THAILAND
A tropical country, lying between 7* and 21 * latitude, Thailand lies at the heart of SE Asia. Roughly the size of Texas with approximately 198,000 square mile,
Thailand is bordered by Cambodia to the east, Burma to the west and to the northwest, Laos across the Mekong River to the northeast and Malaysia to the south. With a multitude of small islands off its 1,600 miles of coastline, which runs along the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea, Thailand has some of the finest beaches in the world
Rugged mountains and tropical deciduous forests dominate Northern Thailand; Doi Inthanon, the highest peak in Thailand at 8,500 ft above sea level, is located in the North. Southern Thailand has pockets of dense rainforests in the interior backed by jungle-clad mountains and mangrove forests are dominant along both coastlines. The Northeast is, relatively flat and dry with rolling hills and the central plateau is the primary rice-growing region and one of the major rice growing regions in the world,.
A Buddhist country for much of its long history and the only country in SE Asia never to be subjugated by the Western Powers, Thailand is known for its rich and exotic culture, Buddhist pagodas and temples and fine cuisine. With a variety of fine beaches and a shopping Mecca for jewels and rare gems and clothes, Thailand is popular as an international tourist destination.
Thailand is also an excellent destination for natural history enthusiasts, botanists and flower lovers. There are over 27,000 species of flowering plants including over 1000 species of orchids of which Thailand is famous for. In the more temperate and cooler North, azaleas and rhododendrons are very prolific. Due to the cultivation and destruction of forested areas, much of Thailand's wildlife including the tiger and elephant is disappearing. Thailand is rich in bird life with over 1,000 resident and migratory species, including the great hornbill, the white crested laughing thrush and the swiftlet.
Climate
Throughout most of the country it is hot and relatively humid all year around with temperatures averaging between 80-90 F and there can be rain any time of the year. Actually, there are three seasons - A rainy season from June - November, a shoulder or dry (and somewhat cooler) season from December - February and a hot summer season from March - May. In general, it is somewhat cooler in the mountainous North, where at elevations 2000 feet and above, temperatures can get somewhat chilly at nights and in the early mornings especially during the dry season. And for popular resort island of Ko Samui and along the Southeast Coast, the rainiest period is from November thru early January due to the high frequency of monsoons in the region at that time.
