world. he old city of Sukhothai is partially enclosed by walls forming a rectangle measuring 2 km by 1.6 km. In the centre of the rectangle is the main temple, Wat Phra That.

Loi Krathong Festival Thailands loveliest festival is celebrated on the full moon of the twelfth lunar month, usually mid November. It is particularly picturesque amid the ruins of Sukhothais Historical Park. The festival is believed to have originated in Sukhothai some 700 years ago. When one of the kings concubines fashioned a lantern from carved fruit, bearing a lighted candle and sent it floating away during one of the kings nightly river cruises. Come anytime of year if your looking for something different and dont forget to enjoy yourself, as this is a culture that has to be seen to be believed.

After the conflict between the U.S. – U.K. led alliance and the Taliban ended in late 2001, Thailand was invited by the U.S.A to pledge support to the mission in Afghanistan through the Donor Conference in Japan in January 2002 whether it be under the auspices of the United Nations or the Alliance . An Engineering Battalion was made ready to support both ISAF and the Alliance at the planning stage in July 2002. When it was clear that airfield reconstruction in Bagram was vital to the maintenance of security for peace operations in the country, Thailand provided a construction Engineering Unit of 130 personnel to the Coalition Headquarters in Bagram to join the reconstruction efforts. This operation was the first mission that the Government had funded from its own budget. The Japanese Self Defense Naval Forces provided Thailand with strategic sea lift for the engineering equipment to Afghanistan. The Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTARF) has also run routine monthly supply flights from Thailand to Afghanistan. The Thai Engineering Unit has provided excellent construction and engineering services as part of the joint efforts in Bagram. In concert with this military assistance in Bagram, the Government also assisted in humanitarian projects elsewhere in Kabul and around the country.