Thailand: The Land of Elephants

Written by: Natalie Yao

Geography and Nature

Located in Southeast Asia, Thailand directly borders Myanmar from the west, Laos to the east, and Cambodia to the southeast. In addition, the southern part of the country sits on a peninsula, the Malay Peninsula, meaning that the land is surrounded by water on three sides. However, since Thailand borders Malaysia on the peninsula, Southern Thailand technically is only surrounded by water on two sides. 

Most of the nation’s population is spread out, not only in the main cities, the capital Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Many Thai people say that the country is shaped like an elephant, their national animal, the head being the north and the trunk south. Majority of the people living in Thailand are ethnically Thai, but there are also people of Chinese, Malay, and Khmer descent. 

The tropical landscape of Thailand is filled with mountains and rivers, even though most of the mountain ranges are in the northern areas. One of Thailand’s most well known rivers is the Mekong River, which empties in the South China Sea, near Vietnam. The hot and humid climate of the region makes the growth of fruits such as papayas, bananas, mangoes, coconut, and bamboo thrive. Additionally, flowers like lotuses and water lilies are also very common and can be found all across the country. The tropical climate of Thailand is influenced by monsoons which bring direct wind in different directions depending on the season, creating hot, rainy, and cold seasons. 

Much of the wildlife in Thailand is protected, making a diverse animal population of many species. This includes mammals like leopards, bears, deer, elephants, mongoose, and gibbons. All of the animals listed can all be found in national parks such as the Kaeng Krachan National Park, which is Thailand’s largest one. The protection of these natural areas has led to endangered populations to start thriving again, including the elephant population. 

Food and Culture

Thai food is mainly influenced by Indian and Chinese cuisines because of its location between the two countries. Their food is often spicy and contains ingredients like chilies, lemongrass, basil, ginger and coconut milk.

Some dishes include: 

• Pad Thai, stir fried noodles with bean sprouts and peanuts

• Tom Yum Goong, a spicy soup with shrimp and lemongrass

• Mango Sticky Rice, served with coconut milk and sesame seeds

The country’s Buddhist population dominates, being 90 percent of the overall population. Yet, there are also a number of Muslims live in the southern area of Thailand, near Malaysia. The nation’s form of government is a monarchy, meaning that it is run by a king and queen.

National Symbols

• National Animal: Thai Elephant

• National Colors: Red, Blue, and White

• National Flower: Ratchapruek (Golden Shower Tree)