Geography of Thailand political development of this region. International access through the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand made the south a crossroads for both Theravada Buddhism, centered at Nakhon Si Thammarat, and Islam, especially in the former Pattani Kingdom on the border with Malaysia. Thailand's regions are divided politically into a total of 76 provinces plus Bangkok, which is a special administrative area. Thailand's climate is influenced by monsoon winds that have a seasonal character (the southwest and northeast monsoon). The southwest monsoon, which starts from May until October is characterized by movement of warm, moist air from the Indian Ocean
Provinces of Indonesia Provinces of Indonesia The Provinces of Indonesia are the 34 largest subdivisions of the country and the highest tier of the local government (formerly called "Daerah Tingkat I" – level 1 region). Provinces are further divided into regencies and cities (formerly called "Daerah Tingkat II" – level 2 regions), which are in turn subdivided into subdistricts ("kecamatan"). Each province has its own local government, headed by a governor, and has its own legislative body. The governor and members of local representative bodies are elected by popular vote for five-year terms. Indonesia has 34 provinces, eight of which have been created