Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [65]
Environment
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THE LAND
WILDLIFE
NATIONAL PARKS & PROTECTED AREAS
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANISATIONS
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THE LAND
Thailand’s odd shape is often likened to the head of an elephant with the shaft of the trunk being represented by the Malay peninsula. More practically, the Thai boundary encompasses 514,000 sq km, making it about the size of France. The capital of Thailand, Bangkok, sits at about N14° latitude – level with Madras, Manila, Guatemala and Khartoum. Because its north–south length of 1650km spans 16 latitudinal degrees, Thailand ends up having the most diverse climate of any country in Southeast Asia.
Northern Thailand is dominated by the Dawna-Tenasserim mountain range, a southeast-trending extension of the Himalayan mountains. Dropping from there into the central region, the topography mellows into a flat rice basket fed by rivers that are as revered as the national monarchy. Thailand’s most exalted river is the Chao Phraya, which is formed by the northern tributaries of the Ping, Wang, Yom and Nan – a lineage as notable as any aristocrat’s. The country’s early kingdoms emerged around the Chao Phraya basin, still the seat of the monarchy today. The river delta spends most of the year in cultivation – changing with the seasons from fields of emerald green rice shoots to the golden harvests. Elegant white egrets dotting the fields add a nice visual accent, but are practically the last wild animals in this highly modified part of the country.
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Thailand’s tallest mountain is Doi Inthanon (2565m).
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Tracing the contours of Thailand’s northern and northeastern border is another celebrated 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 hardscrabble 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 coral 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 dramatic limestone islands. Onshore, the Malay peninsula is dominated by some final remaining stands of rainforest and ever-expanding rubber and palm-oil plantations.
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WILDLIFE
Thailand is 1650km long from north to south with such varied climate and topography that it should come as no surprise this is home to a remarkable diversity of flora and fauna. What is more surprising is that Thailand’s environment is still in good shape given the country’s long history of resource extraction and an ever-growing push to develop its resources. In part this is the result of courageous environmental heroes such as Seub Nakasathien (Click here) as well as conscientious efforts by governmental and environmental organisations.
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THAILAND’S BEST NATIONAL PARKS: SWEATY HIKES & GREAT VIEWS
Doi Inthanon (Click here) Tall granite mountains, views of misty valleys and lots of birdlife; it is best visited November to May.
Doi Phu Kha (Click here) A steep mountain summit overlooking misty valleys, karst caves and silvery waterfalls; it is best visited