Philippines
2025-06-03
It can be very straightforward to tell Philippines apart from its neighboring countries. Here are some clues that can help:
Languages: Philippines official languages are Filipino (a version of Tagalog), and English. Both languages use the Latin alphabet. Also, the Philippines have a strong Spanish influence from the past, so many of the names there look Spanish. You can notice it in city names, street names, and even people's names on billboards.
Right-Hand driving: Philippines and Cambodia are the only "south-east Asia looking" countries covered by Google that drive on the right-hand side. The other ones are Laos or Cambodia, which don't use the Latin alphabet. Combine right-hand traffic with alphabets to score high points!
Pavement: It is very common to see concrete pavement like the image below:

Careful with this pavement! Thailand also have the same type of pavement in some regions, so before locking your guess on Philippines when you see the pavement, check the traffic side. If it's left-hand traffic, don't fall for the trap and go to Thailand!