Cattle are raised there, and crops such as rice and maize are grown. It is the poorest region of Thailand, and has had many droughts in the past. The country has 76 provinces, which are like states. Bangkok , Thailand's capital and largest city, is exciting, modern, and crowded, with millions of people and huge traffic lines of cars, trucks, and bikes. Canals run through the city, and boats are often turned into floating markets , where people can buy anything from chickens to vegetables.
Many people live in Thailand's cities and work in industry.
But lots of other Thais live in small villages along the ocean or beside rivers. They live the same way their grandparents and great-grandparents lived. Almost every village has a Buddhist center, called a wat , and religion is very important in everyday life. More than half of all Thai workers are farmers who grow rice and other crops on small farms. Instead of plows, water buffalo are the main source of power for some small farms in Thailand.