Why is Thailand called Thailand?

Answer 1

The name Thailand was changed in 1939 and it was more commonly known as the name of Siam it was changed to Thailand because Thailand stands for free land or free the land and is very meaningful to the people of Thailand

Answer 2

Thailand is the English name for the Kingdom of Thailand. In Thai, the official language of the kingdom, the name of the country is Prathet Thai, meaning 'Land of the Free'.

Answer 3

For common explanation to foreigner, Thai people would simply explained.

"THAI" means free in Thai. "LAND" comes from the British.

Thus: THAILAND !

However the story of the name is quite dramatic and it connect to the current dispute of race and political turmoil as it is in present day.

The name Thailand come from misconception of unity.

Thailand old name is Siam, which, composed from many ethnic groups namely Tai, Melayu, Chinese and including many minor ethnic tribe such as Hmong (hill tribe) and Morgan (sea tribe). In 1939, after the revolution, the leader of that time want to unified the country of different ethnic race under the same name by rename the country Thai as from Tai, the major ethnic race in central.

Name of country written in Thai is just ไทย (read: Thai). It follow by -land to denote that this land is belong to Thai people. The psychological feedback from Colonialism era to define the right of the belonging.

Change of name had cause long controversies among ethnic race especially the Melayu on the south (they would prefer called themselves by name of religion "a Muslim" instead of Thai). Overly dominating race especially in central (Tai race) is accustom of making racist joke onto other ethnic race to made the matter worse.

There are action to revert back the name to Siam, however, the public at large disagree since the name Thailand had been used for quite an era.

Answer 4

Thailand is called Thailand because when the Germans crossed the Caspian sea the captain was called harry thai and that's where they got thai from and now its called Thailand.