Thailand
Welcome to the Travel Online Asia site featuring Thailand. In this site you will find information about travel to Thailand, attractions in Thailand and plenty of Thailand accommodation options. We represent accommodation in the following Thailand areas: Amphoe Ko Samui, Ban Patong, Ban Ra Wai, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chon Buri, Hua Hin, Kathu, Koh Samui, Krabi, Pattaya, Phuket, Taling Ngam Read on for more information about Thailand...
Thailand, formally the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia. To its east, lie Laos and Cambodia; to its south, the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia; and to its west, the Andaman Sea and Myanmar. Its capital and largest city is Bangkok, one of the largest cities in the world.
The country's official name was Siam until 24 June 1939. It was again called Siam between 1945 and May 11, 1949, when it was once again changed by official proclamation. The word Thai means "freedom" in the Thai language and is also the name of the majority ethnic group.
Thailand is divided into 76 provinces which are gathered into 5 groups of provinces by location. There are also 2 special governed districts: the capital Bangkok and Pattaya, of which Bangkok is also at a provincial level, while Pattaya is part of Chon Buri Province. Some Thai people still count Bangkok as a province, making Thailand a 76-province country.
Thailand is the world’s no.1 exporter of rice, exporting 6.5 million tons of milled rice annually. Rice is the most important crop in the country. Thailand has the highest percent of arable land, 27.25%, of any nation in the Greater Mekong Subregion. About 55% of the available land area is used for rice production.
Thailand is home to several distinct geographic regions, partly corresponding to the provincial groups. The north of the country is mountainous, with the highest point being Doi Inthanon at 2,576 metres (8,451 ft). The northeast consists of the Khorat Plateau, bordered to the east by the Mekong river. The centre of the country is dominated by the predominantly flat Chao Phraya river valley, which runs into the Gulf of Thailand. The south consists of the narrow Kra Isthmus that widens into the Malay Peninsula.
The local climate is tropical and characterised by monsoons. There is a rainy, warm, and cloudy southwest monsoon from mid-May to September, as well as a dry, cool northeast monsoon from November to mid-March. The southern isthmus is always hot and humid.
Major cities beside the capital Bangkok include Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen, Udon Thani, Ubon Ratchathani, Nakhon Sawan, Chiang Mai, Surat Thani, Phuket and Hat Yai (Songkhla Province).
