Things you didn’t know about Thailand: 10 interesting facts

Thailand is a country rich in history and culture. It’s also very far from us, with many features that may seem interesting or sometimes even shocking to Europeans. Here are 10 unusual facts about Thailand. Even if you’ve been here a hundred times or even live in the kingdom, we’re sure there are things you didn’t know.

1. Thailand is the birthplace of energy drinks. In 1976, a drink called Krating Daeng (translated from Thai as “red bull”) was first produced here. Six years later, Austrian Dietrich Mateschitz acquired the rights to the brand, and five years after that, the famous energy drink Red Bull appeared on the European market.
2. The capital of Thailand is not actually called Bangkok. The real name of the city is incredibly long: Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphimanawatansathit Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit. Thais simply call the capital Krung Thep, which translates to “the eternal treasure, the impregnable city of the god Indra, the magnificent capital of the world, endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city full of abundance, the grand Royal Palace resembling a divine abode where the reincarnated god reigns, the city given by Indra and built by Vishnukarn.”
3. Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia that has never been colonized.
4. Most Thais didn’t have last names until 1913 — only first names.
5. All Buddha statues are rented from those who build them. The reason is that the image of Buddha is sacred and cannot be bought or sold.
6. There is no word for “hunger” in Thai. Not surprising — it’s almost impossible to stay hungry in this country.
7. You can’t touch a Thai person’s head — it’s considered disrespectful. People believe the spirit resides in the head, and touching it with hands is forbidden.
8. Thailand uses a different calendar. It is currently the year 2567 in the kingdom.
9. The Thai greeting “sawatdee” was only adopted after World War II. Before that, people would greet each other with “Have you eaten?” This is still sometimes used today. It was believed that if a person had eaten, everything was good. Interestingly, a similar greeting is common in China.
10. The country has changed its name several times. Before 1939, it was called Siam, then became Thailand. In 1945, it reverted to Siam, but four years later, the name Thailand was officially adopted for good. The official reasoning is that “Siam” was not a local word — it was used by foreigners to describe the Thai state. There’s also a political version: after losing control of certain territories during World War II, the Siamese authorities realized that the global reshuffling was inevitable and hoped to reclaim their position. They chose between Muang Thai and Prathet Thai (the names used by the locals) and settled on the compromise, Thailand, which was also more harmonious for European ears.