Thailand: Land of a Thousand Smiles Quiz

Answer: Central Thailand

Central Thailand is quite literally the heart of the nation. Bangkok lies in this region, being the economic center of the nation, and housing a high number of multinational companies. The country boasts the title of one of the 'top tourist nations' according to Mastercard. Bangkok has seen high traffic in tourists coming to see the sights, such as the Taling Chan Floating Market.

Answer: Sukhothai

Sukhothai is located near the Yom River, where the Kingdom of Siam prospered under the reign of their third king, Ramkhamhaeng. During his reign, he ushered in a golden age of culture, politics, religion and even the modern Thai alphabet. The king himself is the image shown on the province's seal, and he is still a greatly revered figure of the region.

At one point, Sukhothai was known as Sawankhalok. Its current name wasn't made official until 1939.

Answer: Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai was founded in 1296, and became the capital of the Lan Na Kingdom. Chiang Mai is rich in culture, being recognized by UNESCO as a Creative City for its promotion of cultural and creative activities. One of the great celebrations held in Chiang Mai is Songkran, the Thai New Year, with its citywide water fight enjoyed by both young and old.

Answer: Mae Chan Fault

The Mae Chan Fault lies within Northern Thailand and stretches all the way to Western Laos. This fault caused massive damage in 2007, stretching from Laos to as far as Chiang Rai. The fault is part of a series of parallel faults in the Indian Plate, with the Sagaing Fault in India and the Red River Fault in China running parallel to Mae Chan.

Answer: May to October

While rainfall is unpredictable, there is a rainy season between May to October. Rain usually hits hard during this period, with the potential to see rain go on for days on end. The rain is a blessing to the people as Isan has a very long dry season, coupled with the region's poor soil that can only support certain types of crops, like sticky rice, which thrive in flooded paddy fields.

Answer: Khorat

The Khorat Plateau stretches around most of Isan, with a division due to the Phu Phan Mountains. It has an area of over 155,000 kmē, with tributary rivers along the edges of the plateau. These two tributaries are the Mun and the Chi rivers, which flow towards the Mekong.

Answer: Gulf of Thailand

The Gulf of Thailand is a shallow water way that flows within the Pacific Ocean towards the South China Sea, with a maximum depth of 85m. It borders Cambodia and Vietnam, and attracts many tourists for whale watching activities. The area is home to many rare species, such as Eden's whale and dugongs.

Answer: Their late King

The planning of the Bhumibol Dam began in 1951. Back then it was known as the Yanhi Dam, before being renamed in 1957, a year before construction. It serves as a water catchment, flood prevention measure and supplier of hydroelectric power to the area. The dam was Thailand's first major multi-purpose project.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej was Thailand's longest reigning monarch, beginning in 1946 before his death in 2016, passing away at the age of 88.

Answer: Krabi

Krabi is a sight to behold. Aside from the beaches with smooth sand and clear waters, there are jagged rock cliffs and caves of limestone. A popular choice for tourists is to take a boat ride or kayak in these caves to take in the view of the stalagmites and stalactites in these massive caverns.

The site of the beaches has taken considerable damage though, as it fell victim to the Boxing Day tsunami of 2004.

Answer: Singapore

Phuket is the second smallest province in Thailand, in fact it is smaller than Singapore by 55 square miles. Phuket is just off the coast of Thailand, bordering the Andaman Sea. It is full of mountains from north to south, with their famed but overcrowded beaches to the west.

It is densely populated for its small size, with population numbers doubling between 2000 to 2010, from about a quarter million to more than half a million people. Phuket is a popular choice for expatriates to make home to the island's climate and relative ease in navigation. Can't blame them when you have great beaches.