Full Country Name : Thailand (Prathet Thai, meaning "land of the free") Capital : Bangkok (Krung Thep, meaning "city of angels") Geography : The kingdom of Thailand lies in the heart of Southeast Asia, making it a natural gateway to Indochina, Myanmar and Southern China. Its shape and geography divide into four natural regions : the mountains and 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 South. The country comprises 76 provinces that are further divided into districts, sub-districts and villages. Bangkok is the capital city and centre of political, commercial, industrial and cultural activities. It is also the seat of Thailand 's revered Royal Family, with His Majesty the King recognised as Head of State, Head of the Armed Forces, Upholder of the Buddhist religion and Upholder of all religions. Thailand is a constitutional monarchy with His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, or King Rama IX, the ninth king of the Chakri Dynasty, the present king. The King has reigned for more than half a century, making him the longest reigning Thai monarch. Thailand embraces a rich diversity of cultures and traditions. With its proud history, tropical climate and renowned hospitality, the Kingdom is a never-ending source of fascination and pleasure for international visitors. Climate : Thailand enjoys a tropical climate with three distinct seasons-hot and dry from February to May (average temperature 34 degrees Celsius and 75% humidity); rainy with plenty of sunshine from June to October (average day temperature 29 degrees Celsius and 87% humidity); and cool from November to January (temperatures range from 32 degrees Celsius to below 20 degrees Celsius with a drop in humidity). Much lower temperatures are experienced in the North and Northeast during nighttime. The South has a tropical rainforest climate with temperatures averaging 28 degrees Celsius almost all year round.More Detail
Travel Thailand (Central Region) Central region of Thailand stays on the country’s largest flat land which is the most fertile plain rich in rich fields and fruit orchards. It’s where the Chao Phraya River flows through making the most nourish land for agriculture and the best place for inland fisheries. The weather is fine all through the year with a lot of rain in rainy season and there’s enough water for farms to grow rice three times a year. Central region is a combination of many ancient civilizations such as Lawo, Dvaravati, Khmer, Sukhothai, Supannabhumi, Ayutthaya, and the modern of Ratanakosin or Bangkok period. Most people are Buddhists who possess different lifestyles from the busiest city of Bangkok to peaceful rural area of Supanburi. Going to any provinces in the central region is very easy and takes just a few hours by car or bus, boat or even train.
Travel Thailand (Eastern Region) Attracting millions of travelers from all over the world for decades, eastern coasts of Thailand are the most popular and the nearest destinations for those who wish to enjoy sunny holidays on white sandy beaches or isolated islands. This region offers an immense variety of marine and other natural attractions. Visitors will find that the weather is fine for swimming, snorkeling and sunbathing all over the year except in the rainy season during August to October, which however might has some fine days in that period. For seafood lovers, eastern region is heaven for them as they can enjoy inexpensive fresh seafood due to a number of fishing villages in the area such as Bang Sare in Chonburi Province, Ban Pae in Rayong Province and Klung in Chantaburi Province. Activities are so various from daytime sports such as golfing, scuba diving, sailing and windsurfing to nighttime entertainments such as drinking, clubbing, and watching cabaret shows. On the other hand, eastern coast is not only just a place for fun but also a place for industrial activities and businesses as it offers Leam Chabang, the largest port in Thailand to import and export products from and to every part of the world. Thus this wondrous region is truly the place that fulfills the need of everyone in all aspects weather they are travelers, manufacturers, or business investors.
