Thailand can be divided into four geographical regions. In the north are mountain ranges and deep valleys in which are the sources of Thailand's principal river, the Chao Phraya. The mountains are covered with forests of teak and evergreens. In central Thailand is the plain of the Chao Phraya. This is the most densely populated region, and it has the best farm land. In the east is the Khorat Plateau, a high, stony plain, where cattle, pigs, buffaloes and horses are farmed. The fourth region of Thailand is the part that lies on the Malay Peninsula, which is mountainous and contains the main tin and other mineral deposits.



The climate of Thailand is tropical. It is governed largely by the monsoon, a wind that blows from the southwest from May to November, bringing a warm, rainy season, and from the northeast from November to March, bringing a dry and cooler season. The months of April and May, between the monsoon seasons, are the hottest of the year.

Thailand has many wild and beautiful animals, including more than a thousand varieties of brightly coloured birds. It is famous for the elephant, which is the national symbol of the country and is protected by law. The so called white elephant (which is really a lighter shade of grey) is considered sacred. A favorite animal from Thailand is the Siamese cat. Thailand used to be name Siam.

The largest city of Thailand, and the capital, is Bangkok. It is a modern city located about 25 miles inland from the ocean at the delta of the Menam River. It is a harbor and center of trade, and has a population of more than 1,500,000. Several international airlines connecting Asia with the United States and Europe make regular stops at Don Muang airport, which is one of the largest and most modern in Asia. Other important cities are Khon Kaen, Buriram, and Thonburi.

How the People are Governed

Thailand is a constitutional monarchy, which means that it has a king, a parliament that makes the laws, and a constitution that protects the rights of the people. There is a prime minister, who is the head of the government, and a Council of Ministers who assist him. The first constitution of 1932 was suspended in 1958 after repeated disorders, and a constitutional assembly was formed in 1959 to draft a new and better constitution. Thailand is divided into provinces called changwats, each of which is governed by a commissioner who is responsible to the Council of Ministers.

Everyone must go to school between the ages of 7 and 14. There are many elementary and high schools, and there are five universities, including a medical school. Three of these are located in the capital, Bangkok. There are also military, naval, and police academies. More than half of the people of Thailand can read and write.

Thailand in the Past

In ancient times Thailand was a land of independent city-states. These were usually at war with the Mongols and the Burmese. The greatest of the city-states was Ayutthaya, which became strong in the 1300s and won much territory from neighboring states. Marco Polo visited Ayutthaya, and many other Europeans came to trade with the Siamese, including Dutch, English, and French. After four hundred years of prosperity, Ayutthaya was invaded and conquered by the Burmese, in 1767.

Another city-state arose at Thonburi, and in 1782 a Thai king arose who was the founder of the present Thailand dynasty, or family of kings. He was Rama I, and he established Bangkok as his capital. During the 1800s European nations were establishing claims to territories all around Thailand. The king was forced to give up Laos and Cambodia to France, and parts of the Malay Peninsula to Great Britain, but Thailand never gave up its independence.