Geography The Kingdom of Thailand, covering an area of 517,000 square kilometers, lies in the heart of Southeast Asia. Its shape on the map has been likened an axe. Thailand shares borders with Myanmar to the West and North, Laos to the Northeast, Cambodia to the East and Malaysia to the South. Geographically, Thailand is divided into six major regions: The mountainous north, where elephants work forests and winter temperatures are sufficiently cool to permit cultivation of temperate fruits such as strawberry and peaches. The sprawling northeast Plateau - largely bordered by the Mekong River, where the world' s oldest Bronze Age civilization flourished some 5,000 years ago. The central plain, one of the world's most fertile rice and fruit-growing area. The eastern coastal plain, where find sandy beaches support the growth of summer resorts. The western mountains and valleys, suitable for the development of hydroelectric power. The peninsular south where arresting scenic beauty compliments economically vital tin mining, rubber cultivation and fishing. The rivers and tributaries of northern and central Thailand drains into the Golf of Thailand via Chao Phraya River Delta and others northeastern waterway exit into the South China Sea via the Mekong River.