Land Development Department (LDD) under Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives is the main organization in Thailand responsible for soil survey and soil mapping, land improvement and land use planning. Therefore, LDD has established a pragmatic, effective and integrated land use plan respecting to the sustainable and sufficient utilization of natural resources in different levels including district, sub-district, watershed, sub-watershed and highland in the north of the country.The land use plan was prepared to assist decision makers, planners and local administration officers to manage land resources in an integrated manner, in order to achieve better and sustainable land management, to coordinate land and water resources development activities with the development activities of other sector. Also, the plan is intended to serve as a reference for planners and practicing professionals working in other sectors when dealing with land resource-related development projects. There are different land use plan completed by LDD, as shown below.

          Integrated watershed management has come to be recognized as an important holistic approach to natural resources management, which seeks to promote the concept of sustainable development. In that context, sustainable land use forms an overall planning framework, whilst sound land-use planning concepts, together with the adoption of appropriate land-use practices, provide key guidelines for land resources development and management, which should be undertaken with the integrated objectives of reducing natural disasters, boosting productivity and achieving sustainable development. Sound land-use planning methods and practices can be developed from an end-use standpoint, such as social and economic development of national or regional planning, or from a sectoral point of view, i.e. in the context of development planning for various sectors such as agriculture, forestry, mining and water resources.Sub-watershed landuse plan is prepared to assist decision maker, planner and plan implementers to manage land and related resources in an integrated manner, in order to achieve better and sustainable watershed management, to coordinate land resource development with other activities of other sector. It is also intended to serve as a reference for planners and practicing professionals working in other sectors when dealing with watershed-related development projects.LDD has planned to complete the sub-watershed land use plan for the whole country in year 2016. Completed plans for sub-watershed landuse planning includes; Kok watershed, Wang watershed, Mun watershed, Kong watershed, Tapee watershed, Talesap Songkla watershed, Salawin watershed, Pasak watershed, etc.

          Sub-district landuse plan aims to integrate the land resource use with other aspects in specific area for sustainable landuse. Land suitability according to land use, soil data, elevation, slope, forest zones and watershed class by law, is assessed on Geographic Information System (GIS) and then classify to different zones with recommended crops related to each sub-district. To acquire the data, GIS data and field data were collected.Presently, sub-district landuse plan is analyzed and implemented by regional land development offices around the country.

          Highland in Thailand has encountered natural resource degradation and forest trespassing, due to volatile population increase and lack of land use planning. Therefore, there are needs of land use planning by Land Development Department (LDD) as LDD is the main organization in Thailand responsible for soil survey and soil mapping, land improvement and land use planning. The land suitability according to land use, soil data, elevation, slope, forest zones and watershed class by law, is assessed on Geographic Information System (GIS) and then classify to different zones with recommended cropping and soil and water conservation practices. To acquire the data, GIS data and field data were collected. Overview methodology has shown below.

 

          The landuse planning in the highland has been completed also for specific objective such as reduction of opium plantation area project, Royal Project Foundation center area.

          Since 1990, Land Development Department with Mekong River Commission (MRC) supports has taken place the study of wetland in the lower Mekong River within a radius of 50 kilometers from the shore of the Mekong River. In 1991, LDD with MRC has established a classification system for wetland plains in Lower Mekong Basin. Subsequently, Land Development Department began to survey and to classify wetlands accordingly. In 2000, MRC has organized a working group to explore the classification and mapping of wetlands. Therefore, the new classification of wetland in Thailand has been set up for mapping in the scale of 1:50,000 and has been applied with new survey. The study had been completed in 2008 country wide. Since 2009, the revised wetland survey and classification has been started in the scale of 1:25,000 in order to establish the wetlands which have significant roles in local level.