Phuket, Thailand

Geography: Thailand is located in southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma.

Currency: Thai Baht

National Symbols: Garuda which is a mythical half-man, half-bird figure and an elephant

National Anthem: "Phleng Chat Thai"- National Anthem of Thailand

Language: Thai and English

Area Comparison: slightly more than twice the size of Wyoming

Distance from Pittsburgh: 14, 644km or 9,099 miles

Terrain: In the central it is a plain. There is the Khorat Plateau in the east and mountains elsewhere.

Highest Point: Doi Inthanon 2,576 m

Weather You Should Expect: The climate is a tropical which means rainy, warm, and cloudy. There is a southwest monsoon, mid-May to September, and a dry, cool northeast monsoon from November to mid-March. Although the southern isthmus is always hot and humid.

What You Must See: Phang Nga Bay has sheer limestone cliffs that jut out vertically of the emerald green waters. Old Phuket Town has funky shops and blends colonial and Chinese architecture. Wat Chalong is one of Phuket's most important temples that has infinite reflections from hundreds of tiny glass pieces. The Big Buddha is visible from most of the south of Phuket and is 45 meters high, costing over 30 million baht!

Places to Try: Phuket Vegetarian Festivals

Historical Fact: A unified Thai kingdom was established in the mid-14th century. Known as Siam until 1939. A bloodless revolution in 1932 led to a constitutional monarchy. In alliance with Japan during World War II, Thailand became a US treaty ally in 1954 after sending troops to Korea and fighting alongside the US in Vietnam.

Interesting Fact: Thailand is the only Southeast Asian country never to have been taken over by a European power.

Fun Fact: Thailand controls the only land route from Asia to Malaysia and Singapore

Everything You Need to Know About the Flag:

There are five horizontal bands of red on the top, white, blue, white, and red. The red color symbolizes the nation and the blood of life. White represents religion and the purity of Buddhism and blue stands for the monarchy.  The Thailand flag is similar to the flag of Costa Rica but with the blue and red colors reversed.