Thesis (M.Sc.)--Chulalongkorn University, 1999

Coastline of the study area is approximately 50 kilometres long and rapidly change due to the combination of natural and human impacts. The Krabi coast become to industrial and commercial development related to tourism and also to aquaculture. It made the transition from less development province to industrialized province. The commonly problems related to these change are inadeguate infrastructure, insufficient recreation area, inadeguate water supply, mangrove deforestation and coastal erosion. Therefore, the present investigation aims to present the environmental geology database for planners and decision makers. Accordingly the efficient use of land and natural resources could be harmoneously achieved with minimum impact or sustainable development. The environmental geological setting is among one of most significant determinants for land use planning which contained the topographic limitations, geological setting and geomorphological, geologicalresources, marine geological conditions, coastal erosion, including tourist and recreational resources. The addition, the socio-economic background of Krabi are reviewed for understanding the basic social environment of the area. Additional attempt has been made in this study to synthesize and integrate many aspect of environmental geology and relevant factors for the development potential of area such as, conservation, construction materials, and agricultural purposes. The compilation of regoinal landuse planning is emplasized based on natural resources and geological hazard information, that have been described and presented in various geographic information maps. There are five main categories of preliminary planning, including conservation, carbonate rock for construction purposes, residential, agricultural, and industrial development proposes. The coastal zone management as related to the coastal erosion problems and human activities in the coastal area must embrace the following activities: protection,preservation and conservation, and development. Finally, the environmental problem are originated from the over exploitation of natural resources and environment. Appropriate strategic and management will aid sustainable use of limited resources, protection, conservation and development as long periods as possible and decrease the environmental problem.