10 Questions about Thailand | Geography

Answer: Thailand has never been a colony

During the colonial period Thailand successfully played off England against France and remained an independent buffer zone between the two world powers. England ruled to the west and south, in Burma and Malaysia. France had colonies in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, to the north and east of Thailand.

Answer: Phang Nga

The Similan Islands are 60 miles northwest of Phuket in Phang Nga province.
There are nine uninhabited islands in the Andaman Sea, 30 miles off shore. They are famous for their crystal clear blue water, world class snorkeling and scuba diving.

Answer: Samut Songkram

Phuket is small but not that small. It is 543 sq km. Samut Songkram is only 416 sq km. It is only a one hour drive from Bangkok and is famous for its floating market and Don Hoi Lod, a beach on the gulf of Thailand with many excellent and cheap seafood restaurants. Very few foreigners actually visit but in the weekends it is packed with Thai visitors from Bangkok. You can also do longtail boat trips from Don Hoi Lod through mangrove swamps. During these trips you have a very good chance of seeing large monitor lizards, monkeys and wild boars. Nhakon Ratchasima is the largest province and Koh Samui is not a province at all but falls under Surat Thani.

Answer: In northern Thailand, close to Burma and Laos

In the 1960s the Golden Triangle was the largest producer of opium in the world. Thanks to a successful international crop substitution program and strict law enforcement the cultivation of poppies has been almost entirely eradicated and has mainly moved to other parts of Asia.

Answer: Chao Phraya

Chao Phraya river means River of Kings in Thai. In the rainy season it often overflows, causing serious flooding in the central plains north of Bangkok. It is very popular with tourists for its many river dining cruises offered by all the large hotels situated on its banks.
The Mekong River forms the border between Thailand and Laos. It finally flows into the South China Sea in Vietnam.
The Irrawaddy River is in Burma.
The Yellow River runs through China.

Answer: Constitutional monarchy

Thailand has been a constitutional monarchy since 1932 although there have been numerous army coups since then. Politics in Thailand can be quite chaotic but is never boring.

Answer: 9

The Chakri dynasty rulers take on the title of Rama (as well as their own name), hence King Bhumibol is the IX Rama. For the 20th century he was the world's second longest reigning monarch.

Answer: Siam

Thailand means land of the free. The decision to rename it was made after the change from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy in the early 1930s. The new government wanted a new name for what they felt was a new country.

Answer: Tropical

Although it can get quite cool at night in the northern mountains for a few weeks during the year, the average temperature is very tropical, with Bangkok usually around 30-33 Celsius.

Answer: Andaman Sea and Gulf of Thailand

The Andaman Sea is on the west coast of Thailand and is part of the Indian Ocean.
The east coast is on the Gulf of Thailand which is part of the South China Sea. Although the isthmus is less than 100 km wide they are very different environments. The Gulf of Thailand is on average 30-40 meters deep with limited visibility underwater. The Andaman Sea has a true continental shelf and drops quickly to 400 meters plus. It is usually crystal clear blue water. To get from one to the other you have to go past Malaysia and around Singapore, 2000 km to the South.