This makes it rather tricky to learn for most Westerners used to speaking non-tonal languages. The Thai script, introduced by Kind Rham Khamhaeng in 1283, consists of 44 consonants and 48 vowels, and is of Sanskrit origin. Thailand is one of the most strongly Buddhist countries in the world. The remainder of the population adheres to Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and other faiths - all of which are allowed full freedom of expression. Buddhism continues to cast strong influence on daily life.
Senior monks are highly revered.
Meditation, one of the most popular aspects of Buddhism, is practiced regularly by numerous Thai as a means of promoting inner peace and happiness. Thai Cuisine is in a class of its own. It does not really resemble any other cuisine of the world, though if it is to be described by being compared to the cuisine of other countries one could say that it is somehow a blend between Chinese and Indian. A feature shared with Chinese cuisine are the staple foods, rice and noodles. A similarity to Indian cuisine are curries though Thai curries often are prepared without coconut milk.