Land and Resources
 Thailand lies within the Indochinese Peninsula,
except for the southern extremity, which occupies a portion of the
Malay Peninsula. The country's extreme dimensions are about 1770
km (about 1100 mi) from north to south and about 800 km (about 500
mi) from east to west. The physiography is highly diversified, but
the mountain systems are the predominant feature of the terrain.
A series of parallel ranges, with a north-south trend, occupy the
northern and western portions of the country.
Extreme elevations occur in the westernmost ranges, which extend
along the Burmese frontier and rise to 2595 m (8514 ft) atop Doi
Inthanon, the highest point in Thailand. The peninsular area, which
is bordered by narrow coastal plains, reaches a high point of 1786
m (5860 ft) atop Khao Luang. Another mountain system projects, in
a northern and southern direction, through central Thailand. At
its southern extremity, the system assumes an east-west trend and
extends to the eastern frontier. Doi Pia Fai (1270 m/4167 ft) is
its highest peak.
The region to the north and east of this system consists largely
of a low, barren plateau, called the Khorat Plateau. Making up about
one-third of the country, the plateau is bordered by the Mekong
River valley. Between the central and western mountains is a vast
alluvial plain traversed by the Chao Phraya, the chief river of
Thailand. This central plain, together with the fertile delta formed
by the Chao Phraya near Bangkok, is the richest agricultural and
most densely populated section of the kingdom.
Natural Resources
Thailand is rich in natural resources. Among the known mineral
deposits are coal, gold, lead, tin, tungsten, manganese, zinc, and
precious stones. The rich alluvial soil along the Chao Phraya and
other rivers constitutes another important resource. Natural gas
deposits were discovered offshore in the 1970s, reducing Thailand's
reliance on imported petroleum.
Plants and Animals
Jungles and swamps, scattered through the coastal areas of Thailand,
have extensive tracts of tropical trees, including mangrove, rattan,
ironwood, sappanwood, ebony, and rosewood. The upland areas are
also heavily wooded, the most valuable species being teak, agalloch,
and oak. In addition, a wide variety of tropical plants and fruit
trees, including orchid, gardenia, hibiscus, banana, mango, and
coconut, occur in Thailand. Many species of animal inhabit the jungles
and forests. Elephants, widely used as beasts of burden, are abundant.
Other large animals include the rhinoceros, tiger, leopard, gaur,
water buffalo, and gibbon. The Siamese cat is, as its name implies,
indigenous to Thailand. Thailand has more than 50 species of snakes,
including several poisonous varieties. Crocodiles are numerous,
as are various species of fishes and birds.
Agriculture
Thailand is one of the world's leading producers of rice, despite
the fact that the yield per hectare is low. In the early 1990s Thailand
annually produced approximately 18.5 million metric tons of rice,
up from about 11.3 million metric tons per year in the 1960s. The
second most important crop in value is rubber, which is raised mainly
on plantations on the Malay Peninsula. In the early 1990s approximately
1.4 million metric tons of rubber were produced each year. Other
important crops included cassava (21.1 million metric tons), sugarcane
(46.8 million), maize (3.6 million), pineapples (1.9 million), coconuts
(1.4 million), and kenaf (161,000), a fiber used in making canvas.
Livestock totaled about 6.8 million cattle, 4.8 million buffalo,
5.1 million pigs, and 153 million poultry.
Forestry and Fishing
About 28 percent of the total land area of Thailand is forested.
The most valuable forest product is hardwood. The annual timber
harvest in the early 1990s totaled about 37.6 million cu m (about
1.3 billion cu ft), of which all but 7 percent was burned for fuel.
Thailand was a major exporter of teak until a ban on uncontrolled
logging was instituted in 1989, following severe flooding as a result
of deforestation.
Fishing is rapidly growing in importance to the Thai economy.
In the early 1990s the annual catch included 3.1 million metric
tons of prawns, fish, and shellfish, and exports of ocean products,
particularly prawns, accounted for about 10 percent of export earnings.
Mining
The development of extensive natural gas reserves has decreased
Thailand's dependence on energy imports. Annual production in the
early 1990s was 6.5 billion cu m (230.3 billion cu ft), about 3
percent of the proven reserves. Gemstones, particularly diamonds,
are the principal mineral export of Thailand, producing about 3.3
percent of export revenues. The country's chief mineral products
included (with annual output in the early 1990s) lignite (14.5 million
metric tons), zinc ore (496,000), lead concentrates (65,500), tin
(14,200), gypsum (7.2 million) and iron ore (240,100).
Manufacturing
Thailand's increasingly diversified manufacturing sector is a
central component of the nation's economic expansion, growing by
9.4 percent annually during the 1980s and early 1990s. Manufacturing
employs about 15 percent of the labor force. Food-processing industries,
especially rice milling and sugar refining; textile and clothing
manufacture; and the electronics industry predominate. Other important
manufactured goods included cement (18 million metric tons), motor
vehicles (318,000 units), cigarettes (38.3 billion units), and various
chemicals and petroleum products.
Energy
In the early 1990s Thailand annually produced about 43.8 billion
kilowatt-hours of electricity, up from about 3 billion kilowatt-hours
in 1968. Installed generating capacity is about 10 million kilowatts,
most of it at generating plants fueled by hydrocarbons.
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