Thailand is the only southeast Asian country never to have been taken over by a European power. A bloodless revolution in 1932 led to a constitutional monarchy. In alliance with Japan during World War II, Thailand became a US ally following the conflict. Thailand has a humid, tropical climate, and it is hot all year round.
Summer monsoons begin as the warm humid air masses flow towards the north from the Indian Ocean.
The monsoons end in the fall when the wind reverses direction with the dry southwester lies. The amount of rainfall varies with topography. The northeast receives the least rain, while the south is flooded during the summer months. The best time to visit Thailand is during the cool season, from October though February, when it is not as humid as during the summer and the rainy seasons. Beginning in 1999 the baht stabilized and inflation and interest rates began coming down.