Capital: Bangkok
Currency: Baht (THB)
Borders: Burma 1,800 km, Cambodia 803 km, Laos 1,754 km,
Malaysia 506 km
The Kingdom of Thailand is located in the heart of Southeast Asia
and borders Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia. It has a total
landmass of 511,770 sq km and a further 2,230 sq km of inland water.
Thailand enjoys a coastline that faces the Andaman Sea in the west
and the Gulf of Thailand in the east. This coastline is home to some
of the finest beaches in Asia and stretches a total of 3,219 km
along both sides of the country. The terrain of Thailand is
comprised of a low-lying central plain, the Khorat Plateau in the
east and a mountainous northwestern region where the country's
highest peak Doi Inthanon can be found at a height of 2,576m.
Thailand's attractions lie in its Buddhist attire, temples of Chiang
Mai in the north, limestone cliffs and caverns of Krabi in the south
and the non stop beach party atmospheres on the islands of Ko Samui
and Pha-Ngan in the southeast.Thailand was
formerly known as Siam until as recently as 1939 and is the only
Southeast Asian country never to have been colonised by European
powers. King Bhumibol Adulyadej is much loved by the Thais who stand
for the national anthem daily, whether inside or on the streets. The
official language is Thai, although English is widely spoken. The
national unit of currency is the Baht.
Thailand has enjoyed a surge in tourist numbers in recent years and
although 6 million people visit Thailand every year, the country
does not rely solely on this industry. Over 50% of the nation's
workforce is employed within agriculture, producing rice, cassava,
rubber, corn, sugarcane, coconuts and soybeans. The chief export
partner of Thailand is the USA. The transport network of Thailand is
comprised of 4,071 km of railways and 64,600 km of highways. 62,985
km of Thailand's highways are paved.
The climate of Thailand is tropical, humid and hot, with a southwest
monsoon from May to September and a northeast monsoon from November
to March. The average annual daily temperature is 35°C. The hottest
recorded temperature in Bangkok was 41°C. |
