20 Weird and Interesting Facts about Thailand You Wouldn’t Want to Miss
6 The demand for edible insects is so great in Thailand that they have to import over 800 tons per year from Cambodia, Myanmar, China and Laos.
There are over 20,000 registered cricket farming facilities in Thailand and farming of edible insects alone generates as much as 30 million USD according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Insects other than crickets used as food are bamboo caterpillars, giant water bugs and grasshoppers.(source)
7 It is illegal in Thailand to leave the house without wearing underwear.
There are many other such laws in Thailand that might seem funny to the outsiders. It is also illegal to stop on the country’s currency, to drive a car without wearing a shirt, or to throw chewing gun on the sidewalk. Being appropriately dressed seems to have a lot of importance in Thailand community.(source)
8 In September 1996, two cats named Phet and Ploy were married in a $16,241 lavish ceremony with 500 guests and received over $60,000 in gifts.
The wedding was done in style. The groom, Phet, was dressed up in a pink tuxedo and arrived on a Rolls Royce. The bride, Ploy, wore a beautiful pink satin dress and came in a helicopter. Phet’s owner paid $23,202 to Ploy’s owner as dowry for their marriage. Phet’s “diamond eyes” is actually a blue colored film that developed because of glaucoma.(1, 2)
9 During the Vegetarian Festival of Thailand, a version of Taoist Nine Emperor Gods Festival, the devotees practice ritualistic mutilation in a trance-like state.
The festival is celebrated as a way to respect their gods and ancestors. The mutilation is done without the use of anesthetic and the trance-like state experienced by the devotees is claimed to make them calm and focused during the days after.(1, 2)
10 Miss Tiffany’s Universe, a beauty contest for transgenders, takes place annually and attracts over 15 million viewers on National Thai television.
The contestants come from a wide variety of backgrounds, including doctors, engineers, pharmacists and university students. They compete for the titles of Miss Photogenic, Miss Sexy Star, Miss Congeniality and Miss Popular. The contest seeks to promote the rights and equality of transgender community in Thailand.(source)
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