The Gulf of Thailand is located between the Indochina and Malacca peninsulas, it is a part of the South China Sea located in the West. At the entrance, its width is about 400 km, and the depth in some places reaches 100 m, and closer to the shore - up to 11 m, the inland recesses - up to 720 km. The bay is notable for a huge number of small islands of continental origin and composed of bedrock. The territory is subject to the influence of monsoons, a small depth and proximity to the equator explain the high temperature of the water, which can reach 30 ° C.
The Gulf of Thailand at different times witnessed the revival and extinction of huge empires and different peoples. Time passed, administrative borders were erased, which caused disputes and numerous conflicts between countries. Until today, Cambodia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand cannot decide and set clear boundaries. The main subject of dispute are the islands of the Gulf of Thailand, since most of them have deposits of natural gas and oil.
Ferries, oil, seafood, resort areas are the main wealth of this region. The bay has huge biological resources, and this despite the active catch. Fishing vessels harvest mackerel, tuna, sardine, mackerel, herring and send them for export in salted or dried form. At the end of the last century, the Gulf countries entered the top ten largest exporters of seafood; fish were caught in millions of tons. The local population is also in the majority engaged in this fishery. Poor fishermen have no ships, so they manually catch oysters, mussels, shrimps, crabs, shellfish, and collect edible algae. The catch usually does not exceed 3 kg.
The Gulf of Thailand is a workplace providing food for millions of people. Small fishing villages are scattered along the shores, consisting of houses on high stilts built in mangroves, because tides sometimes reach 4 m.In conditions of high humidity, the spread of swamps, and the drying up of water bodies, a certain ichthyofauna has formed. Its representatives can remain in the air for a long time, crawl out of the water along the roots of trees and eat insects.
The Gulf of Thailand includes the island of Takihu. It is notable for the fact that bird species disappearing from the face of the earth live here: Javanese marabou, Brahmin kite, collared alcyon, Indian and milk beaks, white-bellied and gray-headed eagles, and others. In addition to fishing, the Gulf states are also engaged in shipping. Sea ferries are very worn out and constantly overloaded, which is why large disasters with a large number of victims in this region are not uncommon.
A map of the Gulf of Thailand can give an idea of the resorts located on it. Tourism is another branch of the economy of these countries, some fishing villages have managed to develop infrastructure and have become well-known resorts, among them: Pattaya, Phangan, Samui, Chang, Tau. Service in these cities of the highest class, tourists are offered a huge selection of entertainment. Particularly noteworthy are excursions by scuba divers to sunken ships and scuba diving in the middle of coral reefs.