Paul Thompson

Thailand is a home to a diverse collection of wild mammals in its national parks and sanctuaries. There are currently 264 mammal species in Thailand, of which 3 are critically endangered, 11 are endangered, 24 are vulnerable, and 2 are near-threatened and 1 is extinct (Schomburgk’s deer is extinct, and the Javan and Sumatran rhinoceros are believed to be locally extinct in Thailand.). Thailand is home to the world’s largest surviving population of wild Indochinese Tigers – Panthera tigris corbetti (approx 200) as well as many other extremely rare and cryptic mammalian species. It is also home to, amongst others, 9 species of wild cat, 4 species of gibbon, 4 species of langur, 5 species of macaque, 4 species of otter and 11 species of civet. Thai national parks and sanctauries are one of last bastions against species extinctions of the rarer mammals.

With over a 1000 species of bird identified Thailand is a major asian attraction for birders being at the convergence of several ecological zones. The birds of Thailand are mainly typical of the Indomalaya ecozone, with affinities to the Indian subcontinent to the west, and, particularly in Southern Thailand, with the Sundaic fauna to the southeast. The northern mountains are outliers of the Tibetan Plateau, with many species of montane birds, and in winter the avifauna is augmented by migrants from the eastern Palearctic and Himalayas.

The Phylum Arthropoda (arthropods) is the largest and most successful of all the animal phyla. The major Classes of living arthropods are as follows: Arachnida; Crustacea; Diplopoda (millipedes); Chilopoda (centipedes); and of course Hexopoda (insects). Thailand being a tropical country is home to an untold number of arthropod species, with many of its species being un-described in science including the new discovered Polydictya thompsoni.

The marine environments of South-east Asia are world renowned for their biodiversity. This gallery gives one a glimpse into the wonderful underwater world of the region.

Thailand has a total area of 513,120 km2, stretching 2515 km from north to south, and 1257 km at the broadest point. It is host to a variety of natural tropical habitats. The northern region is forested and mountainous, crowned by Mount Inthanon, Thailand’s highest peak, at 2,565 metres. The central plains region, is a green and fertile area comprising the delta of the Chao Phraya River. The north-eastern region is a sandstone tableland, drier than other parts of Thailand. The southern region varies from rolling to mountainous terrain, stretching between the Andaman sea and the Gulf of Thailand. The climate is monsoonal, marked by a rainy season lasting from about April/ May to September/October and a relatively dry season for the rest of the year.

Thailand is a growing manufacturing, agricultural and consumer based economy and like other countries is struggling to tackle its environmental issues which are a result of a typical developing nations environmental controls and policing. It currently has 20% of its land mass as reserved areas for wildlife but environmental issues are still a major concern for many of its public even though its environmental performance is better than many of its neighbors.