PREFACE

Volume 16 of the ESCAP Mineral Atlas series represents the continuation of the ESCAP secretariat's work in the evaluation of the geological prospects, mineral resource potential and mineral development policy of ESCAP member countries. The preceding volumes of the Atlas covered the geology and mineral resources of Cambodia, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Viet Nam and Myanmar. Volume 16 completes the inventory of the geological prospects and mineral resources of the countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion, thus providing a basic data set for further evaluation, planning and management of mineral resources of the Subregion using information technology.

The publication aims to assist the Government of Thailand in its current efforts to revitalize its economy so that it can recover fully in the aftermath of the July 1997 economic crisis through the promotion of further investments in the accelerated development of the petroleum and mineral sectors of Thailand. In this context, new strategic initiatives and major targets for mineral exploration and mining are elaborated in the publication.

Volume 16 consists of the present book and two accompanying atlas sheets comprising geological and mineral resources maps of Thailand at a scale 1:1,500,000. The book contains an overview of major tectonic and structural units of Thailand and a short description of their stratigraphy, magmatism and associated metallogeny. The review of mineral deposits and occurrences, either metallic or non?metallic, is given according to their current economic significance; it provides information on their distribution patterns, geographic location, contained commodities, reserves, their relation to the geological environment and other characteristics. The chapter is followed by an overview of the current status of the petroleum and mining industry and the regulatory framework for the development of the mineral sector. This is followed by environmental regulations relevant to mining, an index of mineral deposits and occurrences of Thailand, extensive bibliographic references, and the most recent statistics on commodity?type minerals. The publication also contains new data on geotectonic evolution, metallogeny and mineral resources potential of Thailand which have resulted from the interpretation of a nationwide airborne geophysical survey and follow?up ground verification.

The information contained in this volume is based mainly on a study recently completed by Cherdsak Utha?Aroon and his colleagues, Adichat Surinkum, Suporn Intasopa, and Jarin Tulyatid, Economic Geology Division, Department of Mineral Resources of Thailand during a consultancy assignment to ESCAP The ESCAP secretariat would like to express its appreciation to these experts for their interest and contribution to this publication.