Climate and Geographical Features

Thailand has a tropical climate, where the heat and humidity is high. April and May are the hottest months when temperature soars high and makes you sweat excessively. With the onset of the monsoons in June there is some respite from the heat, though it continues to rain intermittently until the end of October. The best season to visit Thailand is during the months of November up to the end of February as there is a reduction in the humidity level as the cooling North East breeze blows. Overnight temperature in the North and the Northeast may fall to less than 10oC as they are surrounded by hills. Sometimes, the temperature may drop to 0oC, but in the summer season, it is incredibly hot.

The Central region is not often faced with such cold weather. Summer is around March-June, and it is mostly scorching in April. It rains a great deal during the rainy season from July- October.

It rains a lot all through the year in the South. The rainy season lasts eight to nine months from May to December on the Gulf of Thailand side and from April to November on the Andaman Sea side. Because this region is a long peninsula, the temperatures in the summer and the winter season are not much varied. Ordinarily, the dissimilarity is only 2-3oC and the climate is neither very hot nor very cold, in comparison to the other regions of the country.

What to Wear

Light cotton clothing is recommended which you can carry along with you or purchase locally as they are exceedingly economical. A hat, an umbrella, sunscreen with a good Ph balance and a pair of sunglasses should see you through in the tropical sun that can be rather intense.

Flora and Fauna

Due to the difference in the physical features and climatic conditions of the six regions, the flora and fauna found in each region also differ. There is not much rain in the North and the North-east and so mostly deciduous tropical forests are found, which shed their leaves in the dry season. Most of the trees in the North’s mixed forests are teak. The South and the East are covered with thick evergreen forests, as it rains often. While in contrast, mangrove forests cover the coastal regions along the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea.

These forests are conserved to preserve their environment, being categorized as national parks and wildlife conservation areas. There are 102 national parks in Thailand, under the jurisdiction of the Department of Forestry. Khao Yai National Park, Kaeng Krachan National Park, and Doi Inthanon National Park are best known national parks for their variety of natural beauty. Each covering more than 1 million rai (1 rai = 0.4 acres) and is landlocked.

Mu Ko Ang Thong National Park, Mu Ko Similan National Park, and Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park are surrounded by the sea.

The most important wildlife conservation areas comprises Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Conservation Area and Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Conservation Area, which were given the honor of being designated as Natural World Heritage sites by UNESCO in October 1992. There are 44 wildlife conservation areas throughout the country.

Because of encroachment by people in the forest areas, the number of Thailand's wild animals has decreased considerably. Consequently, the Department of Forestry has issued the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act 1992, to conserve rare animals and parts of animals that are already extinct (that is, the protection of the mounted or preserved carcasses of extinct animals from purchase, sale, or transport out of the country), or animals which are almost extinct, such as Javan rhinoceros, Sumatran rhinoceros, Wild buffalo, Schomburgk's deer, Serow, tapir, dugong, and some rare birds such as White-eyed River Martin, Gurney's Pitta, and Sarus crane.

Topography

The most striking features of Thailand's terrain are high mountains, a central plain, and an upland plateau. Mountains cover much of northern Thailand and extend along the Burmese border down through the Malay Peninsula. The central plain is a lowland area drained by the Chao Phraya and its tributaries, the country's key river system, which feeds into the delta at the head of the Bight of Bangkok. The Chao Phraya system drains about one-third of the nation's territory. In the northeastern part of the country the Khorat Plateau, a region of gently rolling low hills and shallow lakes, drains into the Mekong River through the Mae Nam Mun. The Mekong system empties into the South China Sea and includes a series of canals and dams.

Collectively, the Chao Phraya and Mekong systems sustain Thailand's agricultural economy by supporting wet-rice cultivation and providing waterways for the transport of goods and people. In contrast, the distinguishing natural features of peninsular Thailand are long coastlines, offshore islands, and diminishing mangrove swamps.

