Thai Geography

Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma 

Geographic coordinates: 15 00 N, 100 00 E 

Map references: Southeast Asia 

Area: total: 514,000 sq km land: 511,770 sq km water: 2,230 sq km 

Area - comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Wyoming 

Land boundaries: total: 4,863 km border countries: Burma 1,800 km, Cambodia 803 km, Laos 1,754 km, Malaysia 506 km 

Coastline: 3,219 km 

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation 

Climate: tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March); southern isthmus always hot and humid 

Terrain: central plain; Khorat Plateau in the east; mountains elsewhere 

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m highest point: Doi Inthanon 2,576 m 

Natural resources: tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite, arable land 

Land use: arable land: 29.36% permanent crops: 6.46% other: 64.18% (2001) 

Irrigated land: 47,490 sq km (1998 est.) 

Natural hazards: land subsidence in Bangkok area resulting from the depletion of the water table; droughts 

Environment - current issues: air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from organic and factory wastes; deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by illegal hunting 

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea 

Geography - note: controls only land route from Asia to Malaysia and Singapore