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Intro to Thailand
Geography
Thailand is a kingdom made up of 76 provinces occupying a total land area of
515,000 sq. km. It shares a narrow border with Malaysia
to the south, Laos to
the North, Cambodia to the east and a Myanmar
to the west. The capital, Bangkok sits at the strategic centre where the most important tributary,
the Chao Phraya river pours into the gulf of Thailand.
The Thai peninsular is nearly 2000 km
longitudinally and 800 km at its widest point but barely 50 km wide at Ranong
in the south. Here, the west coast fronts the Andaman sea whereas the east
coast faces the gulf of Thailand thus sparking endless debates about the benefits of digging a deep
water canal so ships do not have to sail around the Malay peninsular. This area
is generally hilly with predominantly granite bedrock making up the east coast
and outlying islands. The world famous limestone crags dots the west coast and
on the islands in Andaman Sea.
Central Thailand is generally flat with plains stretching across as far as the eye
can see. This fertile region irrigated by the numerous rivers flowing thru from
the highlands to the north and west is the rice bowl for the region. Rare
limestone crags can be found in Lopburi and Kanchanaburi areas whereas granite
boulders are found in the Saraburi
region.
The highlands to the north and west are
actually part of the Himalayan chain where Doi Inthanon stands as the highest
point in Thailand ( 2595 metres ). Other than Chiang Mai, this region has witness
limited development due to its inaccessibility. Limestone crags can be found
everywhere here though not as dense as the south. Distance between crags and
access difficulties has also somewhat curtail route development.
The eastern parts of Thailand
are hot, dry regions frequently hit by draughts. This is the most
under-developed part of Thailand. Information about this region is limited but locals has spotted
sandstone boulders and crags. However, first-hand climbers’ accounts are
non-existent.
Climate
Though the entire country lies within the
tropical belt, Thailand benefits from having one of the most varied climates compared to
other South East Asian countries. This is due to the fact that it spans across
nearly 2000 km from its southernmost border with Malaysia
all the way to Laos and Myanmar to the North.
Central and north Thailand
have 3 vaguely distinct seasons. The ‘cool and dry’ season extends from
November to February. This is the most pleasant time of the year to visit Thailand.
Tourist arrivals (and prices!) also peaks during this period due to the winter
months in the Northern hemisphere.
The
‘hot and dry’ season lasts from March to May while the months of June to
October experience the ‘hot and wet’
season.
The highland regions to the North are
blessed with cool sub-tropical climates. Day temperatures hovers at a very
bearable 20 – 25 deg C in the December to January months and can dip to below
10 deg C on especially cool nights. The cool temperatures coupled with dry
conditions makes this period the most favourable for travellers and climbers.
Tropical south Thailand
temperatures remains the same throughout the year and experiences just 2
weather conditions – the ‘dry’ season and the ‘rainy’ season.
The east coast as well as the islands in
the gulf ( Ko Samui, Ko Tau etc) are subjected to harsh weather conditions
during the North-east monsoon from November to February. Strong winds, choppy
seas and rainy conditions makes it less attractive for travellers during these
months.
The west coast ( Phuket, Ko Phi Phi, Krabi
etc ), however, experiences cooler and dryer conditions during the North-east
monsoon. The humid and rainy season for this area stretches from March to
October.
Packing
Generally, you can’t go wrong travelling
with minimal clothes in this predominantly hot tropical environment unless of
course if you plan to visit the northern highlands in
December. Even then, finding the right warm
clothing in Bangkok or Chiangmai is a breeze and definitely cheaper than in Europe or US!
If you’re arriving via Bangkok, you should
be able to find everything you need there.. In fact Bangkok is the
bargain capital of southeast Asia for clothing, bags and handicraft so plan for
a few days and spare some Bahts if you can. Prices of electronic goods and
media like batteries, films or memory cards are comparable to the rest of the
world.
Access to almost all the crags described
here does not involved hours of trekking so a simple crag bag or day pack with
40 litres carrying capacity would suffice to fit your gear and lunch. Sturdy
sandals serves well almost everywhere in Thailand,
particularly suitable on the beach climbs in Krabi. But be wary of sharp rocks
and corals when walking along the coastline. Throw in a pair of approach shoes.
Though more inconvenient, they protect your foot better and is more suited for
the longer treks on loose soil in Chiangmai and Lopburi.
The usual travelling kit for a tropical
destination applies. This include mosquito repellents/coils, sunblock,
sunglasses and caps/hats. Thailand
is one of the more liberal countries in Asia, so wearing bikinis to climb is perfectly fine everywhere from
Krabi to Chiangmai.
However, exercise care and common sense if
the crags are very near Wats or Temples. Its very insensitive to be barely clothed when next to praying
monks! The southern provinces is predominantly Muslim so ladies should take
care not to upset sentiments by being to public with their crop tops/sports
bras.
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