COMPARITIVE STUDY OF INDIA AND THAILAND Welcome to Incredible India

Namaskar, Welcome to Incredible India! A journey into mysticism through the land of the unexpected. Bounded by the majestic Himalayan ranges in the north and edged by an endless stretch of golden beaches, India is a vivid kaleidoscope of landscapes, magnificent historical sites and royal cities, misty mountain retreats, colorful people, rich cultures and festivities. Modern India is home alike to the tribal with his anachronistic lifestyle and to the sophisticated urban jet-setter. It is a land where temple elephants exist amicably with the microchip. Its ancient monuments are the backdrop for the worlds largest democracy. If youre planning a holiday to India, looking for hotels and accommodation and events information or simply interested in India as a country you are sure to find many insights on the multifaceted travel options to India here.The timeless mystery and beauty of India can be experienced only by visiting this ancient Land. Theres just one thing youll need to travel through 5000 years of culture and tradition- A comfortable pair of shoes.

India Facts - General

Country Name Republic of India; Bharat Ganrajya Location The Indian peninsula is separated from mainland Asia by the Himalayas. The Country is surrounded by the Bay of Bengal in the east, the Arabian Sea in the west, and the Indian Ocean to the south. Geographic Coordinates Lying entirely in the Northern Hemisphere, the Country extends between 8 4' and 37 6' latitudes north of the Equator, and 68 7' and 97 25' longitudes east of it. Distance: North-South: 3.214 km, East-West: 2.933 km Indian Standard Time GMT + 05:30 Area 3.3 Million sq. km Border Countries Afghanistan and Pakistan to the north-west; China, Bhutan and Nepal to the north; Myanmar to the east; and Bangladesh to the east of West Bengal. Sri Lanka is separated from India by a narrow channel of sea, formed by Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar. Coastline 7,516.6 km encompassing the mainland, Lakshadweep Islands, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Terrain

The mainland comprises of four regions, namely the great mountain zone, plains of the Ganga and the Indus, the desert region, and the southern peninsula. Population India's population, as on 1 March 2001 stood at 1,028 million (532.1 million males and 496.4 million females). Nationality Indian Religions According to the 2001 census, out of the total population of 1.028 million in the Country, Hindus constituted the majority with 80.5%, Muslims came second at 13.4%, followed by Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, and others. Languages There are 22 National Languages have been recognized by the Constitution of India, of which Hindi is the Official Union Language. Besides these, there are 844 different dialects that are practiced in various parts of the Country. Literacy According to the provisional results of the 2001 census, the literacy rate in the Country stands at 64.84 per cent, 75.26% for males and 53.67% for females.

India Facts - Nature

Mountains

Himalaya 2400 km long between 240 and 320 km wide Kanchenjunga (8534 m) Aravalli Ranges (Rajasthan) Mount Abu (1219 m) Eastern Ghats (Height ca 610m) Western Ghats (Height 915- 1220m, some Mountains upto 2440m)

Rivers (Total Lenghth)

Ganges 2.510 km Brahmaputra 2.900 km

Forests

770.100 km about 23,4% of total area

Deserts

200.000 km about 1/3 cultivable

Flora

45.000 different Species 15.000 Vascula Flora about 35% endemic

National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries

80 Nationalparks 441 Wildlife Sanctuaries about 23 Tigerreserves (Project Tiger) c. 40.000 Tigerpopulation end of 19. Century c. 2.000 in the 70's c. 6.000 today consists 60 % of the worldwide tigerpopulation

Fauna

65.000 different Species: Fishes: 2.500 Amphibians: 150 Reptiles: 350 Birds: 2.100 Mammals: 350 Special: Tiger, Asian Lion, Elephant, Four horn antilope (Choushinha), One horn Rhinoceros, three different Leopard (snow Leopard), black an brown Bear, Yak, Tapir, Moschusdeer, Sibirischer Kranich, Indian Wild ass, Indian Bison (Gaur), Indian Buffalol (Nigail), largest Red wild population of the world (8 different Species), Crocodiles, among it the Gangesgharial, found only in India

Weather and Climate

India Meteorological Department

The climate of India can broadly be classified as a tropical monsoon one. There are four seasons:
i. ii. iii. iv. winter (December-February) summer (March-June) south-west monsoon season (June-September) post monsoon season (October-November) Hot tropical weather with variations from region to region. Coolest weather lasts from November to mid-March, with cool, fresh mornings and evenings and dry, sunny days. Really hot weather,is between April and June. Monsoon rains occur in most regions in summer between June and September.

