During World War II, the country was under the military dictatorship of Plaek Phibunsongkhram and allied with the Empire of Japan as part of the Axis powers, but Thailand did not become a defeated nation due to the underground Free Thai Movement's "Declaration of Peace", which was recognised by the Allies. Siam adapted to international relations during the imperialist era and joined World War I on the side of the Allies, a political decision aimed at revising the effects of unequal treaties and enhancing Siam's international status. During the era of Western imperialism, Siam remained the only country in Southeast Asia to avoid colonisation by European powers, although it ceded territory, trade rights, and legal privileges through several unequal treaties. While it’s impossible to predict exactly how a currency will perform in the future, with TorFX on your side you have a much better chance of getting the most for your money. After the funds have cleared, your foreign currency is immediately sent to your beneficiary account – it’s as easy as that! In 2018, the interim parliament voted to legalise the use of cannabis for medical reasons, making Thailand the first Southeast Asian country to allow the use of medical cannabis. Non-communicable diseases form the major burden of morbidity and mortality, while infectious diseases including malaria and tuberculosis, as well as traffic accidents, are also important public health issues. The number of international degree students in Thailand increased by 9.7 times between 1999 and 2012, from 1,882 to 20,309 students. Muay Thai became widespread internationally in the late-20th to 21st centuries. Thailand is also the world leader in edible insect industry and well known for its street food; Bangkok is sometimes called the street food capital of the world. Thailand is a leading exporter of rice, and Thais consume over 100 kg of milled rice per person per year. The staple food is rice, particularly jasmine rice, which forms part of almost every meal. In 2017, seven Thai dishes appeared on a list of the "World's 50 Best Foods"—an online worldwide poll by CNN Travel—more than any other country. Several dance-pop artists are internationally successful like Lisa, Violette Wautier, Jeff Satur, and Tata Young. Major works include King Ram Khamhaeng Inscription describing life at the time, which is considered the first literary work in Thai script, but some historians question its authenticity. Rice is the most important crop, and Thailand had long been the world's leading exporter of rice, until recently falling behind both India and Vietnam. The country is popular for the growing practice of sex reassignment surgery and cosmetic surgery. Thailand ranks as the worlds fifth largest medical tourism destination in spending, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council, attracting over 2.5 million visitors in 2018, and is number one in Asia. Western tourists visit Bangkok and surrounding areas, as well as the southern beaches and islands. Turn payments into profits with Stripe’s AI-powered set of payment optimizations, fraud prevention, and business intelligence products that seamlessly balance across auth, fraud, and cost. That growth is not common and by adding Payment Element, Link, and local payment methods we have seen some great results not only for our business, but our customers as well. Whether you stick to major cities or explore coastal islands, each region gives you a different side of the country. Thailand is one of the few countries where you can go from jungle-covered mountains to tropical islands in a single day. Visit in mid-April to participate in Songkran (Thai New Year), which is celebrated with the world’s largest water fight, or come in November for Yi Peng, the world-famous lantern festival. There’s no denying Bangkok, Thailand’s capital, belongs at the top of this list. I’m no gambler, but as a professional travel writer who has been to every continent and nearly 100 countries, I can confidently say Thailand is the safest bet a traveler can make. Coming up with a list of cities, islands, and national parks to visit in Thailand isn’t hard. Thailand was the most visited country in Southeast Asia in 2013, according to the World Tourism Organisation. In 2019, Thailand received 39.8 million international tourists, ahead of United Kingdom and Germany and was the fourth highest in international tourism earning 60.5 billion US dollars. Prior to the pandemic, Thailand was the world's eighth most visited country according to the World Tourism rankings compiled by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation. As of 2012, due to its favourable taxation for 2-door pick-ups at only 3–12% against 17–50% for passenger cars, Thailand was the second largest consumer of pick-up trucks in the world, after the US. As of 2025[update], the Thai automotive industry was the largest in Southeast Asia and the 12th largest in the world. In 2014, Credit Suisse reported that Thailand was the world's third most unequal country, behind Russia and India. It is the second largest economy in Southeast Asia after Indonesia, ranking midway in the wealth spread in Southeast Asia as the fourth richest nation according to GDP per capita. Coal-fired power plants produce an additional 20% of electricity, with the remainder coming from biomass, hydro, and biogas. This means the country uses about twice as much biocapacity as it contains, resulting in a deficit. Bank of Thailand reported that during 2006–16, Thailand's top 5% largest companies had 85% of all corporate revenue in the nation, and only 6% of the country's companies were in export industries, which made up 60% of the country's GDP.