People Participation in Forest Resources Conservation Buffer Zone of Chaloem Phra Kiat Thai Prachan National Park, Ratchaburi Province

Abstract

              The objectives of this study were to determine socio-economic characteristic, general information, context of Chaloem Phra Kiat Thai Prachan national park, participation level and factors affecting people participation in forest resources conservation buffer zone of Chaloem Phra Kiat Thai Prachan national park, Ratchaburi province. Data gathered by employing designed questionnaire to interview the people who lived surrounding Chaloem Phra Kiat Thai Prachan national park of 21 villages, 6 sub-districts, 2 districts with 368 total households. Statistical analysis methods employed for testing the setting hypothesis were t-test and F-test with the given significant level at 0.05 (p-value = 0.05)

              The results of this study indicated that most of the respondents were male with their average age of 40.25 years, their educational level were at primary school. Their average number of household member was 4.63 persons. Agriculture (paddy/agronomy/horticulture cultivation) was their major occupation, The average annual household incomes were 130,260.87 baht per year. Their domiciles were located in the village area with the average resettled period of 25.58 years. They were familiarity with the forest officers at the moderate level, used to having experienced in forest resource conservation, having knowledged about participation and forest resources conservation at the high and the low level, respectively. Chaloem Phra Kiat Thai Prachan national park was located in the Mae Prachan mountain range, which the watershed head of many streams. There were abundant forests with the same corridor as Kaeng Krachan national park, Maenam Phachi wildlife sanctuary and Myanmar. The forest area was mixed forest. The important tourism location were namely, Pong Krathing hot spring, Bangkama hornbill viewing point, viewing point over Ban Thai Prachan reservoir. The facilities were bathroom, housing, camping area, car parking, tourist service center, shops, nature trail, interpretative sign, etc. The people participation in forest resources conservation buffer zone of Chaloem Phra Kiat Thai Prachan national park at the moderate level with their average score of 2.64. Factors affecting people participation in forest resources conservation buffer zone of Chaloem Phra Kiat Thai Prachan national park, Ratchaburi province were educational level, familiarity with the forest officers, experienced in forest resource conservation and knowledge about forest resources conservation.