Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Northern Thailand
Northern Thailand is fused to Myanmar (Burma), Laos and southern China through
the southeast-trending extension of the Himalayan mountain range known as the
Dawna-Tenasserim. The tallest peak is Doi Inthanon (measured heights vary from
2565m to 2576m), which is topped by a mixed forest of hill evergreen and swamp
species, including a thick carpet of moss. Monsoon forests comprise the lower elev-
ations and are made up of deciduous trees, which are green and lush during the
rainy season but dusty and leafless during the dry season. Teak is one of the most
highly valued monsoon forest trees but it now exists only in limited quantities and is
illegal to harvest.
The cool mountains of northern Thailand are considered to be some of the most
accessible and rewarding birding destinations in Asia and are populated by mont-
ane species and migrants with clear Himalayan affinities, such as flycatchers and
thrushes.
Central Thailand
In 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 river delta spends most of the
year in cultivation, changing with the seasons from fields of emerald-green rice
shoots to golden harvests. This region has been heavily sculpted by civilisation:
roads, fields, cities and towns have transformed the landscape into a working core.
In the western frontier, bumping into the mountainous border with Myanmar
(Burma) is a complex of forest preserves that cover 4.4 million acres - the largest
protected area in southeast Asia and a largely undisturbed habitat for endangered
elephants and tigers. These parks have little in the way of tourist infrastructure or
commercial development.
Environmental Trivia
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» Thailand is equivalent in area to the size of France.
