Overlaying the land-use map of 1982 with that of 2002
revealed that a 21,912 ha increase in rubber cultivation areas came
from the conversion of 22,631 ha of forest area, 4,855 ha of rice
fields and 2,513 ha of mixed orchards (Table 8). The dramatic increase in the price of rubber during this period and the subsidies
provided by the Thai Government’s Office of Rubber Replanting
Aid Fund have been instrumental in promoting land conversion to
rubber plantation (Usher, 1994). Complete land-use change,
including land converted to other uses and land formerly in other
uses, is shown in detail in Table 8.