Thailand
The country's official name was Siam (RTGS: Sayam origin unknown) until 23 June 1939, when it was changed to Thailand; it was renamed Siam between 1945 and 11 May 1949, after which the name Thailand was once again adopted. The word Thai is not, as commonly believed to be, derived from the word Tai meaning "free" in the Thai language; it is, however, the name of an ethnic group from the central plains (the Thai people). A famous Thai scholar argued that Tai simply means "people" or "human being" since his investigation shows that in some rural areas the word "Tai" was used instead of the usual Thai word "khon" for people . With that in mind the locals seemed to have also accepted the alternative meaning and will verbally state that it means "Land of the free".
