The Malay Peninsula includes Malaysia’s western region and southern Thailand between the Andaman Sea and South China Sea.
The peninsula extends southward from mainland Southeast Asia. Myanmar and Thailand occupy its northern section, while Malaysia’s Peninsular Malaysia occupies much of the south. Singapore lies at its southern tip, separated from Malaysia by the Johor Strait.
The peninsula’s western coast faces the Andaman Sea and the Strait of Malacca; its eastern coast faces the Gulf of Thailand and South China Sea. The Strait of Malacca is one of the world’s most important shipping routes, connecting the Indian and Pacific oceans.
“Malay Peninsula” is a geographic term and does not mean that every resident is ethnically Malay. The broader mainland region is often called the Indochinese Peninsula, but that term includes a much larger area and is not synonymous with the Malay Peninsula.