Thailand Geography

Just a nine hour flight from Australia's east coast, Thailand is a spectacular tropical paradise renowned for its picture perfect beaches, opulent temples, lush landscapes and turquoise tropical waters. Located 15 degrees above the equator, Thailand sits in the centre of Southeast Asia and shares a border with Myanmar to the north, Laos to the north east and Cambodia to the east.

Thailand is approximately 513,120 square kilometres in size, which is roughly the same as Spain or Texas. Made up of over 1400 islands, Thailand is a vivid archipelago that is home to approximately 69 million people.

As a tropical island destination, Thailand enjoys a warm and balmy climate all year round. Thailand's weather can be characterized as a tropical monsoon, where the summer months receive the highest rainfall and storm surges.

Thailand's geography is divided into seventy-six political provinces with Bangkok being the capital. There are also four different geographical regions, all boasting their own unique landscapes and terrain. The western border is known for its forested mountains and abundance of wildlife as well as the highest peak in Thailand, the Doi Inthanon Mountain, which is located in the Chiang Mai Province. The western border region also experiences the coolest weather in all of Thailand.

The north-eastern border of Thailand is home to the Khorat Plateau. Extending south towards Cambodia, the Khorat Plateua occupies 155,00 sq km of land.

The interior region of Thailand is dominated by the central plains. More commonly known as 'the rice bowl of Asia,' the plains are some of the most fertile areas for growing rice and fruit. Since the 1960's Thailand has been the world's biggest exporter of rice with many of it's produce coming from this region.

The southern region runs into the Gulf of Thailand and Andaman Sea. The region is home to the most stunning beaches in all of Thailand as well as many popular holiday regions including Phuket, Krabi and Koh Samui.

To learn more about the regions of Thailand, head to our Thailand region guide.