Thailand - the archetype of an exotic country. With its diverse wildlife, Thailand simply lures visitors to come and explore its hidden corners. From orchids to bamboos, from gibbons to tigers, this country continues to amaze thousands of people who come to visit it. Situated in the heart of Southeast Asia, Thailand is a unique melting pot of mountains, rain forests, sandy beaches and wildlife accompanying them. This makes it the richest Asian country according to the variety of both flora and fauna. Thai forests are abundant with hardwoods (teak for the most part), pine, bamboo and different palm trees, and enriched with a variety of colorful flowers and fruit-trees.

The animal life of Thailand is every bit as rich as its plant life, including bears, many species of monkeys, deers, numerous crocodiles and snakes, wild cattle, variety of bird species, abundance of fish, elephants, some cat species, etc. Most of Thailand's remarkable wilderness is organized into 102 national parks, 57 wildlife sanctuaries, and 55 non-hunting zones, ranging from elephant camps to butterfly gardens. These parks are accessible by road and most of them offer accommodation. They provide a close look into the full array of Thailand's natural beauties to everyone who decides to learn more about Thailand from this 'natural' point of view.

Flora

Monsoon forest distribution

Natural forests cover some 25% of Thailand's surface, a quarter of which make up monsoon forests (mostly trees that shed leaves during the dry season to conserve water), one half typical evergreen rain forests and the rest are different types of forests (mangrove and pine). Flora of Northern, Eastern, North-Eastern and Central Thailand is characterized by thick monsoon forests, while southern part of the country is predominantly a rain forest area. The difference between the two is the annual rainfall - monsoon forests have a distinct 3-month-long dry season, while rain forests experience rainfalls more than 9 months annually. However, there is a certain overlap between the two. There are some forest areas in Thailand that consist of both monsoon and rain forest vegetation. The remaining of country's forests make up swamp forests in delta region, mangrove forests in the southern part of Thailand and pine forests of the mountainous north. These forests also include an abundance of fruit trees and bamboo (as a matter of fact, Thailand has more bamboo species aside from China). There are also over 27,000 flowering species, among which is one of Thailand's national symbols - the orchid.

Fauna

Big gecko

Malaysia

Following the flora pattern, variations in the animal life are linked to the country's geography and climate. So, the indigenous fauna of Thailand's northern parts is of Indochinese origin, while the fauna of Southern Thailand is Sundaic (typical of Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo and Java). The invisible line dividing these zones goes across the Isthmus of Kra, about halfway down the Southern peninsula. The overlap between the two follows the overlap in vegetative zones and is found around Prachuap Khiri to Uthai Thani.

Thailand is particularly rich in variety of birds, counting more than 1000 recorded resident and migratory species, which make 10% of all the bird species in the world. That makes Thailand a bird-watcher's paradise. Important habitats are coastal and inland waterways of Southern Thailand, however, human interventions are posing the biggest threat to their loss. Thailand's indigenous mammals can be found mostly in the country's many national parks and include tigers, leopards, elephants, Asiatic black bears, Malayan sun bears, sambar deer, barking deer, mouse deer, serow (an Asiatic goat-antelope), gaur (Indian bison), banteng, pangolin, gibbons, manaques, tapir, dolphins and dugongs (sea cows). In 300 mammal species of Thailand, 40 are on the list of endangered species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Among these species are clouded leopard, Malayan tapir, tiger, Irrawaddy dolphin, goral, jungle cat, dusky langur and pileated gibbon.

Fish and coral in Thailand

There are some 313 reptile and 107 amphibian species in Thailand, along with four sea-turtle species and numerous snake species, of which six are venomous: the common cobra, king cobra, banded krait, Malayan viper, green viper and Russell's pit viper. King cobra can reach up to six meters in length, but the country's longest snake is without a doubt the reticulated python that can reach astonishing 15 meters. Many lizard species in Thailand include two most common ones, the large gecko and the small house lizard, while among larger ones is the black jungle monitor. There are around 6000 insect species and numerous marine species.

Thailand's fauna for the country's tropical characteristics is deemed to be among the world's richest. However, due to the increasing clearing of the forests, natural habitats for many animal species, combined with hunting, more than 100 species are endangered, while some species have almost or completely died out. The fish are not spared as well. Many of the habitats are destroyed by the expanding fish farms.