Conference Paper

Development, contents and design of the revised edition of the National Resources Atlas of Thailand

By Ulrich Freitag· 1980

Publication: Eighth United Nations Regional Cartographic Conference for Asia and the Far East. Volume 2: Technical Papers
Pages: 247–250

Thailand · Version 4

1986

This Thai compilation account describes the revision begun in early 1974 under the short title Atlas of Thailand. The Royal Thai Survey Department envisaged the revised resources atlas as a foundation for a future national atlas, a larger project it considered infeasible under the political and economic conditions of the time. The proposed contents cover natural, human and economic resources. The account emphasizes greater comparability through two standard base maps at 1:2,500,000 and 1:4,000,000, supplemented by diagrams, graphs, cross-sections and illustrations, with Thai and English names and terms throughout. Explanatory text pages were deferred because suitable specialists were unavailable. The planned format was a boxed loose-leaf collection, with single pages measuring 370 × 505 mm, allowing individual maps to be replaced and further material added. At the time of writing, most drafts of the first 60 map pages were complete and undergoing reproduction; several maps had already been published.

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This paper reviews thematic mapping by the Royal Thai Survey Department since 1961 and the successive editions of the National Resources Atlas of Thailand, then describes the fourth-edition revision begun in 1974. Political and economic constraints led the department to undertake a major revision of the resources atlas, under the short series title Atlas of Thailand, as a possible foundation for a future national atlas. Organized into natural, human, and economic resources, the revision expands thematic coverage and emphasizes relationships and comparability among maps. Most maps use two standardized bases at 1:2,500,000 and 1:4,000,000 on a newly calculated equal-area projection, supplemented by varied cartographic symbols, statistical graphics, cross-sections, drawings, and bilingual Thai–English labeling. Explanatory text pages are initially omitted because sufficient expert assistance is unavailable. A boxed loose-leaf format permits individual use, replacement, and subsequent additions. At the time of reporting, most drafts for the first 60 map pages were complete and undergoing reproduction processing; several maps had already been published.