An authentic and up-to-date picture of Thailand today. In Bangkok, Thailand's capital city, modern skyscrapers dwarf traditional Buddhist buildings. Thailand, known as the 'Land of Smiles' because of its friendly people, has been transformed in recent years. What were once small fishing villages, such as Pattaya, are now international tourist resorts. Cities are booming and the economy is bouncing back after the financial crash of 1997. But what is the cost of these trends on the environment and society? Meet the people of Thailand and learn about the diversity of their lives, from a head nurse at Udon Thani hospital to a novice monk in north-west Thailand. Includes maps and graphic panels showing statistics and fact boxes about size, flag, population, religion, currency and language.