Introduction
Thailand is roughly the size of France at 513,115 sq km and is bordered by Burma, Kampuchea, Laos, Malaysia, the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea. It is strategically situated in the center of the Indo-Chinese Peninsula.
Thailand can be divided into five distinct regions with 77 provinces. Theses five regions are Central, North, Northeast, East and South. The central plain is dominated by the country's largest river, the Chao Phaya, beside which the capital city of Bangkok is located. The mountainous North contains the rich teak forests which reach down into deep valleys. The Northeast which covers the widest area among the five regions and the Southern region, stretching down to Malaysia, rich in agricultural, mineral and marine resources.
Thailand has been a constitutional monarchy since 1932. King Bhumiphol and Queen Sirikit constitute the present monarchy. The monarch has been the longest ruling King in Thai history. Our country was once known as Siam but in 1949, the name was changed to Thailand meaning “ Land of the Free.