Simulation and analysis by using linear quasigeostrophic models is one of the important basic methods in the atmospheric field. It is simple and easy to understand and explains some vital phenomena of circulation, such as the formation of Rossby waves. In recent years, the formation of subtropical anticyclones was studied based on the linear stationary quasigeostrophic model (Chen et al., 2001). The results are different from those from the general circulation model and theoretical studies responding to the similar heating. In this paper, the characteristics of subtropical stationary waves forced by the latent heating released from Asia summer monsoon precipitation are studied using a linear quasigeostrophic model in order to understand the reason of the difference. Results show that basic flow is very important to the thermally forced stationary waves. (1) When zonal flow is easterly or at rest, the stationary waves are trapped in the vertical and exhibit a baroclinic structure. The amplitude becomes smaller with the increasing of easterly wind. (2) When zonal flow is westerly, the waves are propagating upward and the amplitude increases with height. There is a critical westerly basic flow Uc (about 3 m/s). For U=Uc, the amplitude is the strongest. It is also shown that advection is much stronger with westerly basic states than with easterly basic states and shows asymmetry. As a result, the essence of solutions in this linear model is revealed: the meridional geostrophic vorticity transportation forced in the heating field must be balanced by thermally created potential vorticity and by zonal potential vorticity advection. In addition, it is found that the center of the subtropical circulation will be located on the north of heating area when there is the meridional and vertical shear of the basic flow. It is also found that when the basic zonal flow is the zonal-mean wind of the Asia monsoon area in summer, the center of anticyclone in the lower troposphere lifts significantly instead of appearing at the surface, which is similar to the result of GCM. Therefore, the formation of surface anticyclone cannot be explained by latent heating totally even if a linear model is used. Moreover static stability is also important to the thermally forced subtropical circulation by intensifying the external thermal forcing.