A temple in the ancient city of Ayutthaya, one of Thailand's major tourist attractions. Ayutthaya is 76 kilometers north of Bangkok and boasts numerous magnificent ruins. [Photo by Gu Xin / Provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Colorful local fruits at a buffet in Pattaya, Thailand. Thailand boasts a plenty of tropical and subtropical fruits, which impress many foreign visitors. [Photo by Hou Weiping / provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Thai fried rice, or khao phat, served on a bed of lettuce. In Thai, khao means "rice" and phat means "being stir-fried".

Different from Chinese fried rice, this dish is prepared with Thai Jasmine rice instead of regular long-grain rice and it is often served with lime for squeezing on top. [Photo by Hou Weiping / provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A group of elephants walking on a road at a nature reserve in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand.

Elephants are seen as the symbol of Thailand.

An old saying has it that a marriage is like an elephant - the husband is the front legs, that choose the direction, and the wife the back legs, providing the power.[Photo by Hou Weiping / provided to chinadaily.com.cn]