The Land of the Kingdom of Thailand

Tracing the contours of Thailand's northern and northeastern border is another famous river: the Mekong River

. As the artery of Southeast Asia, the Mekong both physically separates and culturally fuses Thailand with its neighbours. It is a workhorse river that has been dammed for hydroelectric power and swells and contracts based on the seasonal rains. In the dry season, riverside farmers plant vegetables in the muddy floodplain, harvesting the fruits of their labour before the river reclaims its territory. The landscape of Thailand's northeastern border is occupied by the arid Khorat Plateau rising some 300m above the central plain. This is a hardscrab- ble land where the rains are meagre, the soil is anaemic and the red dust stains as stubbornly as the betel nut chewed by the ageing grandmothers. The kingdom's eastern rivers dump their waters and sediment into the Gulf of Thailand, a shallow basin off the neighbouring South China Sea. The warm, gentle waters of the gulf are an ideal cultivation ground for brilliantly coloured reefs that help temper the rollicking tendencies of the open ocean. From the north, Thailand stretches its long slender trunk' of land south along the Malay peninsula, where it is bordered on the east by the Gulf of Thailand and on the west by the Andaman Sea. The Andaman Coast is an especially splendid tropical setting of stunning blue waters and spectacular limestone islands. On Land, the Malay peninsula is dominated by some final remaining stands of rainforest and ever-expanding rubber and palm- oil plantations.

The Land of the Kingdom of Thailand

By: Hori

POST COMMENT

Thailand the land of smile Eco-adventure Activities in Thailand's National Parks Landmarks of Thailand Some Companies With Paid Surveys for Thailand Residents Thailand Scuba - Similan Diving is Wicked Diving Thailand Nuptials Driving in Chiang Mai, Thailand. - Can I, must I? Mae Hong Son, Thailand A first dive in Thailand Thailand Retreat Phuket Resort Etiquetes whenever in Thailand Siam Water Park A Water Wonderland In Thailand Privilege Card For Thailand