Thailand's
Geography
Thailand,
known for centuries as Siam, is now officially known as the Kingdom of
Thailand. Thailand is found in Southeast Asia surrounded by Myanmar to its
north and west, Laos on its northeast, Cambodia and the Gulf of Thailand on its
southeast and by Malaysia and Myanmar on its south and southwest, respectively.
The
largest city in Thailand is Bangkok, with about 5.5 million people living there
in 1992. In addition to being the largest city, Bangkok has the
distinction of being the capital of Thailand as well as the chief seaport.
Dominating
Thailand's terrain are mountainous areas, which can be found all through the
country. Taking up a third of Thailand is the Khorat Plateau, a flat,
barren plateau that borders the Mekong River valley. The main river in
Thailand, Chao Phraya, goes through an alluvial plain that is sandwiched between
the central and western mountains. This plain, along with a fertile delta
near Bangkok, which was created by the Chao Phraya, is the most productive
agricultural part of Thailand, and is the most densely populated.
Monsoon
winds have an impact on Thailand's tropical climate. When the winds come
from the southwest, the temperatures are usually a little higher and more humid
(ranging from 78 -98 degrees F), while the northeastern winds bring the
temperature down a little (ranging from 56 - 92 degrees F). Rainfall is
more likely during the summer months of June through October, and the average
rainfall varies from region to region. In the northern, central and
western regions, about 1500 mm is expected, while the Thai section of the Malay
peninsula usually gets over 2500 mm. The Khorat Plateau gets the least
rainfall with about 1270 mm or less per year.
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Information
Provided by the Thai Embassy
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