The Kingdom of Thailand (IPA: /ˈtaɪlænd/, Thai: ราชอาณาจักรไทย, IPA: [râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj]) is an independent country in Southeast Asia. To its north lies Laos and Burma; to its east, Laos and Cambodia; to its south, the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia; and to its west, the Andaman Sea and Burma. Its capital and largest city is Bangkok, called "Krung Thep Mahanakorn" in Thai. At 514,000 km² (198,000 sq mi) , Thailand is the world's 50th largest country in terms of land area, whilst it is the world's 28th largest country in terms of population. It is comparable in terms of population to countries such as France and United Kingdom, and is similar in land area to France and California, United States. The Thai language is Thailand's official language, written in its own script, and 95% of Thais are Buddhists of the Theravada branch. The culture of Thailand incorporates a great deal of influence from India, China, Cambodia, and the rest of Southeast Asia. Like most Asian cultures, respect towards ancestors and elders is an essential part of Thai spiritual practices. Thais have a strong sense of hospitality and generosity, but also a strong sense of social hierarchy. Seniority is an important concept in Thai culture. Elders have by tradition ruled in family decisions or ceremonies.

Thailand has one of the longest monarchies in history. It is the only Southeast Asian country that was not colonized by any European power. A unified Thai kingdom was established in the mid-14th century. Thailand was known as Siam until 1939 when it was renamed. A bloodless revolution in 1932 led to a constitutional monarchy. In alliance with Axis during World War II, Thailand became a US ally during the Cold War. Thailand is currently facing separatist violence in its three southernmost ethnic Malay-Muslim provinces which border Malaysia.

Peninsular Malaysia was once known as Tanah Melayu (Malay Land). It extends from Singapore to the Ithsmus of Kra bordering Burma, Thailand and Malay Land. Pukhet is Bukit(hill) in Malay, "Satun" is "Setoi" (a tropical fruit) was the Province of "Kedah" under the Malay Sultanate and Patani (Land of Farmers) was also part of the Malay Sultanate. In these areas people once spoke both Malay as well as Sam-sam, a local version of the Siamese language. The majority of residents were Muslims. Thailand tried to dominate the Peninsula as far as Malacca in the 1400s but failed.

In an effort to avoid constant harassment by Thai, the northern states of the Malay Sultanate started to present an annual gift to the Thai King in the form of a golden flower. The Thai kingdom looked on this as a form of tribute, while the Malay Sultan merely considered it a diplomatic present. When the British intervened in the Malay State, Thailand could no longer challenge the Malay Sultanate without antagonising the British. Under the Anglo-Siamese Treaty to build a railway from the south to Bangkok, Thailand relinquished sovereignty over what are now the northern Malay provinces of Kedah, Pelis, and Kelantan to the British. Determining the border was made not on basis of religion, but language.

 Since the Bukit and Setoi people of Kedah provinces and Patani speak the Samsam language, which is close to Thai, they were given to Thailand in spite of the fact that they were largely Muslim subjects of Sultan of Kedah. The British were content to leave the predominantly Muslim and Malay areas of Bukit, Setoi, and Patani under Thai control, as these areas had no valuable resources (such as tin) to be exploited, nor vast fertile land for plantation. This was a strategic mistake, as the province the Japanese infiltrated into the Malay Peninsula in the Second World War in 1942 and the Malayan Communist Party (CPM) from 1948 to 1998 until the CPM lost its support from Vietnam and China after the Cultural Revolution and decided to sign for peace with the Malaysian and Thai Governments. Recent insurgent uprisings are a continuation of fighting for freedom which started after World War II with Sukarno's support for the PULO and has intensified with US President Bush's initiation of the War on Terror. The Muslims of Patani realise the disparity between them in Thailand compared to their cousins in Malaysia who progress and prosper. The cry for autonomy in the south has fallen on deaf ears in the Thai Goverment. Thailand exports an increasing value of over $105 billion worth of goods and services annually. Major exports include rice, textiles and footwear, fishery products, rubber, jewelery, automobiles, computers and electrical appliances. Thailand is the world’s biggest exporter of rice, exporting about 6.5 million tons of milled rice annually. Rice is the most important crop in the country; farming thus is the occupation done by most people of the country.