Partner Country of the Month: Thailand
It's the year 2565 in Thailand - according to the Buddhist calendar. As a popular holiday destination, Thailand is known for friendly people, magnificent temples and delicious food. This country in the rough shape of an elephant's head also offers a lot of scenic beauty. In the north, there are mountains and forests, in the northeast a plateau, in the central region a lot of rice is grown and the south is full of rainforests and beaches. Thailand means "land of the free". It's the only country in Southeast Asia that has never been colonised. Come with us on a voyage of discovery to the home of Siamese cats and Muay Thai.
With the "Partner Country of the Month" campaign, we want to shine a spotlight on the countries, regions and partner universities of TU Dresden that aren’t necessarily the first to come to our students' minds when thinking about a semester abroad.
Table of contents
General facts and figures about Thailand
Capital: Bangkok. About 15% of the population live here
Population: 66 million (2021)
Official language: Thai. There are also 73 minority languages
National holiday: 5th December (birthday of the long-serving King Bhumibol)
Currency: Baht (฿, THB), 1 € = 36,3 baht
You can find further facts and figures on wikipedia, on wikivoyage, or e.g. on the website of the Royal Thai Embassy.
Small language excursion:
- Hello – สวัสดี [suwahtdee]
- What’s your name? – คุณชื่ออะไร [koon cheu ah-rai]
- How do you do? – เป็นอย่างไรบ้าง [bpen yung-rai bahng]
- I don’t understand – ไม่เข้าใจ [mai kao-jai]
- Sorry – ขอโทษ [kaw-tohd]
- Thank you – ขอบคุณ [kawp-koon ka / khrap]
Thai has its own writing system, which is related to the Lao, Burmese and Khmer scripts. Consisting of 76 letters, it distinguishes much more accurately between different sounds than the Latin script does. Therefore, it shows the pronunciation of words very precisely. Spaces are not used between individual words, only between whole sentences.
In polite conversation, it's customary to respectfully finish sentences with courtesy particles. Women use ka and men use khrup - regardless of who they're speaking to. The particles are dropped when talking to family and friends. There are also other language registers with little relevance for everyday life - the official language, the language of court and the language of monks. Some of them differ greatly from everyday speech.
Thai is a tonal language with five tones. If this is starting to sound too complicated, don't be daunted. While pronunciation and writing are relatively complex, Thai grammar is very simple. It's easy to learn some basic Thai. It will come in very handy both for making friends and for exploring the country. In large cities and tourist regions, English will serve you for communication, but in more remote regions, knowledge of English can't be expected. There are numerous online resources for learning Thai, such as thai-language.com, everyday-thai.com or the Duolingo-like app Ling.
Our partner universities offer many courses and even entire degree programmes in English. Therefore, you will be able to study entirely in English during your exchange semester. However, please check the exact requirements before applying.
Did you know that ....?
- every day of the week has its own colour in Thailand? Monday is yellow, Tuesday pink, Wednesday green, Thursday orange, Friday blue, Saturday purple and Sunday red. The colour of your date of birth is your lucky colour. Accordingly, the whole country is decorated in yellow on the King's birthday. He was born on a Monday. Some Thais also like to dress according to the day's colour.
- Thailand is the largest exporter of the notoriously stinky durian? With fears of a gas leak, the fruit's penetrating smell has already caused more than one major operation in Germany. In Thailand, it's often forbidden to eat durian in public indoor spaces. Despite the smell, the taste and consistency are said to be uniquely good and reminiscent of custard.
- Thailand's capital city has the longest place name in the world? Actually, Bangkok was only the fishing village that used to be in its place, but the name has persisted abroad. In Thailand itself, the capital is officially called Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, colloquially Krung Thep. Both are abbreviations of the full ceremonial name Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphimanawatansathit Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit, meaning "City of the Gods, Great City, Residence of the Holy Emerald Buddha, Impregnable City of Indra, Great Capital of the World Adorned with Nine Gems, Joyous City whose Royal Palaces Resemble the Heavenly Abode of the Reincarnated God, given by Indra and built by Vishnukarn". Surely that's impossible to remember? Fortunately, Thai rock band Asanee-Wasan has turned the city name into a catchy song.
- the traditional style of residential buildings in Thailand are wooden houses on stilts? They are a logical adaptation to the local climate. During the rainy season (June to October), the stilts protect against damage from flash floods, and during the heat of summer (March to May), the space beneath the house is pleasantly breezy and out of the sun. In the Thai countryside, you can still find many stilt houses. In cities, it's now more common to have extra steps in front of the entrance door, no cellar, and air conditioning or fans.
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in Thailand, wearing a school uniform is not only a thing at schools, but also at universities? In general, the group identity of students is emphasised and promoted much more than in Germany. For example, as a hazing ritual, freshmen have to go through a lot of pranks from the older students.
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Thailand has a James Bond Island? The 20 m high, gravity-defying rocky spire in southern Thailand is actually called Ko Tapu. In “The Man with the Golden Gun“ it was the villain's hideout. It remained in the public memory so much that boat tours to the island still refer to the film today.
Cooperation with TU Dresden
You can find an overview of all cooperations of TU Dresden that you can use for your exchange in our database. It is also often worth your time to ask professors in your own faculty who might have direct contacts to your partner university of choice.
TUDworldwide cooperations of TU Dresden (multidisciplinary)
- Thammasat University
- Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok
Faculty cooperations in Thailand
- Mahidol University
- Chemistry
- Chemistry and Food Chemistry
- Medicine
- Physics
Don't miss...