Required clothing:. Lightweight cottons and linens in summer with warmer clothes in winter and on cooler evenings. Waterproofing essential during monsoons. Warmer wear for winter. Weather can change rapidly in mountains and it is therefore important to be suitably equipped.

THAILAND Floating...flying...free!

Seekers of the exotic, seekers of adventure, heritage fans, culture marvellers, photographers, lovers, naturalists, luxury seekers and hedonists - a population that seeks the wonders of the earth finds its way to Thailand.
About Thailand

Rich, mystical and with a cultural heritage that spans eons, Thailand opens its secrets to those who wish to leave behind the stresses and worries of everyday life. Welcome to a land of diverse landscapes that harbour scenic splendour! Light as a feather, free as sparkling sunshine - come in and be amazed at truly breathtaking creations of nature. Welcome to The Amazing Kingdom!
Geographical division:

North - The mystical mountains and forests Central - The vast green rice fields Northeast - The breathtaking vistas from the plateaus South - Jubilant tropical islands and beaches in the peninsula
Located in:

In the heart of Southeast Asia, a natural gateway to Indochina, Myanmar and Southern China
Provinces:

76 further divided into districts, sub-districts and villages

Capital city:

Bangkok - The center of political, commercial, industrial and cultural activities

Monarch:

His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej also known as King Rama IX, the ninth king of the Chakri Dynasty

Head of State Head of the Armed Forces Upholder of the Buddhist religion Upholder of all religions

Thailand is a constitutional monarchy with His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, or King Rama IX, the ninth King of the Chakri Dynasty, the present King. The King has reigned for more than half a century, making him the longest reigning Thai monarch. Thailand embraces a rich diversity of cultures and traditions. With its proud history, tropical climate and renowned hospitality, the Kingdom is a never-ending source of fascination and pleasure for international visitors.

Neighbouring countries:

Myanmar - west and north, Lao P.D.R. - north and northeast, Cambodia - southeast and Malaysia - south.
Area: 513,115 sq. km. Population:

Thais are well-known for their friendliness and hospitality. A large majority of over 62 million citizens of Thailand are ethnic Thai, along with strong communities whose ethnic origins lie in China, India and elsewhere. About 7 million people reside in the capital city of Bangkok.
People:

Thai (80%), Chinese (10%), Malay (3%) and the rest are minorities (Mons, Khmers, hill tribes). Ethnic Thais form the majority, though the area has historically been at migratory crossroads, and has thus produced a degree of ethnic diversity.

Religion and Culture

Thailand is one of the most strongly Buddhist countries in the world. The national religion is Theravada Buddhism, a branch of Hinayana Buddhism, practiced by more than 90 % of all Thais. The remainder of the population adheres to lslam, Christianity, Hinduism and other faiths. All of which are allowed full freedom of expression. Buddhism continues to cast strong influence on daily life. Senior monks are highly revered. Thus, in towns and villages, the temple (wat) is the heart of social and religious life. Meditation, one of the most popular aspects of Buddhism, is practiced regularly by numerous Thai as a means of promoting inner peace and happiness. Visitors, too, can learn the fundamentals of this practice at several centres in Bangkok and elsewhere in the country.
Weather & Climate

Best described as tropical and humid, the majority of Thailand has a lush spread of verdant greenery during most of the year. The area of Thailand north of Bangkok has a climate determined by three seasons whilst the southern peninsular region of Thailand has only two. In northern Thailand the seasons are clearly defined. Between November and May the weather is mostly dry, however this is broken up into the periods November to February and March to May. The later of these two periods has the higher relative temperatures as although the northeast monsoon does not directly effect the northern area of Thailand, it does cause cooling breezes from November to February.

