A film by Nicolas PELLISSIER and Patrick MOREAU.
Formerly the Kingdom of Siam, Thailand only adopted this name in 1939. All the more so since it means "the land of the Thais" or "the land of free men". The early kingdoms of Sukhothai and Ayutthaya had to fight against the Khmer Empire before they could build up a relatively powerful and independent state. It was precisely thanks to this power that the country managed to escape the influence of European colonial empires in the 19th century. Today, the kingdom is the most developed country on the Indochinese peninsula. Age-old Buddhist traditions are deeply rooted in all age groups, yet the country is resolutely committed to modernism at the start of the third millennium. Pagodas with gleaming red and gold roofs stand side by side with towers of glass and steel. After the difficult period of Covid, Thailand has once again become one of the most visited countries on the planet, with travellers enchanted by its rich and brilliant culture, majestic temples, original cuisine and islands of white sandy beaches. But Thailand isn't just a paradise for tourists in search of the exotic. Although very tolerant and rigorously respectful of the precepts of Hinayana Buddhism, Thai society is having a hard time coping with the influx of refugees from a Burma in turmoil...