Area and Cities

Thailand shares its borders with four neighboring countries, namely Myanmar to the North and West, Laos to the Northeast, Cambodia to the East, and Malaysia to the South. Thailand is the third largest country in Southeast Asia, with a total area of 513,115 square kilometers, next only to Indonesia and Myanmar. The population is about 65 million, of which 7 million live in Bangkok. In the North, the high mountains give rise to several rivers and streams. In the Northeast, a high plateau represents what is known as “Isan," while an enormous plain covers the Central region. The South is bordered on both sides by seas, which facilitate communication with other countries.Geographically; Thailand is roughly divided into six regions.
The North

There are nine provinces in the north. High mountains and narrow valleys alternate in this region, and elevations are higher than in other regions of the country. Almost 70 percent of the area is mountainous and only 30 percent of the plain and hill slopes are suitable for agriculture. The highest peak in the Thanon Thongchai mountain range is Doi Inthanon, which rises 2,565 metres in the vicinity of Chiang Mai. The main rivers, Ping, Wang, Yom, and Nan, which flow and finally merge into the Chao Phraya River, have their sources in the mountain ranges in the North such as Dan Lao, Thanon Thongchai, Khun Tan, and Phi Pannam. The key city in the North is Chiang Mai, a major economical, historical, and cultural center and former capital of the Lanna Kingdom. It remains the center for trade and education in the North.

The Central Region

There are 22 provinces in this region. The major agricultural sources are the three large basins of the Chao Phraya, Pasak, and Bang Pakong rivers. As the earth is made up of thick layers of sediment and water, a large segment of the population inhabits this region, and as a result, it is the economic and political centre of the country. This is the location of Metropolitan Bangkok, the capital. The surrounding cities and areas of Suphan Buri, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Prakan, and Ayutthaya feed the capital, and include industrial cities that have surfaced due to the expansion of Bangkok.

The Northeast

There are 18 provinces in the Northeast. This region is the largest and is just about one third of the whole area of the country. Mountainous ridges cover the west and south. The two large basins, Khorat and Sakhon Nakhon basins in the central area are separated by the Phuphan mountain range. To the east is the Mekong River, representing most of the border between Thailand and Laos. Major cities of this region are Nakhon Ratchasima, considered the gateway to Isan and center for land transportation in this region. Ubon Ratchathani and Nong Khai are the gateway to Laos, while Khon Kaen is situated in the heart of the Isan region.

The East

There are seven provinces in the East. A narrow plain is formed in this coastal region by the accumulation of soil sediment from brackish water. Fruit orchards are cultivated. In the extreme east, the Banthat mountain range separates Thailand from Cambodia. Currently, Chachoengsao, Chonburi, and Rayong in the East are the three cities representing provinces which have become the main industrial cities as industries have been developed. Contributing to this are several beneficial factors, such as excellent transportation facilities and a power plant operating on natural gas from the Gulf of Thailand; it is also the source of many kinds of local agricultural produce and a large number of fishery products suitable for the processing industries.

The West

There are five provinces in this region with high mountains and narrow valleys. The mountain ranges of Thanon Thongchai and Tenasserim establish the border between Thailand and Myanmar. The most important province in this region is Kanchanaburi. Every province shares a border with Myanmar. The checkpoints for cross-border communication are Mae Sod checkpoint in Tak and Chedi Sam Ong (Three Pagoda Pass) checkpoint in Kanchanaburi.

The South

There are 14 provinces in this region which is part of the Malay Peninsula and it begins at Kra Isthmus in Ranong and Chumphon, connecting in the south with Malaysia. The Phuket, Nakhon Si Thammarat, and Sankalakiri mountain ranges lie along this peninsula interconnectedly throughout its length for more than 1,000 kilometers. These ranges separate the narrow coastal plains along the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea. Para rubber plantations, oil palm plantations, fishing and fish processing, and mining are the industries here.

