Economically, the establishment of the People's Republic of China discouraged Thailand's Chinese from sending monthly remittances and encouraged local assimilation which stimulated local growth and profits. As world demand for FOOD products rose, the countryside began diversifying away from the rice monoculture. And in response to local demand, enterprising producers founded light manufacturing industries on city and town outskirts.

Pibul was deposed and exiled in 1957 by one of his leading generals and erstwhile supporters, Sarit Thanarat, who immediately initiated sweeping bureaucratic reforms to promote economic development. Perfectly embodying the Thai strongman concept and devoted to the Crown, Sarit became the most popular Thai leader of the post-war period. His dynamism gave Thailand the stability, security and sense of direction which had been lacking during previous years of political and economic stagnation.

A monk may leave the monkhood any time he wishes. The Thai ordination is a public notice of a man's intention to follow the Buddha's teaching. He is not obliged to remain a monk for life, nor does any stigma attach should he decide to return to secular life.

Although Buddhism flourished during the Ayutthayan period, historically little is known of Ayutthayan Buddhism because of the near total destruction of the Kingdom's records. The years following 1767 found Buddhism in disarray. The situation improved when the first Chakri king, Rama I, re-established religious as well as social order.

In now time flat the Christmas season will be upon us. Christmas means friends and family visiting from far and wide. What do the principles and practices of Feng Shui teach us in the preparation or our homes and offices for this most festive time of year?

To some families the Christmas season means a time of vacation and travel. The kids are on school break. It may be to visit family and friends offshore or just down the interstate a couple hundred miles. Still it's an exciting time of year to those who travel - with crowded airports as well as booking into hotels and motels - at the peak season of the travel and tourism industry.

Son of King Thammaraja, who held the Thai throne on Burmese sufferance, the nine-year-old Naresuan had been taken hostage to Burma after Ayutthaya's fall. Under the personal tutelage of Ayutthaya's conqueror, King Burengnong, Naresuan learned martial arts and was made heir to the Thai throne in the erroneous belief that his Burmese sojourn and training had made him a pliable Burmese puppet.

Returning to Ayutthaya at the age of sixteen, Naresuan raised his own army. He reorganized northern Thai defences and blocked sporadic Cambodian raids from the east. Equally well versed in conventional warfare from elephant back or classical guerilla warfare, willing to use foreign mercenaries, Naresuan patiently bided his time until 1584 when he proclaimed Thai independence and defeated the newly-crowned Burmese monarch, King Nanda Bayin.

Wealth became synonymous with land ownership after 1454, when King Trailoknat (1448-1488) bestowed titular and land ownership favours on civil and military officials. The quantity of land granted was based on each official's rank. Although this land legally remained the king's, the titled beneficiary had the right, and the duty, to levy taxes on all produce in his fief. Part of the revenue went to the royal treasury and the remainder went to support the official's household.

Whenever western themes come into your mind, you will call up ideas of cowboys, horses and sunsets. When you will choose a western-themed gift, it may appear to be a real simple thing, just like you are purchasing an item from one of those patterns, on the other hand, the gift you are going to give ought to be carefully planned and then must be tailored to the addressee. For the person who simply adores anything that has the western theme, it will be great to receive a present with that motif on most of the occasions.