Sea · Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam
Gulf of Thailand
The Gulf of Thailand is a warm, shallow bay of the South China Sea, surrounded by Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia. Palm-lined islands, coral reefs and rare dolphins make it special.
Picture credit: Vyacheslav Argenberg (CC BY 4.0) · Vyacheslav Argenberg (CC BY 4.0) · Wikimedia Commons
Where is Gulf of Thailand?
Part of: South China Sea.
Countries on its coasts: Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia.
The story behind it
The Gulf of Thailand is so shallow that even its deepest spot is only about 85 metres down. At its northern tip lies the Bay of Bangkok, where the Chao Phraya River, the biggest river flowing into the gulf, carries water from the heart of Thailand. Thailand has about 70 per cent of the coastline. Many islands dot the water, among them Ko Samui, Ko Pha Ngan, Ko Tao and Phú Quốc. Coral reefs give shelter to colourful fish, and five kinds of sea turtles swim here. With luck you might spot an Irrawaddy dolphin or a dugong, a gentle animal also called a sea cow. Rare whales such as Eden's whale also live in the gulf. For Thailand it is the most important fishing area, and many tourists come for its beaches.
Find it on the globe
Gulf of Thailand is there as a name written across its water — tap the water and its card opens. From far away the planet is only a blue ball; detail arrives as you zoom in, and this one appears once you are close enough. Open it on the globe.
Questions children ask
How big is the Gulf of Thailand?
Which countries lie on the Gulf of Thailand?
Which animals live in the Gulf of Thailand?
Colourful reef fish, five kinds of sea turtles, Irrawaddy dolphins, dugongs and rare whales such as Eden's whale live here. Some of them, like the dugong, have become very rare.
Where these numbers come from
Every figure on this page was checked against public reference sources before publication. Where sources genuinely disagree, the text says so.
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