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โครงการหนังสืออิเล็กทรอนิกส์ด้านการเกษตร เฉลิมพระเกียรติพระบาทสมเด็จพระเจ้าอยู่หัว

(c) Data
This study uses both primary and secondary data.

1. Primary data are collected from opinion surveys of government officials in study
areas, which were sampled purposefully in the 12 provinces mentioned above; and
2. Secondary data on government policies are in the forms of archives, government
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gazettes, rules and regulations, cabinet statements to parliament, the 1 –12
National Economic and Social Development Plans, cabinet resolutions, public
administration plans, resolutions of committees related to highland management,
reports of relevant government agencies, research reports published by scholars and
institutes, and other published articles.

Study results

Based on the literature review and interviews with government officers in the selected study

areas, seven key problems are identified, as follows: (1) deforestation, (2) opium cultivation,
(3) soil erosion, (4) landslide, (5) hill tribe issues, (6) occupational problems of highland
populations, and (7) environmental problems. In order to solve the above problems, the
government and other organizations continue to implement various highland development

projects.

The study period is divided into four periods. The first period during 1956-1966 signifies the
beginning of the government’s highland policy when government agencies started to provide

welfare support to citizens in remote areas. During the second period between 1967 and
1981, royal projects were initiated and implemented in 1969. The projects had four
objectives, namely: (1) to provide humanitarian support for hill tribes; (2) to provide support
to Thai citizens so as to reduce destruction of natural resources, particularly forests and

water sources; (3) to eradicate opium production; (4) to preserve soil and promote
appropriate land use, so that forests remain forests and farming occurs only where it should
and that there is no overlapping between the two. The royal projects have been successful

in developing the highlands, particularly in areas where hill tribes settle and cultivate. Opium
production has been eradicated. Natural resources, including soil, water, and forests, have
been preserved. Hill tribes now have permanent settlements, having developed stable
occupations that lead to overall improvement of quality of life. The methods and criteria
used in royal projects have subsequently been adopted and applied widely to other

highland areas in Thailand. During this period, the government focused on hill tribe
development by setting up self-help hill tribe settlement and Hill Tribe Research Institute.
Other key policies include the “integration” policy with the hill-tribe peoples, while pursuing

the narcotics control policy and eradicating opium production by promoting alternative
crops. The government also introduced the “zonal integrated development” system in area
development.
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