His first action as king was to transfer the royal capital across the river from Thon Buri to Bangkok and build the G rand Palace. He made many social and economic reforms during his reign . The country's name was changed from Siam to Thailand with the advent of a democratic government in 1939. It shares borders with Myanmar to the west and north, Lao P.D.R. to the north and northeast, Cambodia to the east and Malaysia to the south. Thailand has a humid, tropical climate, and is hot all year round.
Summer monsoons begin as the warm humid air masses flow towards the north from the Indian Ocean.
T he monsoons end in the fall when the wind reverses direction with the dry southwesterlies. The amount of rainfall varies with topography. T he northeast receives the least rain, while the south is flooded during the summer months. T he best time to visit Thailand is during the cool season, from O ctober though F ebruary, when it is not as humid as during the summer and rainy seasons. I ntegration is such, however, that culturally and socially there is enormous unity.