Wat Rong Khun. This unusual temple in Chiang Rai is the project of artist Chalermchai Kositpipat and stands out even in a country full of thousands of magnificent Buddhist temples. While the exterior is completely white with fragments of mirrors shining and glittering in the sun, the interior is colourfully painted. The murals show Samsara, the cycle of birth, death and rebirth, in a mixture of traditional Buddhist imagery and modern pop culture. Among others, you'll find Kung Fu Panda and Neo from the Matrix.
Erawan Falls. Seven connected waterfalls line up in Erawan National Park. Over time, their turquoise-green waters have carved out numerous limestone pools. The best thing about it: you can swim in the waterfalls. With a bit of luck, you can also see macaques or monitor lizards and explore the park's caves. The Erawan Falls are easy to reach by bus from Kanchanaburi city.
Elephants - but in the right way. Encounters with elephants are high on the bucket list of many Thailand travellers. But beware: tamed elephants are often treated badly, especially in places that offer elephant riding. Fortunately, there are more responsible options, such as the Elephant Nature Park. For seeing wild elephants, your chances are highest in Kui Buri National Park.
Songkran. In the middle of the hot and dry season, Thailand celebrates Buddhist New Year on April 13th with plenty of opportunities to cool off in huge water fights. The background of this custom is washing away the old year. People respectfully sprinkle Buddha statues and rinse the hands of older family members. These more traditional family aspects are complemeted by wild street festivals with buckets and water pistols.
Ayutthaya. In its heyday, Thailand's old capital was one of the largest cities in the world and a splendid international trading metropolis. However, this ended in 1767 when the city was conquered in the Siamese-Burmese War. The ruins of its palaces and temples continue to impress and are counted as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The distances between different sites can be easily covered by rental bike.
Let's get cooking...
Thai cuisine is considered one of the best in the world and is known for its excellent street food. There is also a variety of tropical fruit that you won't find in Europe. The fruit is often sold with a dip or as a smoothie. A lot of life in Thailand happens outdoors - so it's no wonder street stalls and night markets are so numerous. Some dishes you shouldn't miss are the national favourite Som Tam, a salad made from unripe papaya, and Massaman Curry. In the 19th century, King Rama II was so inspired by Massaman Curry that he wrote a poem in praise of it. The poem is still memorised by today's primary school children.
You won't be able to starve in Thailand. Food envy is an unknown concept, probably also because food is everywhere. People usually order in groups and share freely. Spoons are the main eating utensil, with forks as a back-up. For seasoning, Thai cuisine uses a lot of chilli. But it's the balance of flavours that counts. Often, fish sauce (salty and umami), something sour like vinegar or lime, chilli sauce and sugar are provided so you can season to taste.
Khao Neow Mamuang - Coconut Sticky Rice with Mango
In peak mango season from April to May, this simple but delicious dish is sold everywhere in Thailand as street food. Thai people eat mangoes in many different ways and levels of ripeness. But Khao Neow Mamuang with ripe, juicy-sweet yellow mangoes complimented by creamy coconut rice is probably the most popular way to enjoy this fruit.
Glutinous rice is the staple food in northern Thailand and the northeastern Isaan region. It's used for savoury dishes as well as for desserts. Although the preparation of Khao Neow Mamuang itself is simple, you need to plan ahead for the rice as it needs to soak a while in order to reach the best consistency.
Ingredients for 4 servings
- 400 g Thai sticky rice from the Asian supermarket
- 400 ml coconut milk
- 600 ml water
- 60 g cane or palm sugar
- 2 ripe mangoes
- a little salt
- optional: yellow mung beans as a topping
Preparation:
1. Wash rice in some water 6 to 10 times, gently rubbing the grains together in circular motions to remove the outer starch. The aim is to have the water stay clear when washing. Then leave the rice to soak in water for about 6 hours.
2. Put the rice in a pot with 600 ml of water and bring to the boil on the highest heat level. Once the water boils, turn down the heat. Let simmer for about 25 minutes with the lid closed until the water has been completely absorbed.
3. Pour 300 ml of coconut milk into a saucepan, add the sugar and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil on medium heat while stirring. Stir in one direction only. Remove from the heat when the sugar has completely dissolved and the coconut milk is starting to boil.
4. Slowly and carefully stir the coconut milk mixture into the still hot rice, spoon by spoon. When everything is mixed, the rice should be shiny and reach a consistency similar to rice pudding. Cover with a damp kitchen towel to prevent the rice from drying out.
5. Put the rest of the coconut milk in a saucepan with a pinch of salt and bring to the boil over low heat while stirring. Remove from the heat again when it's starting to boil.
6. Optional: Fry the mung beans for a few minutes on low heat until they are golden brown and crispy.
7. Peel the mangoes and cut them into large cubes. For serving, first put some rice on a plate. Add about half a mango. Pour coconut milk over the rice and sprinkle with mung beans.
(Many thanks to eatingthaifood.com!)
Contact and further contact persons
Have you had any great experiences in Thailand? Did you successfully spend a semester abroad in Bangkok, did you have inspiring culinary experiences or do you have any tips for places and things that you shouldn't miss? We would be happy to share your experiences either here, on Facebook or, if you like, in a digital information event with other TUD students. Get in touch with us:
© Sven Ellger
Advice on studying abroad
NameMs Federica Serra
Infocenter/ Study abroad; TUDworldwide: America
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Partner Countries Archive
Have you missed a partner country? No worries! Here are all the pages of our previous months for you to read up on:
May 2022: Ukraine
April 2022: Portugal
February 2022: People's Republic of China
January 2022: Iceland
November 2021: Romania
October 2021: Mexico
July 2021: Sweden
June 2021: Taiwan
May 2021: Netherlands
April 2021: Vietnam
February 2021: Czech Republic
January 2021: Brazil
December 2020: Austria
November 2020: India
October 2020: Estonia
July 2020: South Korea
June 2020: Hungary