Thailand Geographic Information
Thailand, the ‘land of the free’, is located in the heart of Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Cambodia to the east and Laos to the northeast, and Myanmar lies to the northwest. Thailand hosts many diverse ecosystems such as the beautiful, forested hills of the northern frontier and the rice fields of the central plains.
The rugged coasts stretch far along the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand and are covered with forests and wildlife, including tigers, elephants, wild ox, leopards, and the Malayan tapir. Cobras and crocodiles can also be found in Thailand, and in the deep forests, one can also find enormous trees and exotic plants such as the carnivorous pitcher plant. A predominantly Buddhist country, Thailand boasts magnificent architecture with many palaces across the land and much history to explore, and cuisine influenced by Chinese and Indian cultures.
Typical Thai cuisine is spicy. Many common dishes contain chillies, lemongrass, basil, ginger, and coconut milk. Bangkok is the capital of Thailand and is referred to as the Venice of the East for its many canals – it has more than 83, and as many as 10000 boats crowd them to create a floating market selling fruits, vegetables, and fish.
Flights To Thailand
Thailand is in the heart of Southeast Asia and provides a central travel hub for much of the region. It has 10 international airports because it is surrounded by so many countries and because of its unique location.
There are a few direct flights into Thailand from across Europe. The main arrival location is Bangkok’s main airport (BKK), which provides transfers to cities all across Thailand such as Phuket and Chiang Mai.
Direct Flights (Departure City) |
Arrival City |
Frequency |
Flight Time |
London (Heathrow and Gatwick) |
Bangkok (BKK) |
Four times a day |
11 hours 30 minutes |
Frankfurt (FRA) |
Bangkok (BKK);
Phuket (HKT) |
Tuesday – Sunday at least once daily (BKK); once daily (PKK) |
10 hours 40 minutes (BKK);
11 hours 25 minutes (PKK) |
Amsterdam (AMS) |
Bangkok (BKK) |
Once daily |
11 hours 10 minutes (BKK) |
There are no direct flights to Thailand from the United States. Flights from the United States of America to Thailand will arrive at one of three airports: Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK) and Don Mueang International Airport (DMK), both in the capital city of Bangkok, and Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX) in the northern part of the country.
The flight times from the United States vary depending on the state and city you are flying from, but some of the main cities to offer indirect flights are: New York, which offers daily flights from JFK airport (JFK), Newark (EWR), and LaGuardia (LGA) to Bangkok (BKK), with a flight time of about 16 hours and 40 minutes; San Francisco (SFO), which is the only US departure location to use airport hubs in the north such as Chiang Mai (CNX) and Chiang Rai (CEI), offers daily flights with a flight time of about 15 hours; Los Angeles airport (LAX) offers daily flights into Bangkok (BKK) with a flight time of 16 hours.
Other indirect flight locations from the UK include Manchester; Newcastle; Glasgow; and Manchester. Popular stopover locations for UK flights include Beijing and Doha.
Weather In Thailand
Thailand’s climate varies greatly over the course of the year, though it is almost always hot. It is influenced by its location in the tropical monsoon zone of Southeast Asia and by topographical features which affect the humidity and rainfall. Monsoon season begins in May when the humid air masses of the southwest monsoon flow in from over the Indian ocean. This brings with it incredible amounts of rain.
Rain falls almost every day from May to September when rainfall eventually reaches a maximum. There are variations in the amount of rainfall across the country, especially on the peninsula. On the west coast, Ranong gets about 160 inches of rainfall annually, while Hua Hin gets roughly 40 inches. Between November and February, the weather is steadier and the northeast monsoon brings cooler, drier air and fresher temperatures. Stagnant air in March and April produces a distinctly hot and dry inter-monsoonal period.
Temperatures are steady across the nation throughout the year. The average temperature is between 77 and 84 degrees Fahrenheit (25 and 29 Celcius). There are still temperature fluctuations, such as in the north of the country where frost occasionally occurs at higher locations in December, and in the south where maritime influences moderate the temperature more in the south. Morning fogs often last until the early afternoon in the north and northeast during the monsoon season. Humidity is extreme everywhere in the country during this season.
Thailand: Local Guide
Thailand is a country about the size of France or Spain, or roughly double the size of the state of Wyoming, and is therefore rich in history. Around 4000 years ago people built settlements in the hills of what we now call Thailand – the first one is thought to be Ben Chiang. Pieces of pottery that are over 2000 years old have been dug up in this area; there is certainly plenty of history to explore and uncover.
The fabulous temples and palaces sprinkled across the country are a wonderful tool for getting a new cultural perspective. In Bangkok, there is the famous Grand Palace, which is now over 200 years old and remains perhaps the most recognizable attraction in the city. Since 1782 this gold-adorned palace has been the residence of the Kings of Siam (and then Thailand).
And while you are at the palace there is the Emerald Buddha nearby – one of the many magnificent statues which adorn the country – and Wat Pho, home to the largest reclining Buddha in Thailand.
Outside of Bangkok, there are many attractions. There is the point where the Mekong River meets the Ruak River. This is known locally as Sop Ruak, but to the rest of the world, it is The Golden Triangle: the point at which Myanmar (Burma), Laos, and Thailand meet. You can hire a boat here and visit the many market stalls and the local Buddha and elephant statues, and explore the surrounding beauty of nature.