Thailand, officially known as the Kingdom of Thailand and formerly known as Siam, is a country at the center of the Southeast Asian Indochinese Peninsula. It spans approximately 513,120 square kilometers, making it the world's 50th-largest country by land area and the 21st-most-populous country, with approximately 70 million people. Thailand is characterized by diverse ecosystems, including the mountainous forests of the North, the vast rice fields of the Central Plains, the semi-arid farm lands of the Northeast plateau, and the tropical islands and long coastline of the peninsula in the South.
Geographically, Thailand is divided into four main regions. The northern region is mountainous, containing the country's highest point, Doi Inthanon, and is known for its significant agricultural output, thanks to its fertile valleys. The northeastern region, often referred to as Isaan, is dominated by the Khorat Plateau, bordered by the Mekong River to the north and east, which separates Thailand from Laos. The central region is the country's rice bowl, featuring the expansive and fertile Chao Phraya River Basin, which has shaped Thailand's agriculture and way of life. The southern region is known for its narrow isthmus that widens into the Malay Peninsula, renowned for its beautiful beaches, tropical islands, and rubber and palm oil plantations.
Thailand is bordered to the north by Myanmar and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and the southern extremity of Myanmar. Its maritime boundaries include Vietnam in the Gulf of Thailand to the southeast and Indonesia and India in the Andaman Sea to the southwest.
This geographical diversity has contributed to a rich variety of cultures, cuisines, and traditions in Thailand, making it a melting pot of experiences for visitors and a vital agricultural and economic hub in the region.
