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Geography of Thailand

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Satellite image of Thailand in January 2004. Screenshot from NASA World Wind, Blue Marble Next-Generation layer. The image data was acquired in January 1 - 31, 2004.
Reto Stöckli, NASA Earth Observatory · Public domain

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Thailand shares a 4,863 km (3,022 mi) long international land boundary with Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia. The nation's axial position influenced many aspects of Thai society and culture. Southern Thailand is the only land route from mainland Asia to Malaysia and Singapore. It has an exclusive economic zone of 305,778 km2 (118,062 mi2).

Composition and geography

Location

A fertile floodplain and tropical monsoon climate, ideally suited to wet-rice (tham na) cultivation, attracted settlers to this central area in preference to the marginal uplands and the highlands of the northern region or the Khorat Plateau to the northeast. The earliest settlers were in the bronze age such as Ban Chiang around 1500 BCE.

By the 11th century AD, a number of loosely connected rice-growing and trading states flourished in the upper Chao Phraya Basin. They broke free from domination of the Khmer Empire, but from the middle of the 14th century gradually came under the control of the Ayutthaya Kingdom at the southern extremity of the floodplain.

Successive capitals, built at various points along the river, became centers of great Thai kingdoms based on rice cultivation and international commerce. Unlike the neighboring Khmer and Burmese, the Thai continued to look outward across the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea toward foreign ports of trade.

European colonisation of Southeast Asia brought a new phase of Southeast Asian commerce in the late-1800s. Thailand (then called Siam) was able to maintain its independence as a buffer zone between British-controlled Burma to the west, British Malaya to the south, and French Indochina to the east. However, Thailand lost over 50% of its former territory to the expanding claims of French Indochina until 1907. Its central location made the Kingdom of Thailand's position a regional hub that has greatly influenced its society, culture and history. Southern Thailand has a long, narrow shape. It is the only land connection to Malaysia and Singapore. Thailand is fully above the equator in the Northern Hemisphere.

Mountains

The mountain ranges that run parallel from north to south across Mainland Southeast Asia are one of Thailand's most distinctive geographical features. The country's highest peak is Doi Inthanon, with an elevation of 2,565 meters. Major mountain ranges include the Thanon Thong Chai Range, the Daen Lao Range on Thailand's northern edge, and the Tenasserim Hills on the border with Myanmar. The average elevation decreases southward. There are no volcanoes. There are 10 mountains over 2,000 m (6,600 ft). 148 mountains exceed 1,000 m (3,300 ft).

Northern Thailand's mountainous regions like Chiang Mai and Doi Inthanon have chilly air and misty mornings. However, at high altitudes it does not get colder than 5 °C to 10 °C due to the tropical climate. There is no snow and frost is rare in the coldest months. In 1955, snow-like frost was reported in Doi Inthanon.

The 10 tallest mountains in Thailand are all located in Northern Thailand. The highest peaks are:

Forests

The forest cover rate was 63% in the 1940s, but declined to 53.3% in the 1960s and 26.6% in 1991. It had been declining due to timber exports, urbanization, and development. Since the late 1980s, the decline has been halted since protective measures such as banning logging of natural forests were implemented. As of 2020, the Royal Forest Department has classified the country's forests as 31.6% and 38.9% according to the FAO, remaining stable.

The Royal Forest Department classifies the country's forests into six categories: mangrove/coastal forest, evergreen forest, evergreen forest, mixed deciduous forest, deciduous dipterocarp forest, and savanna. Exotic plantations such as eucalyptus and rubber are classified as agricultural land. Of these, mangrove forests and coastal forests are more prevalent in the south and east, mixed deciduous forests in the north, and deciduous dipterocarp forests and savannas in the northeast.

Rivers

The main rivers are the Chao Phraya River and the Mekong, as well as the Salween River, Mae Klong, Mun River, Chi River, Tha Chin River, and Bang Pakong River. Southern Thailand has short and steep rivers due to the narrow peninsula. The Mekong is partially a natural border between Thailand and Laos for 920 km. It flows from the Golden Triangle in Northern Thailand to Khong Chiam district in Northeastern Thailand.

These are the 10 longest rivers of Thailand:

Lakes

There are around 8000 natural lakes and swamps. This includes a few large lakes and thousands of small lakes. Songkhla lake is the largest natural lake at 1,040 km2 (400 mi2).

These are the 9 largest lakes of Thailand:

Waterfalls

There are over 50 waterfalls in Thailand. These are the top 10 tallest.

Islands

There are approximately 1,430 islands. They are relatively small-sized islands and uninhabited islets. Many islands are protected areas in national parks or wildlife sanctuaries. Most islands are near the coasts of Southern Thailand and Eastern Thailand. The largest island is Phuket 543 km2 (210 mi2) in the Andaman Sea.

These are the 10 largest islands of Thailand:

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