Thailand
blog 2:
The hydrology of Thailand is vast and
complex. Thailand’s main two river systems are the Mekong River and the Chao
Phraya. They both are responsible for feeding irrigation in and around
Thailand, but the Mekong is the only one that sheds into the South China Sea,
ultimately in Vietnamese territory with a trellis type pattern cutting through
the terrain. The Mekong is actually the 11th longest river in the
world and the 12th largest by volume, and also drains an area of
810,000 sq km. The Chao Phraya however drains into the Gulf of Thailand with a single
stream, wide mouth area similar to an alluvial fan type drainage basin. It is
unique in that it flows right through the middle of Thailand and through
Bangkok. The ground water in Thailand is mainly recharged with rainfall and
seepage streams and is used to meet the large water demands of Thailand.
As far as the land and growing
capability of Thailand goes, the Central region is the most fertile, as stated
earlier. The Chao Phraya River is rich in clay-type soil that provides better
fertility. Some of the lands are also used for maize and sugarcane cultivation.
Throughout most of the country, the soil is fairly poor due to heavy rainfall
and leaching. The soil around the Mekong River in the more southern region is
largely infertile due to the heavy salt content or salinization. In this area
the soil is mostly grey with brown or yellowish mottles present. In the dryer
season the salt and calcium are more visible towards the soil surface.
^The Mekong River
^The Chao Phraya River and drainage basin.
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