The Kingdom of Thailand, a constitutional monarchy that has been independent since the 13th century, is the only country in Southeast Asia never colonized by foreigners. The country has a population of about 62 million people, a third of which lives in cities and towns.

It is a relatively narrow country -- about 1,850 kilometers from north to south -- but never more than about 1,000 kilometers wide. There are high mountains in the north, limestone islands in the south, dense jungles, and green fields. In the north of the country, there are three seasons: the rainy season from July until November, the cool season from November until the middle of February, and the hot season from March until June. In the south, there is a wet season and a dry season. In the extreme southern part of the country, the dry season might last only two months, March and April.

The country's official spoken and written language is the Thai that is spoken in central Thailand. There are local dialects, and some differences in vocabulary from the south to the north. Since most foreigners don't attempt to learn the language, those visitors who do master some phrases will impress those around them.

About 95 percent of the Thai people are Buddhists. Almost every village in the country has a temple or "wat." A temple typically has at least one chapel and at least one "chedi" or "stupa," which is usually a cone-shaped monument to the stability of Buddha.