Thailand has a comparatively small area of peatland. It is less than 0.15% of the total land area of the countryand are found in certain areas in the southern provinces.

Peatland has unique featurs and benefits provided directly or indirectly to th country as a whole and to the people living around the peatlands in particular. These environmentally invaluable areas have become the focus of endavours among the private and public sector in the conservation and management to obtain optimal benfits. This is reflected in the efforts of successive governments in the designation of peatlands along with virgin forests and those deemed potentially restorable as reserve areas. As a consequence an area of 200 sq. km of Pru Toh Daeng, a peat swamp in Narathiwat province, has been declared a wildlife sanctuary area.

Operation units have been assigned to these areas and strict laws have been introduced against encroachers. Degraded peatlands have been converted to land settlement cooperatives, where plots of land were distributed to the landless villagers for engaging in agricultural purposes, e.g. oil palm cultivation.

In addition, the government has also set up task forces for controlling and preventing forest fires. A Royal Initiated Project for research and development of peatland was established to ensure that peatland, or 'Phru' in Thai, is maintained and survived.

Guideline for Peat Swamp  Forest Rehabilitation and Planting in Thailand