Thailand trivia: 46 questions and answers

Sukhothai. Sukhothai was founded in 1238 when a Thai leader rebelled against Khmer rule. Ayutthaya followed in 1351, Thonburi in 1767 and Rattanakosin, with Bangkok as capital, in 1782.

Burma. An army from Burma, today's Myanmar, took Ayutthaya after a siege of 14 months. General Taksin drove the Burmese out within months.

A bloodless revolution ended absolute monarchy. A bloodless revolution ended absolute monarchy, and King Prajadhipok accepted a constitution. The capital moved in 1782, the Slave Abolition Act was passed in 1905 and Siam joined the First World War in 1917.

70 years. He reigned for 70 years, from 1946 until his death in 2016, the longest reign of any Thai monarch.

True. True. The name was changed on 24 June 1939, under Prime Minister Plaek Phibunsongkhram.

False. False. In 1893 France forced Siam to give up its lands east of the Mekong, but Siam itself stayed independent. It is the only country in Southeast Asia never colonised by a Western power.

True. True. Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore signed the Bangkok Declaration on 8 August 1967.

Rice noodles. Pad thai is made with flat rice noodles, stir-fried with egg, tamarind, fish sauce and bean sprouts and topped with peanuts.

The soft green colour. It describes the soft green colour, which Thais call 'sweet green'. Green curry is not necessarily sweeter than other curries, and it is often hotter than red curry.

Tom yum kung. Tom yum kung, the hot and sour prawn soup, was added in 2024.

False. False. Most Thais eat with a spoon and fork, pushing food onto the spoon with the fork. Chopsticks are used mainly for noodle soups and Chinese-style dishes.

False. False. All the dishes, soup included, are served at the same time and shared, with rice.

Coconut milk. Tom kha kai is made with coconut milk, which makes it milder and creamier than tom yum.

Holy basil. Kaphrao is holy basil. The dish is minced meat stir-fried with garlic, chillies and holy basil, often served with a fried egg.

Cold tea. Cha yen means cold tea: strong black tea with sugar and condensed milk, poured over ice.

Krung Thep. Thais call Bangkok Krung Thep, the City of Angels, short for Krung Thep Maha Nakhon. Mueang Thai is a name for the whole country, and Thonburi is the district across the river that was the capital before 1782.

True. True. King Mangrai founded Chiang Mai in the 1290s as the new capital of Lan Na, taking over from Chiang Rai.

The Emerald Buddha. Wat Phra Kaew is the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the most sacred Buddha image in Thailand. The great Reclining Buddha is at Wat Pho next door.

Traditional Thai massage. Wat Pho is known as the birthplace of traditional Thai massage, which is still taught at the temple.

Dawn. Wat Arun is the Temple of Dawn, named after Aruna, the Hindu god of the dawn.

False. False. As of 2026 Wat Arun is only on Thailand's tentative list. Thailand's World Heritage Sites include the historic cities of Ayutthaya and Sukhothai.

Sukhothai Historical Park. Sukhothai Historical Park is part of the World Heritage Site 'Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns', listed in 1991. The other three are not on the list.

True. True. It was part of the 'Death Railway' that Japan forced Allied prisoners and Asian labourers to build in 1942 and 1943. Tens of thousands died.

True. True. The name, which begins 'Krung Thep Maha Nakhon', has 168 letters in the Guinness form.

2569. 2026 plus 543 makes 2569 in the Buddhist Era.

Red Bull. Red Bull grew out of Krating Daeng, whose name means 'red gaur', a kind of wild bull. An Austrian businessman discovered it in Thailand in 1982.

True. True. They were born in Siam in 1811 and later settled in the United States, which is why joined twins were long called 'Siamese twins'.

False. False. Siamese cats come from Thailand, which was called Siam before 1939.

Fists, elbows, knees and shins. Fighters strike with both fists, elbows, knees and shins: fists, elbows, knees and shins make eight.

Splashing water on each other. Splashing water on each other is the best-known Songkran custom. Water is also poured over Buddha images and the hands of older relatives, for cleansing and good luck.

44. The Thai script has 44 consonant letters, although they stand for only 21 different consonant sounds.

A Buddhist temple. A wat is a Buddhist temple. A market is a talat, an island is a ko and a train is a rot fai.

True. True. Phet means spicy or hot, and 'mai phet' means not spicy.

Aroi. Aroi means delicious. Sawasdee is hello, talat is market and rot fai is train.

False. False. It is the other way round: men say khrap and women say kha.

Never mind, it's all right. Mai pen rai means never mind, it's all right. It is also used to say you're welcome.

Khop khun. Khop khun means thank you; add khrap or kha to be polite. Kho thot is sorry, la kon is goodbye and chuai duai is help.

True. True. Sawasdee, with khrap or kha, works for both hello and goodbye.

Phut phasa angkrit dai mai?. Phut phasa angkrit dai mai? means do you speak English. Nee thao rai asks the price, hong nam yu thi nai asks for the toilet and mai khao jai means I don't understand.

Clothes that cover your shoulders and knees. Wear clothes that cover your shoulders and knees, and take off hats and sunglasses inside.

True. True. A woman can place an offering down for the monk to pick up, or hand it to a man to pass on.

False. False. The head is seen as the highest part of the body, and touching someone's head is considered rude.

Away from the Buddha image. Tuck your feet behind you so they point away from the Buddha image. Pointing your feet at it, or at monks, is disrespectful.

The royal anthem. The royal anthem is played before films, and the audience is expected to stand to show respect for the King.

True. True. Defaming, insulting or threatening the King, the Queen, the heir or the regent carries three to fifteen years in prison for each offence.

A greeting with palms pressed together and a slight bow. The wai is a greeting with palms pressed together and a slight bow. Return a wai offered by someone older or of similar standing.