2. Study Area
The area chosen for this current research is specially focused on the land ecosystems of Surat Thani
Province, southern Thailand (Fig. 1), where 49% of the provincial area is mountainous with high
mountain ranges along the north and south of the area. There are some important attributes that should be
considered in order to develop successful ecotourism in the Province. For instance, it should largely be
free from urban settlements with untouched landscape, have rich vegetation cover and considerable
wildlife, traditional indigenous people’s groups and recreational tourist attractions. Such characteristics
suit the selection of the area for a case study to demonstrate the application of the methodology.