Thai Forestry: A Critical History

by Ann Danaiva Usher

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.

238 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 2009

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Traces the problems with the forest management in Thailand today back to teak concessions at the turn of the century. Basic argument is that Western models of harvesting and managing forests have been imposed in a place with very different cultural and biological realities. It's specific to Thailand, but could be read as a case study of the failures of international resource management policies.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book detailing the roots and hypocrisies of Thai forestry and 'conservation'. I highlighted and marked up half the book for a project I'm currently working on. I suggest also reading Redefining Nature: Karen Ecological Knowledge and Challenge to the Modern Conservation Paradigm by Pinkaew Laungaramsri (2001).