The Kingdom of Thailand is located in Southeast Asia and has coastlines along the Gulf of Thailand to the east and the Andaman Sea to the west. The northern and western regions are largely hilly and mountainous, while the central part of the country consists of a low-lying plain, with valleys and small hills in the east. Thailand’s climate is predominantly tropical and influenced by seasonal monsoon winds, with some regional variation. The country identifies itself as highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including sea level rise, extreme weather events, flooding, rising temperatures, and increased precipitation extremes (Kingdom of Thailand, 2022). 

 Average annual temperatures in Thailand are projected to rise toward the end of the century across all emission scenarios examined by the World Bank Group (2021).  Rainfall projections remain uncertain, although the number of days each year with temperatures reaching levels dangerous to human health is expected to increase by the 2080s (ibid.). The frequency of floods, droughts, and other natural disasters is also expected to rise (GRID Geneva, n.d.). Flooding already represents the country’s most significant natural hazard, causing damage to farmland and infrastructure and resulting in loss of life and livelihoods (ibid.). Sea level rise poses a serious threat to coastal areas through inundation, erosion, land loss, and saltwater intrusion. While detailed studies remain limited, a substantial share of Thailand’s critical infrastructure is located along its coastlines (World Bank Group, 2021).  

In its Fourth Biennial Update Report to the UNFCCC (Kingdom of Thailand, 2022),  Thailand notes that adaptation and mitigation efforts are constrained by limited financial resources, technical expertise, technological capacity, and institutional capacity. The country’s adaptation priorities include improving water security, reducing losses and damage from water-related disasters, and strengthening health systems to respond to climate-related health risks, among other measures.