Difference Between Bali and Thailand

Which place should I plan to take my partner, family, staff, or friends to? What destination, between Bali and Thailand, would you suggest? What are the possibilities of Bali blowing our minds off despite its size compared to Thailand? Can Thailand live up to its vast size and give us more entertainment and holiday options compared to Bali?

All these are questions that a traveler would ask if they have the two destinations in mind. For anyone who has never been to either or has only visited either of them, comparing the two would be hard. It would be like comparing heaven and earth yet you have only lived in the latter. After all, is it not worth it talking about something you have the first-hand experience about?

So, what makes Bali special? What makes Thailand mind-blowing? Do the two destinations have anything in common for a traveler? This post sought to collect all the vital details about the two and feed them to any potential voyager who might be lost for choice as to which one to choose over the other. Read through too and get some more insights about each destination.

Where is Bali?

Bali is a 5,678 km² Indonesian island with a population of above 4.225 million people (this is according to the 2014 national census). The island is well known for its well-forested and volcanic mountains, beaches, coral reefs, and iconic rice paddies.

Bali island is also home to famous religious sites like the cliffside Temple of Uluwatu. On the south end of the island, there sits the beachside city of Kuta. The city is always lively with all-time lively bars while Sanur, Nusa Dua, and Seminyak are popular resort towns. Also, the island is famously known for its meditation and yoga retreats.

Where is Thailand?

Thailand is a country located at the heart of mainland Southeast Asia. Measuring 513,120 km², it is made up of 76 provinces with a total population of about 68 million people. It is a kingdom under a king and is the 50^th largest country in the world by total area. On popularity, it is the 21^st in the list of world’s most popular countries.

The administrative units are headquartered in Bangkok, its capital city.

Even though Thailand has been a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy for a long time, it is currently a de facto military dictatorship. This followed the 2014 coup that put it under the current constitution, which is also the 20^th, by the military junta.

Similarities Between Bali and Thailand

These two places are quite different. They are in different localities and came to be in different ways. However, they have a good share of similarities including:

• Most of their citizens believe in superstition.
• Both have a compulsory religious education.
• Both have long histories of military domination in politics.
• Both have fantastic coastal regions and beaches.
• Both are still developing.

Differences Between Bali and Thailand

The major differences between Bali and Thailand are as follows:

1. Meaning

Bali is a term given and used to refer to a province in Indonesia and also an island that sits on the westernmost part of the Lesser Sunda Islands. Thailand, on the other hand, refers to a country, also officially the Kingdom of Thailand, that sits at the center of the Southeast Asian Indochinese peninsula.

2. Capital of  Bali and Thailand

The capital of Bali is the Denpasar city, which is also the largest and the main entrance to the island while the capital of Thailand is Bangkok. Bangkok is also the largest and most popular among the Thailand cities and is referred to as Krung Thep or Krung Thep Maha Nakhon in Thai.

The city of Bangkok covers an approximate 1,568.7 square kilometers while the City of Denpasar covers approximately 123.98 kilometers squared.

3. Size of  Bali and Thailand

The total area covered by Bali is an approximate 5,780 kilometer squared while Thailand covers approximately 513,120 kilometers squared.

4. Administrative Divisions

The administrative divisions of Bali are composed of eight regencies and one city while Thailand is divided into 76 provinces. The 76 provinces are further grouped into five by location.

5. GDP of  Bali and Thailand

When it comes to the GDP of both countries, again there is a huge difference. Bali is dependent on tourism as the largest output. This is despite agriculture being the island’s biggest employer. Thailand’s economy, on the other hand, is majorly dependent on exports and manufacturing of such items like vehicles, textiles, fishery products, computers, electricals, jewelry, and rubber. Exports account for about two-thirds of Thailand’s total GDP.

6. Languages spoken in  Bali and Thailand

The main languages spoken in Bali are Indonesian and Balinese among other indigenous Balinese languages. Thailand, on its side, has Thai as its official language although it documents a total of 62 more languages recognized by the government.

7. Population of  Bali and Thailand

The estimated population of Bali as of 2014 was 4.225 million while Thailand’s, according to a 2016 estimate stood at 68 million people.

8. Religion

The dominant religion in Bali is Hinduism while the dominant one in Thailand is Buddhism.

Bali Vs. Thailand: Comparison Table

Summary of  Bali and Thailand

Both Bali and Thailand are great tourist destinations. They both harbor deep-rooted cultural, language, religious, and entertained differences that make each unique. For any frequent traveler who has had a chance to visit both of them, the experience can be exceptional. For a voyager planning on what to choose between them, it would be worth trying each at a go, depending on their timeline and budgets.

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