Central Thailand

Central Thailand, the basin of the Chao Phraya River, fed by a large network of canals and rivers is a lush, fertile valley supporting vast fields of rice, sugar cane, pineapples and other fruit. It is the richest and most extensive rice-producing area in the country and has often been called the "Rice Bowl of Asia".

The region is made up of twenty four provinces and all share a common dialect considered as standard Thai simply because Bangkok sits in the middle of the region.

This is the heart of Thailand, the region where the original Thais first settled, attracted here by the extraordinarily fertile land to be found on either side of the Chao Phraya River and its tributaries. Much of Thailand's early history was focused in this "basin", with successive capitals, Sukhothai, Ayutthaya, Thonburi and finally Bangkok, being located in the region.

Large concentrations of Chinese are also evident throughout the region as this was the area they first migrated to and started out as farmers and merchants. To the east Khmer and Laos descendants can be found and to the west, Mon and Burmese can be found due to immigration over the years from the bordering countries.