Geography: The Kingdom of Thailand, covering an area of 514,000 square kilometers, lies in the heart of Southeast Asia, roughly equidistant between India and China. From north to south it is 1620 km. and 775 km. east to west. It shares borders with:

• Myanmar (Burma) to the west and north,
• Laos to the north and northeast,
• Cambodia to the east and
• Malaysia to the far south

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The North East - Tradition and History

Known as Issan, this huge region covers about one-third of the entire country. A large plateau, the region has some of the oldest remains in Thailand with fossils and artifacts indicating an ancient Bronze Age civilization dating back 4,000-7,000 years ago.
Bordered by Laos and Cambodia, the north east strongly reflects Khmer and Lao influences seen in the well preserved "Angkor Wat" style temples and sculptures, ancient traditions and dialect throughout the area. Although the second most densely populated after the Central region, there are large tracts of national park and wildlife sanctuaries. The north-east is generally viewed as a very traditional part of Thailand with old customs still continuing in fairs and festivals found nowhere else in the country.