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The Kingdom of Thailand is an independent country which liesin the heart of Southeast Asia. The country is bordered to the north by Laosand Burma, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf ofThailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and Burma. The localclimate is tropical and characterized by monsoons. There is a rainy, warm, andcloudy southwest monsoon from mid-May to September, as well as a dry, coolnortheast monsoon from November to mid-March. The southern isthmus is alwayshot and humid. The capital and largest city of Thailand is Bangkok. It is alsothe country's centre of political, commercial, industrial and culturalactivities.  Thailand’s totalsurface area is approximately 513,000 km² (198,000 sq mi), and its populationis approximately 63 million people. The population consists 80% of Thais, 10%of Chinese, and 3% of Malay. The country's official spoken and written languageis Thai. Thailand is one of the most strongly Buddhist countries in the world.The national religion is Theravada Buddhism which is practiced by more than 95%of all Thais (2002). The cultures and traditions in Thailand are significantlyinfluenced by those of India, China, Cambodia, as well as various countries inSoutheast Asia. As a result, seniority plays an important role in the country'scultures. Respect for the elders is essential to Thai's spiritual practices aswell as daily lifestyles. Thais are also well-known for their friendliness andhospitality, leading to the country's so called reputation as the "Land ofSmiles".

With a well-developed infrastructure, a free-enterpriseeconomy, and generally pro-investment policies, Thailand appears to have fullyrecovered from the 1997-1998 Asian Financial Crises. The country was one ofEast Asia's best performers from 2002-04. Boosted by strong export growth, theThai economy grew 4.5% in 2007. Bangkok has pursued preferential tradeagreements with a variety of partners in an effort to boost exports and tomaintain high growth. By 2007, the tourism sector had largely recovered fromthe major 2004 tsunami. Following the military coup in September 2006,investment and consumer confidence stagnated due to the uncertain politicalclimate that lasted through the December 2007 elections.

Exports have performed at record levels, rising nearly 17%in 2006 and 12% in 2007. Export-oriented manufacturing - in particularautomobile production - and farm output are driving these gains.  Major exports include rice, textilesand footwear, fishery products, rubber, jewelry, automobiles, computers andelectrical appliances. Thailand is the world’s no.1 exporter of rice, exportingmore than 6.5 million tons of milled rice annually. Rice is the most importantcrop in the country. Thailand has the highest percent of arable land, 27.25%,of any nation in the Greater Mekong Subregion. About 55% of the available landarea is used for rice production. Substantial industries include electricappliances, components, computer parts and automobiles, while tourismcontributes about 5% to Thailand's GDP.

Foreigners cannot buy land in Thailand, only condominiumunits and apartments. Foreigners cannot make up more than 40% of thecondominium’s unit-owners. However, a foreigner can buy a whole building, minusthe land on which it is built. Given the need for foreign investment into thecountry to help it achieve constant economic growth, the restrictions areexpected to be loosened in coming years. The tourist industry in Thailand isgrowing annually because more people are choosing the country as a holiday andresidential destination.