River systems of Thailand divides into two major branches, the " Tiền Giang" (Front River) and "Hậu Giang" (Back River). These in turn enter the South China Sea through nine estuaries. The following are the principal tributaries of Mekong River which flow through Thailand (tributaries entirely outside the Thai border not shown). The Mekong drains a considerable portion of northeast Thailand. In terms of Thai territory drained, it is second only to the Chao Phraya system. The Salawin River rises in Tibet (Tibetan: རྒྱལ་མོ་རྔུལ་ཆུ།) after which it flows through Yunnan, where it is known as the "Nujiang" River (), although either name can be
River systems of Thailand Mekong River Commission. The extreme seasonal variations in flow and the presence of rapids and waterfalls have made navigation extremely difficult. Approximately half the river's length is in China, where it is known as the "Lancang Jiang" (澜沧江 Láncāng Jiāng) or "Meigong" in Chinese (). The river forms the border between Myanmar and Laos for , at the end of which it meets the tributary Ruak River at the Golden Triangle. This point also marks the division between the "Upper" and "Lower Mekong". The river then divides Laos and Thailand, before a stretch passing through Laos alone. It is known