Thai Forestry

Challenges those who care about Thailand's environment to reexamine its history in the search for creative solutions.

For nearly a century, Thai state forestry focused overwhelmingly on extracting timber and keeping local people away from the forest. This work examines the trajectory of deforestation in Thailand, providing a detailed account of the historical ideas and styles of forestry that have influenced the practice of Thai state forestry over the years.

For nearly a century, Thai state forestry focused overwhelmingly on extracting timber and keeping local people away from the forests. In forest ecosystems that contain some three thousand species of trees, Thai state foresters have concentrated on just three--teak, pine, and eucalyptus. While in recent years foresters have shifted their focus to conservation, they continue to pursue policies that marginalize communities, leaving them with little option but to protest and resist.