Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and formerly known as Siam, is a country in Southeast Asia.At 513,120 km2 and over 68 million people, Thailand is the world’s 50th largest country by total area and the 21st-most-populous country.Bangkok is its capital and largest city, as well as a special administrative area.The official language of Thailand is Thai and the “Baht” is the official currency of Thailand.The country joined ASEAN in 1967. Thailand's prevalent religion is Theravada Buddhism, which is an integral part of Thai identity and culture.Thai culture has been shaped by many influences, including Indian, Lao, Burmese, Cambodian, and Chinese.Thailand's climate is influenced by monsoon winds that have a seasonal character (the southwest and northeast monsoon).Thailand has three seasons. The first is the rainy or southwest monsoon season (mid–May to mid–October) which prevails over most of the country.Winter or the northeast monsoon starts from mid–October until mid–February. Most of Thailand experiences dry weather during this season with mild temperatures.Summer or the pre-monsoon season runs from mid–February until mid–May and is characterized by warmer weather.