Climate:
Tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March); southern isthmus always hot and humid

Terrain:
Central plain; Khorat Plateau in the east; mountains elsewhere

Elevation extremes:
Lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m
Highest point: Doi Inthanon 2,576 m

Natural resources:
Tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite, arable land

Land use:
Arable land: 34%
Permanent crops: 6%
Permanent pastures: 2%
Forests and woodland: 26%
Other: 32% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land:
44,000 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards:
Land subsidence in Bangkok area resulting from the depletion of the water table; droughts

Environment - current issues:
Air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from organic and factory wastes; deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by illegal hunting

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea

Geography:
Note: controls only land route from Asia to Malaysia and Singapore