Thailand

Abstract

Thailand is located in the middle of the Indochinese Peninsula, between latitudes 5°27' and 20°27’N and longitudes 97°22' and 105°37’E. The Kingdom’s total area is 513,115 square kilometers, of which some 84 percent falls within the mainland section and 16 percent within the Peninsular South. The extreme length from north to south measures 1,620 kilometers, while at its broadest Thailand is only 780 kilometers wide from east to west. The narrowest strip at about 11°43’N latitude on the Peninsular South is 10.6 kilometers. The Isthmus of Kra is some 64 kilometers wide, situated further south at about 10°N latitude. The form is therefore anything but compact, affording Thailand excellent access to the seas with 23 of its 76 provinces touching the coastline.