“Chin had been studying Western banking assiduously. He had learned that Western banks accumulated large assets by attracting the small savings accounts of shopkeepers and farmers, paying low interest on these savings, then lending the money at high interest rates”.
Lords of the Rim, Sterling Seagrave
(Chin Sophonpanich was the founder of Bangkok Bank)
• Before King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) died in 1910 he had sired seventy-five children
• Before 1880 the Thai Baht was valued at 8 Baht to 1 pound sterling.
(Thailand A Short History, David K. Wyatt)
• Thailand is the world’s second largest pick-up truck market after the United States
• The population of Thailand was estimated at 65,068,149 in July 2007.
(Thailand BOI)
• The longest north-south distance in the Thailand is about 1500km (930mi), the longest east-west distance about 800km (500mi).
• Thailand produces approximately 20 million tonnes of rubber tyres each year
(Bangkok Post, August 28 2006).
• Thailand grows and exports more durian fruit than any other country.
• Thailand is the 13th largest organic food producer in Asia.
(Bangkok Post, December 24 2007)
• In 1913 a law was passed in Thailand requiring all citizens to adopt surnames.
• The Mekong River, which forms a border between Thailand and Laos is 4335km long.
