The population of Thailand is about 62 million and is currently growing at a rate of 1% to 1.5% per annum (as opposed to 2.5% in 1979), thanks to a vigorous nationwide family-planning campaign.

Over a third of all Thais live in urban areas. Bangkok is by far the largest city in the kingdom, with a population of around seven million (more than 10% of the total population) - too many for the scope of its public services and what little 'city planning' exists. Ranking the nation's other cities by population depends on whether you look at thêtsàbaan (municipal district) limits or at meuang (metropolitan district) limits. By the former measure, the four most-populated cities in descending order (not counting the densely populated 'suburb' provinces of Samut Prakan and Nonthaburi, which rank second and third if considered separately from Bangkok) are Nakhon Ratchasima (Khorat), Chiang Mai, Hat Yai and Khon Kaen. Using the rather misleading meuang measure, the ranking runs Udon Thani, Lopburi, Nakhon Ratchasima (Khorat) and Khon Kaen. Most of the other towns in Thailand have populations below 100,000.

About 75% of citizens are ethnic Thais, who can be divided into the central Thais, or Siamese, of the Chao Phraya Delta (the most densely populated region of the country); the Thai Lao of North-Eastern Thailand; the Thai Pak Tai of southern Thailand; and the northern Thais. Each group speaks its own Thai dialect and to a certain extent practices customs unique to its region. Politically and economically the central Thais are the dominant group, although they barely outnumber the Thai Lao of the North-East.

Small minority groups who speak Thai dialects include the Lao Song (Phetchaburi and Ratchaburi), the Phuan (Chaiyaphum, Phetchaburi, Prachinburi), the Phu Thai (Sakon Nakhon, Nakhon Phanom, Mukdahan), the Shan (Mae Hong Son), the Thai Khorat or Suay (Khorat), the Thai Lu (Nan, Chiang Rai), the Thai-Malay (Satun, Trang, Krabi) and the Yaw (Nakhon Phanom, Sakon Nakhon).

People of Chinese ancestry make up 11% of the population, most of whom are second or third-generation Hakka, Chao Zhou, Hainanese or Cantonese. In the North there are also a substantial number of Hui - Chinese Muslims who emigrated from Yunnan to Thailand in the late 19th century to avoid religious and ethnic persecution during the Qing dynasty.

Ethnic Chinese probably enjoy better relations with the majority population here than in any other country in South-East Asia, due partly to historical reasons and partly to the traditional Thai tolerance of other cultures - although there was a brief spell of anti-Chinese sentiment during the reign of Rama VI (1910-25). Rama V used Chinese businesspeople to infiltrate European trading houses, a move that helped defeat European colonial designs. Wealthy Chinese also introduced their daughters to the royal court as consorts, developing royal connections and adding a Chinese bloodline that extends to the current king.

The second-largest ethnic minority group living in Thailand is the Malays (3.5%), most of whom reside in the provinces of Songkhla, Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat. The remaining 10.5% of the population is divided among smaller non-Thai-speaking groups like the Vietnamese, Khmer, Mon, Semang (Sakai), Moken (chao leh, or sea gypsies), Htin, Mabri, Khamu and a variety of hill tribes.

Thailand's official language is Thai as spoken and written in central Thailand. This dialect has successfully become the lingua franca of all Thai and non-Thai ethnic groups in the kingdom. Of course, native Thai is spoken with differing tonal accents and with slightly differing vocabularies as you move from one part of the country to the next, especially in a north to south direction. But it is the central Thai dialect that is most widely understood.

About 95% of the Thai population are Buddhist, which is a religion based on the teachings of Buddha, "the enlightened". Born a Nepali prince in 560 BC, Siddhartha Gautama subjected himself to many years of severe austerities to arrive at a vision of the world which is the basis of Buddhism. Gautama Buddha spoke of four noble truths:
 

• "Existence is suffering" (The truth of suffering).
• "Suffering is caused by desire" (The truth of the cause of suffering).
• "Eliminate the cause of suffering and the suffering will cease to arise" (The truth of cessation of suffering).
• "The eight fold path (or middle way) is the way to eliminate desire" (The truth of the path).

The main theme of Buddhist belief is that of karma, the evaluation of all life's events and, after one's death, the rebirth of that karma in a new existence. In this way everyone has it in his own hands to determine his next life, for better or worse. The Thai proverb "do good and receive good, do evil and receive evil" sums up this concept well.

Buddhism is ever present in Thai life from the myriad Buddha images to the saffron-robed monks and many wat (temples) at which local people worship. As a visitor to Thailand you are welcome to visit the wat but please remember to dress respectfully, no shorts or vests. Remove your shoes before entering any temple building, and never touch the head of a Buddha image.

About 4% of the population, mainly living in the south of Thailand, is Muslim. The remaining 1% are Confucians, Taoists, Christians, and Hindus. Thai people are very tolerant of other faiths and treat all religions with respect.

Theravada Buddhism is the professed religion of more than 90% of all Thais, and casts strong influences on daily life. Buddhism first appeared in Thailand during the 3rd Century B.C. at Nakhon Pathom, site of the world's tallest Buddhist monument, after the Indian Buddhist Emperor Asoka (267- 227 B.C.) dispatched missionaries to Southeast Asia to propagate the newly established faith. Besides molding morality, providing social cohesion and offering spiritual succour, Buddhism provided incomparable artistic impetus. In common with medieval European cathedrals, Thailand's innumerable multi-roofed temples inspired major artistic creation. Another reason for Buddhism's strength is that there are few Thai Buddhist families in which at least one male member has not studied the Buddha's teachings in a monastery. It has long been a custom for Buddhist males over twenty, once in their lifetimes, to be ordained for a period ranging from 7 days to 3 months. This usually occurs during the annual Rains Retreat, a month period during the Rains Season when all monks forego travel and stay inside their monasteries. Besides sustaining monastic communities, Thai temples have traditionally served other purposes - as the village hostelry, village news, employment and information agency, a school, hospital, dispensary and community centre - to give them vital roles in Thai society. The Thais have always subscribed to the ideal of religious freedom. Thus sizeable minorities of Muslims, Christians, Hindus and Sikhs freely pursue their respective faiths.