Travel Thailand (Northern Region) Located approximately 600 kilometers from Bangkok, the northern region of Thailand stays amidst dense forest and beautiful mountainous scenery covering around 169,644 square kilometers. Its border is next to Myanmar in the west and Laos in the east, thus one may also enjoy the trip to both countries as well. It is the source of four important rivers, Ping, Wang, Yom, and Nan, which merge into the mighty Chao Phraya River nourishing the main plain of the central area including Bangkok. The northern region of Thailand is famous for its high mountains, where the temperature is below 25 oc throughout the year, as well as its ancient culture and civilization. It is home to “Lanna:” , the combination of Myanmar and Laos culture dated back 900 years ago. People in the north have their own distinguished lifestyle; they speak Lanna dialect that many words have different meanings from Bangkok dialect and possess Lanna alphabets. Their food is totally different from the other regions with many local ingredients that could not be found elsewhere and make special taste. Most of the northern people are Buddhists so don't be surprised to find numerous temples decorated with fascinating Lanna style everywhere. Moreover, there are more than 20 groups of hill tribe living on the hillside who can preserve their own cultures waiting for visitors to discover.
Travel Thailand (Northeastern Region (Isan)) Apart from the world’s popular tourist destinations as Chiang Mai, Pattaya, or Phuket, Northeastern Region of Thailand, called in Thai “Isan”, is the place with uniqueness and dissimilarity from the other parts of the Kingdom. The northeastern region of Thailand is situated on the plateaus northeastward of Bangkok with the distance ranging between 300 to 700 kms. Its border is next to Laos in the north and the east with Mae Kong River as the natural border, and Cambodia in the south; thus it is an easy access to both country and known as “the gate of Indochina” in recent decades. The region consists of distinctive plateaus found only in this area that become Thailand’s most popular natural tourist attraction of all time such as Phu Kradung in Leoi Province or Khao Yai, Thailand’s largest national park in Nakorn Ratchasima Province. Though average temperature is similar to the central region, it could be down to freezing 0 oc in winter in some northern parts of the region. Isan culture is an influence of Laos and Khmer civilization that the evidences are found at many Khmer-styles castles such as Prasart Hin Phimai in Nakorn Ratchasima Province and Prasart Hin Phanomrung in Burirum Province. There’s also an archeological site to explore at UNESCO’s world heritage site of Bann Chiang, considered the most important prehistoric settlement so far discovered in South-East Asia dated back 5,000 years ago, in Udon Thani Province. Isan people inherit distinguishing lifestlyes from their ancestors. They speak various Isan dialects depending on their areas and cook deliciously spicy Isan food. Thus Isan is the tempting place waiting for everyone to visit for both its natural and historical attractions. Going to the Northeastern Region is easy with daily flights from Bangkok to Udon Thani, Khonkaen, Ubon Ratchathani, Sakon Nakorn. You can take bus, day and night, at Mor Chit Bus Terminal or train at Hualumpong Station to all main cities in the region.
Travel Thailand (Southern Region) Southern Region of Thailand is on the peninsula located between the Gulf of Thailand in the Pacific Ocean eastward and Andaman Sea in the Indian Ocean westward, extending from Chumporn Province to the country’s southernmost border next to Malaysia. The peninsula is covered with mountainous areas of Tanawsri and Sunkalakiri Mountain, and some plains with rivers nourishing the land. Thus the south of Thailand is known for its beautiful marine attractions such as palm-fringed beaches, coral reefs with colorful marine life, picturesque fishing villages, remote national marine parks, as well as stunning forests such as lush tropical islands, forested mountains, cascading waterfalls and numerous rubber trees. Besides fascinating nature,the southern region is also colorful with people of various ethnics, such as Thai-Muslim, Chinese, Malayan and some of those European, who make this region a particularly charming tourist destination. Visitors can make their trips to the south throughout the year due to its different climate on both sides of the peninsula. It’s quite reliable on consistently fine weather and calm sea on the eastern side of the peninsula from May to September and on the western side from November to March, and certainly the best time for both sides is during summer in March and April. To be safe, tourists who wish to take aboat trip to any remote island are advised to check the weather before beginning their trip. A journey to the south can be made via flights operated from both Suvarnabhumi and Donmuang Airport in Bangkok. For budget tourists, night bus maybe abetter choice operating nightly from Southern Bus Terminal. Or Sai Tai Mai.