People

Life, habits and culture vary with the differing physical features in all regions of the country. Tourism flourishes chiefly in the North as the air is fresh since the place is surrounded by mountains. The people are forthcoming and their dialect sounds soft and charming. The biggest racial groups in the North, is the Thai Yuan or Yonok Group. This group lives in Chiang Mai, Lamphun, Lampang, Chiang Rai, Phrae, and Nan. Earlier, these people spoke the Lanna language and alphabet. Now, in addition to them, other groups speak different dialects of the Tai language family, such as Tai Yai who live in the area of the Salween Basin in Mae Hong Son and the Mekong Basin towards Chiang Rai, and Tai Lue who migrated from Sip Song Panna, Yunnan Province, in China and settled down mostly in Nan, Phayao, and Lam- phun.The medium- high mountains are the home of the Musoe and Liso, whose origins are Tibetan-Burmese. In the old days, these hill tribe minority groups earned their living by growing opium under the "shifting cultivation" system. But in the past decade, these hill tribesmen have stopped growing opium and moved their farms and turned to cold-weather crops and vegetables and cultivating orchards of tea and Chinese pear and plum in a settled, more permanent environment. They are assisted mainly by the Royal Projects Foundation, under the patronage of the King, which encourages the hill tribes to grow cold-weather plants for their living and to quit growing opium in terms. The northern Thai way of life coincides with the local culture, which is agricultural, paying respect to the sacred things, the ancestors' spirits, and Theravada Buddhism.

In the South, the Indians who came to trade brought Brahminism and Buddhism to Thailand through the South. Later, the Persians brought Islam to Sumatra Island and from there it spread to the Malaysian Cape and up the peninsula to Thailand, so many people in the area became Muslims.

The Southerners who live north of Songkhla are mainly Buddhists, who have a particular culture and tradition, while most of the people who live in the more southernly part, especially in the provinces whose borders are near Malaysia, are Muslims, with a different culture. The people of both religions harmonize and they are able to live affably together. The Southerners are tough, active, determined and patient. Those who live near the Thai-Malaysian border speak Yawi, or the Malaysian language. They live together in large families and when they get married, they may build a house in the same neighborhood or family compound.
Local costumes vary according to the social groups. The Chinese-Thai dress like Chinese; the Muslim-Thai dress like the Malaysians women wear batik sarongs, Yaya blouses (a long, narrow-sleeved blouse) in the Japanese style, and a head cover in the Muslim style; men wear sarongs, long-sleeved shirts, and a head cover or the Indonesian cap. Though of late, many dress in the Western style.
Since the Sukhothai, Ayutthaya, and Rattanakosin periods, the Central Region has been the centre for trade, politics, government and art and so this region has a variety of cultures which amalgamates both the metropolitan and the folk cultures.

People are mostly ethnic. Thai’s who have originally settled down, also those who had migrated to Thailand during different places and have mixed eventually and become Thai. There are also other groups as Lao, Karen.
People in Thailand usually live together in a large family or in the same neighbourhood , building their houses along the river banks, as their lives revolve around water. Road traveling has increased over the years as traveling by boats has decreased.

Important professions are rice cultivation, cattle breeding. Provinces near the sea evaporate sea water for the salt. Industries such as textile factories, sugar refineries, food processing factories, and many more are found in the Central region.

The weather in the Northeast is dry and water source for agriculture is extremely rare.
This region is surrounded by mountains. People usually migrate to other provinces to earn their living, though they usually return home during festive occasions.

The Isan culture can be divided into two groups, namely the Upper Isan or the Mekong culture under the influence of the Thai-Lao culture, which is situated along the fertile bank of the Mekong River, and the Lower Isan, which used to be the trade route of the ancient Khmer civilization; the groups of people in this area are Cambodians, the Thai Khorat, the Suai, the Kula, and the Kraso. People here speak a language similar to the Laotian language, though those who live near the Cambodian border also influence the Cambodian language. Their costumes are mostly hand- woven cotton and silk. Women wear knee-length sarongs and long, narrow-sleeved blouses; men wear trousers, shirts, and a long cloth tied around the waist. They are appropriate clothes for working in the field.

People in the Eastern region are like those in the Central region, though their accent and dialect have evident suffixes weird to the locality. The most accepted style is a Thai house with a hip roof, an elevated ground floor and open space beneath. The food is similar to the Central region's food, but people consume more sea food as it is near the coast.