Thailand Habitat Guide: An Overview

Thailand lies to the southeast of Myanmar (Burma) and has a total land area of 511,770 sq km. It shares borders with Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Malaysia; the west coast of the country is on the Andaman Sea, while the east coast touches the Gulf of Thailand.

Thailand is divided into four main geographical zones: the southern peninsula, which is covered with tropical rainforests; the central river basin of the Chao Phraya River; the fertile valley and mountains of northern Thailand, and the comparatively poor area of the north-east plateau. The highest peak in the country is Doi Inthanon (2596 m).

A fourth of the country is covered with dense tropical forests, but these are fast being decimated. Other environmental issues include air and water pollution, and soil erosion.

Thailand has a wide range of native plants and animals. Among the local vegetation, the most common are bamboos, fruit trees, and tropical hardwoods. The hills of northern Thailand have a dense cover of teak forests, and around 26% of the total land area is forested.

The fauna of Thailand is varied- there are tigers, leopards, elephants and Asiatic black bears (all of which are, unfortunately, on the decline). There are also more than 850 species of birds, both migratory as well as residential. The country has 66 national parks and 32 wildlife sanctuaries (which together comprise 11% of the land area), of which the most well known is Khao Yai National Park, northeast of Saraburi.