The other northern season is from May to November and is dominated by the southwest monsoon, during which time rainfall in the north is at its heaviest. The southern region of Thailand really has only two seasons -- the wet and the dry. These seasons do not run at the same time on both the east and west side of the peninsular. On the west coast the southwest monsoons bring rains and often heavy storms from April through to October, whilst on the east coast the rains fall between September and December. Overall the southern parts of Thailand gets by far the most rains with around 2,400 millimetres every year, compared with the central and northern regions of Thailand, both of which get around 1,400 millimetres.
Language

The official national language, spoken by almost 100 per cent of the population is, THAI, classified by linguists as belonging to a Chinese-Thai branch of the Sino-Tibetan family. It is a tonal language, uninflected and predominantly monosyllabic. Most polysyllabic words in the vocabulary have been borrowed, mainly from Khmer, Pali or Sanskrit. Dialects are spoken in rural areas. Other principal languages are Chinese and Malay. English, a mandatory subject in public schools, is widely spoken and understood, particularly in Bangkok and other major cities. The Thai language is liberally sprinkled with words from Pali and Sanskrit (the classical languages, respectively, of Theravada Buddhism and Indian Hinduism). Written Thai employs an alphabet of 44 consonants and 32 vowels that combine to form syllabic sounds. Thai is a tonal monosyllabic language. The same word can be said in five different ways - normal or middle tone, high and low, rising and falling. In Thai, the meaning of single syllable may alter in five different tones. Thai is one of the oldest languages in East and South-East Asia. According to linguists, it may event pre-date Chinese, at least in its prototypical form. Many of the so-called loan-words thought to be borrowed from Chinese by the Thais actually have an Austro-Thai origin. At any rate, Chinese and Thai have many similarities, since both are monosyllabic tonal languages.

Indexes Difference Consumer Prices in Thailand are 51.83% higher than in India Consumer Prices Including Rent in Thailand are 60.71% higher than in India Rent Prices in Thailand are 122.71% higher than in India Restaurant Prices in Thailand are 33.89% higher than in India Groceries Prices in Thailand are 80.54% higher than in India Local Purchasing Power in Thailand is 47.02% lower than in India

Indexes at this website are relative to New York City (NYC). Which means that for New York City, each index should be 100(%). If another city has, for example, rent index of 120, it means rents in average in that city are 20% more expensive than in New York City. If the city has rent index of 70, that means in the average in that city rents are 30% less expensive than in New York City. Consumer Price Excl. Rent Index (CPI) is relative indicator of consumer goods price, including groceries, restaurants, transportation and utilities. CPI Index doesn't include accomodation expenses such as rent or mortgage. If city has CPI index of 120, it means Numbeo estimates it is 20% more expensive than New York (excluding rent). Rent Index is estimation of prices of renting apartments in the city compared to New York City. If Rent index is 80, Numbeo estimates that price for renting in that city is 80% of price in New York. Groceries Index is an estimation of grocery prices in the city compared to New York City. To calculate this section, Numbeo uses "Markets" section of each city. Restaurants Index is a comparison of prices of meals and drinks in restaurants and bars compared to NYC. Consumer Price Plus Rent Index is an estimation of consumer goods prices including rent in the city comparing to New York City. Local Purchasing Power shows relative purchasing power in buying goods and services in a given city for the average wage in that city. If domestic purchasing power is 40, this means that inhabitans of that city with the average salary can afford to buy 60% less typical goods and services than New York City residents with an average salary.

SWOT ANALYSIS OF INCREDIBLE INDIA Strengths: Rich culture heritage and colorful festivals. Scenic beauty of the country draws tourists from far off places. Terrain is ideally suited for various adventure activities. Well known Indian hospitality. Weaknesses : Inadequate infrastructure to match the expectation. Restrictive Airline Policy of the Government of India. Overcrowding of popular tourist centres. Inadequate marketing and information channels. Some places are inaccessible, especially in winter. Opportunities GOI is giving special attention to certain regions like Northeast India. Asian Development Bank is preparing a Sub-Regional Plan fordevelopment of tourism in India. Potential for private sector's investment in tourism projects. Availability of high quality human resource. Threats Strong Competition within states of India and abroad. Terrorism is a major setback of the region.

Disorganized tourism development. Environmental factors also impose a threat.

SWOT ANALYSIS OF AMAZING THAILAND STRENGTHS

Festivals Great foods Friendly people Rich culture- Buddhist temples, historical places. Suvarnabhumi- capacity to handle45 million travelers a year and eventually 100 million with planned expansion, will only make Thailand a more convenient destination.

WEAKNESS
Traffic jams Insufficient transportation system Instability of country- conflict of the south, The 2007 coup The status of developing country

Opportunities
Attractions Outdoor- adventure opportunities abound: sail, trek to villages, ride to rivers

THREATS
The world economic drop Other countries in south-east Asia, where they have similarity in geography