Location

Located between 20 and  6 degree latitude North and between  98 and et 105 degree longitude East, 9412 kms away from Paris, Thailand, on a map looks like an elephant head having his forehead resting against Burma, the lifelong ennemy, and its trunk going down between Andaman sea at the western side and China sea at the eastern side. This country stretches on more than 1600 kms from North to south and on a maximum of  800 kms from East till West but it shortens to less than 30 kms abreast of the twn of  Prachuap Khiri Khan. It has 3720 kms of land frontiers bordered by Cambodia and Lao on the Eastern side and by Burma on the North and West and by Malaysia on the extreme South. Its sea frontage is important with, at East on around 700 kms, the Indian Ocean, called close to the coast Andaman Sea. On the East is the China sea with a sea frontage of approximatively 1900 km.

Surface

Covering 513 115 km2 (slightly smaller than metropolitan France) Thailand is the biggest South eastern Asia country.

Relief

In the northern and western part the country is covered by forests which are quite difficult to access and where reside mountainous ethnic minorities. This region is composed of  primary  schistous, calcareous and sometimes granitic massifs, and culminate close to Chiang Maï at  2595 meters (Doï Inthanon mountain). It is the highest point in Thailand. In the south east, the hills extend Cardamomes chain from neighbouring Cambodia till the cost. It forms a succession of large bays bordered with beaches. In the south is located the Malacca Peninsula dorsal, shared with Burma. Landscape varies a lot : rice fields in the valleys, calcareous jagged rock peaks, long beaches followed by cliffs covered with virgin forest, hevea plantations towards Phuket Island.

Hydrographical network

The very well developed Thai hydrographical network  played an essential role in the development of agriculture and transports. Siamese always lived on and from water. Thais go on today and however they spread a lot of concrete on canals, water is everywhere. On the North and East it is the mythical Mekong down from China which forms on several hundreds of kilometers the border with Lao. From northern mountains come a lot of rivers on the banks of which villages are located. They become bigger and bigger going down to south and finally join to form the Mae Nam Chao Phraya. From those huge rivers go unnumerous waterways which took possession of this flat country which is most of the time only one meter above the sea level.

Climate

The climate, tropical humid type, has three seasons : the hot season (march-May), the rainy season (june- october) and the tempered season (november-february). During the hot period heat is most of the time stuffy, mainly in the center plain and in the North eastern region. It can exceed 38°C in may. At this time, weather becomes thundery and announces the coming rains. From june onwards this  mass of warm air, stationed on the continent attracts monsoon winds blowing from south west  and coming from equator. Till september-october they bring cloudbursts. Central plain is then flooded. In Bangkok showers are short but violent. Chao Praya  river swells and the "klongs" (canals) are no more able to drain such a quantity of water and overflow. Streets become reivers and inhabitants going back home  from work often have water up to their knees.
Between november and february, a mild season takes place. Temperature and rivers level go down. Wind come then from North East. It lost its humidity in China and Vietnam mountains. A dry air spreads on the country and the sky is cloudless and blue. According to thais this is dry season but in Bangkok the thermometer still climbs to 24°C during the day. At night, it can go down till 15°C in december or january. In the North, coolness is real and temperature is around 7°C at night in the mountains. It may freeze at a high altitude. It is the best time to travel in Thailand. Temperature is mild with a nice blue sky. July-August without being very rainy, will offer you a rather often cloudy weather, less propitious to nice photos, signs of a successfull journey.
Each part of Thailand goes through the three seasons in a different way according to its relief and location. South receives more water but temperatures is quite stable all over the year (between 23 and 24 degrees). North has well marked seasons and central plain must absorb a lot of water during a very short period of time.

Temperatures in Bangkok  :

population

Nowadays thai population reaches 64,2 millions inhabitants (2005) and is composed at 94% by Thaïs, Môn-Khmers et  Chinese (4%) ; it is still mostly rural (70%). Bangkok, the first town of the kingdom counts 7 millions inhabitants. It is a huge, totally impossible to live in megapole (heat and pollution). About 40.000 french-speaking foreigners live in Thailand.
The birthrate is under control with a number of 1,74 %. The death rate is of 28 for 1000 births (update 2001).

Religion

The main religion practised by 94% of the population is Theravada buddhism ; it also exists a muslim community in the south of the country (4%)  and some christians.

Political regime

Thailande is a constitutionnal  monarchy. From 1945 onwards His Majesty Bhumibol Adulyadej (RAMA IX) is the King but the country is conducted by the Prime Minister (Thaksin Shinawatra  from TRT party from 2001 onwards). The deputy chamber is composed of 360 members elected for 4 years at direct universal suffrage and the senate has 270 members.