Comparison of coastal change in the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea: case study in Nakhon Si Thammarat and Trang Provinces, southern Thailand

摘要

Thailand has an extensive coastal area covering 23 provinces of the eastern Gulf of Thailand coast of the Pacific Ocean and western Andaman Sea coast of the Indian Ocean.Thailand comprises extensive coastline totaling about 2,637 kilometers in length (DMR, 2002).The Gulf of Thailand coastline extends for 1, 700 kilometers and the Andaman Sea coastline for 937 kilometers.These coastal zones are endowed with rich natural resources and are, therefore, important for economic development of the country.In the past, the coastlines have been changed mainly by natural processes, but currently are suffering from human activity including beach pollution, coastal erosion, reduction of coastal wetland, and reduction in sediment supply.