Western Thailand is a region of Thailand bordering Myanmar to the west, Southern Thailand to the south and central Thailand to the east.

Geography Thailand's long mountainous border with Myanmar continues south from Northern Thailand into Western Thailand and follows the Tenasserim Hills. The narrow region stretches from Bangkok's outer reaches to the border with Myanmar and from the Shan Hills in the north to Chumphon Province in the south.

Western Thailand's geography is characterised by high mountains and steep river valleys. The region hosts much of the country's less-disturbed forest areas. Water and minerals are important natural resources. Western Thailand is home to many of the country's major dams, and mining is an important industry. Village names in the region are often based on its physical geography.Surajitlak Deepadung, Toponyms in the Western Region of Thailand

Provinces According to the six geographical regions established by the National Research Council of Thailand, Western Thailand includes the following provinces: Kanchanaburi (กาญจนบุรี) Phetchaburi (เพชรบุรี) Prachuap Khiri Khan (ประจวบคีรีขันธ์) Ratchaburi (ราชบุรี) Tak (ตาก)

Economy For economic statistics of Western Thailand, Suphan Buri and Samut Songkhram provinces are listed by National Statistical Office (Thailand). However Tak Province is listed by (lower) Northern Thailand. For FY 2018, Western Thailand Region had a combined economic output of 579.815 billion baht (US$18.7 billion), or 3.5 percent of Thailand's GDP. Ratchaburi province had an economic output of 189.68 billion baht (US$6.12 billion). This amounts to a GPP per capita of 233,258 baht (US$7,524), more than double for Suphan Buri province, lowest in the ranking. + RankProvinceGPP(million baht)Population(x 1000)GPP per capita (baht)1 Ratchaburi 189,680 813 233,2582 Prachuap Khiri Khan 93,381 488 191,3063 Phetchaburi 72,035 499 144,3924 Samut Songkhram 25,974 182 142,8085 Kanchanaburi 107,144 829 129,3046 Suphan Buri 91,602 854 107,228 Western region 579,815 3,665 158,206

Weather forecast Kanchanaburi, Ratchaburi, Suphan Buri, and Samut Songkhram Provinces have been added to the central region by the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD).

Petchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan Provinces are part of the southern region (east coast).

See also Regions of Thailand Tenasserim Hills

References