Thai culture arose over time due to their vast networks both inland and to outside lands via the ocean. The economy blossomed with a stable government and the people shifted from focusing solely on food and survival to arts, construction, and budding economies. Powerful cities arose, art flourished, and the food became a focus of the people who slowly gained the resources and money to expand their palates, forming a unique and world-famous cuisine that still exists today.
Along with foreign foods and spices, Buddhism arrived from settlers in the west. Buddhism quickly became the prominent religion and even today much of Thailand's legal system and ideologies are rooted in Buddhism. Other ideas from lands abroad also arrived and changed the people; the Khmers, Mon, and Burmese among others took over many parts of the country, changing some aspects of the cultures, but also forcing the Thai people to cling to their past as both the cities of Chiang Mai and Ayutthaya became centers of cultural growth. This cultural growth is even more magnified in the 1500-1900s when the Europeans arrived in large numbers and the people sought to maintain their history and independence.
With the Europeans came fear, but also outside influences and a growing sense of national and ethnic identity as the people clung to each other and their royal family to maintain sovereignty. They kept independence by wisely working with the foreign powers. This governmental stability allowed the country to maintain their culture and continue their economic growth instead of warring; in this way these outside influences helped the country introduce new health and learning standards as Thailand quickly became one of the best educated and wealthiest countries in the region.
Today Thailand's culture and way of life are a result of their past as they maintain high economic, educational, and health standards. They remain the diplomatic leader in the region, yet they take great pride in their culture and past, which has been threatened at so many times. In many ways, Thailand has kept their traditions alive, however in other ways they have adopted the outside influences by introducing new technologies and items from other countries. Often times these external introductions have magnified their culture while making life a bit easier. Today Thailand truly is a mix of past and present.