THAI STUDENT PRESENTATIONS
Located on the other side of the world from Vermont, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand is a city of roughly 100,000 people. Outside of the city it is largely agricultural with rice being almost the sole crop and pigs, cattle, and chicken as the livestock. Ubon Ratchathani is located in the northeastern region of Thailand, known as Isaan, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) from the Laos and Cambodian borders.
The entire country of Thailand has nearly 67 million people. Buddhism dominates the religious beliefs and heavily influences the culture. Politically, Thailand is the only Southeast Asian nation NEVER to be conquered by a European country. There has been significant political upheaval over the last several years as two opposing sides vie for power. Although political violence is rare, riots last April and May resulted in the death of 90 people.
5 percent of the nation's economy is based on tourism. Many tourists from Europe, America, China, and Australia come to Thailand. Most tourists visit the famed beaches in the south, the metropolis of Bangkok, and Chiang Mai in the northwest. The eastern part of Thailand does not get many tourists.