Geologic Reconnaissance of the Mineral Deposits of Thailand By GLEN F. BROWN, SAMAN BURAVAS, JUA4CHET CHARALJAVANAPHET, NITIPAT JALICHANDRA, WILLIAM D. JOHNSTON, JR., VIJA SRESTHAPUTRA, and GEORGE C. TAYLOR, JR. GEOLOGIC INVESTIGATIONS OF ASIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 984 Prepared in cooperation with The Royal Thai Department of Mines, under the auspices of the Technical Cooperation Administration of the United States Department of State UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1951 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Oscar L. Chapman, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY W. E. Wrather, Director For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office Washington 25, D. C. - Price $2.50 (paper) CONTENTS Pago Abstract_ ___________________________________^__.____ _._._____.__ 1 Introduction, by Vija Sresthaputra and William D. Johnston, Jr_-_____- 6 Previous geological investigations-.-____________ _________________ 6 The present investigation.__---__--____-___-__________-__-__.___ 7 Acknowledgments__ _ ___-__---__-_-__----______-______________ 8 Geography, by Vija Sresthapiitra--__---_-__--_---_--________________ 10 Political divisions_____-__---___---_-___--____________________ 10 ]\taps available-___.___________-___._________________________'__ 11 Climate._____________________________________________________ 13 General features.____-_-----__-_--_-__-___---______-___-__- 13 Northern Thailand.-_.._-_.-._._.___.___...___.___._...._. 13 Northeastern Thailand.__-__-_____-__--____--____________-_ 14 Central plain...___________________________________________ 14. Southern Thailand______-__-________-_--'___-__________-_- 14 Gulf of Thailand east coast__----__-_-_------_-_---_--__-__- 15 Physiography._ ___________________________________________________ 15 Land forms.____-_-______-_-____-_--_--_-_-----_-___-_-___-__- 15 Drainage patterns_______-______-__--_--___-_-___-__-__-_-_-___ 17 Physiographic provinces._-_-_____-_--__-__---__-_-__--_____-___ 19 General features.._________---_--__-__--_-_-_-_-_-__--___-_ 19 Northwest Highlands_______--_-_-_-_____-_---_____.___--__ 20 Phi Pan Nam subprovince._____________________________ 20 Tanaosee subprovince_____ _______ ____-___-_____________ 21 Chao Phraya Plain___._.__.__.___.______.__._..___.__._... 22 Korat Plateau..._...____.___.__.._____.._.______._._._.. 22 Chanthaburi. ______________________--_-_---____--___-_-_-- 23 Peninsular.. _ _________-___-_----_--_-__ _°_ _________________ 24 Geology, by Vija Sresthaputra, Saman Buravas, and Glen F. Brown.____ 25 Rock units____________'________________-_______-_____________ 25 Sequence and general features of the rocks__- _________________ 25 Sedimentary and metamorphic rocks_-_----_---------____---_ 30 Phuket series (Cambrian)------------------------------- 30 Thung Song limestone (Ordovician?)___________________ 31 Kanchanaburi series (Silurian, Devonian?, and Lower Carboniferous?)-_:-----_---------------_-_-----_---- 32 Rat Buri limestone (Carboniferous? and Permian).._______ 33 Korat series, including the Kamawkala limestone (Triassic and Jurassic)_________________________________________ 36 Mae Sot series (Tertiary)___-___-____-__--_______--_---_ 38 Krabi series (Tertiary)_________________________________ 40 Terrace deposits and alluvium (Quaternary)______________ 41 Igneous rocks__--.--_---_------'_____________---__---____--_ 43 Gneiss and schist (pre-Permian?)______._-_-___-__--_--_- 43 Mafic and ultraraafic rocks (Triassic?)___.________.______ 43 in IV CONTENTS Geology Continued Rock units Continued Igneous rocks Continued Page Granite (Triassic? and Late Cretaceous)?.,_______________ 44 Diorite and quartz-diorite (Tertiary?)____________._______ 4.6 Basalt (Tertiary ?)___________..______________.___________ 46 Andesite and rhyolite porphyries (Tertiary?)_-_.__________ 47 Geologic structure and history-_-____------_______,._____________ 47 Metallic mineral deposits.__________________________________________ 50 Antimony_ _ ____---_--_--__-_-_____.._________________________ 50 General features..!____________________.._.___-^.___.______ 50 Production. -._-_--_______-_-_---_-______._.._____________ 51 Pha Khan district, by George C. Taylor, Jr., and Saman Buravas.. 51 Geology- _______________________________________________ 53 Mineralization of antimony.-_-_..-_______-_-___-________ 53 Chavanich Mining Co. properties________________________ 54 General features.---_______________________________ 54 Open cut l_____-_----_-________:___-_-_-___-_-____ 54 Open cut 2_______________________________________ 54 Other \vorkings___-__-__----_-_--_-_---_-_-_-----__ 56 Pisal Koosmit properties. ______________________________ 56 General features-.---...___________________________ 56 East mine._______________________________________ 56 West mine_____-___--__----____-_-_-----_-----___- 57 Mining operations _____________________________________ 57 Production, grade, and reserves__________-_-_------_____ 57 Copper, by Jumchet Charaljavanaphet.___-_________-_----______- 58 General features.__________________________________________ 58 Khanong Phra prospect.____-_-_-___--__-____---_--_-___-_- 58 Chan Thuk prospect._____________________________________ 60 Boh Hin Riang prospect_-______-_____-.._____________-_-_>_- 60 Petchabun prospects.______________________________________ 60 Lampang prospects_____-_-_-_-_-_-___________------_---.__ 61 Uttaradit prospects.________________________---_-_---_-____ 61 Phrae prospect.___________________________________________ 61 Khok Kathiam deposits.-_-_-_-_-___-_________-_-_---._____ 62 Phanom Sarakham deposits...._____________________________ 62 __------------------------_------------_-----------_--_ 63 General features.__________________________________________ 63 Production _______________________________________________ 63 Pa Ron placers, Prachuap Khiri Khan, by George C. Taylor, Jr., and Jumchet Charaljavanaphet- _____________.--_-_-_-____ 64 Geology._____________________________________________ 65 Gold placers__________________________________________ 65 Mining operations._____________._____-_-_-_----_--____ 66 Huai Luang placers, Chiang Rai, by Saman Buravas and George C. Taylor, Jr_ ___________._..-_ .-._._.....-.-.-_-...._ 67 Geology.---_-___-_-___________-________--_-__-_---_-_ 67 Gold placers._________________________________________ 68 Mining operations______i___---_--_____-__-_-____---___ 69 Krabin deposit, Prachi Buri, by Nitipat Jalichandra. __________ 69 Toh Moh deposit, Narathiwat, by Nitipat Jalichandra_________ 70 Tha Tako deposit, Lop Buri, by Saman Buravas _____________ 71 CONTENTS V Metallic mineral deposits Continued pnge Ilmenite, by Saman Buravas____________________________________ 71 Iron. __-_------------------------------------------------.- 72 General features.__________________________________________ 72 Production _______________________________________________ 73 Bo Dam lateritic iron deposit, Phrae, by George C. Taylor, Jr., and Saman Btiravas_____________________________________ 74 Khao Thap Khwai contact-metamorphic iron deposit, Lop Buri, by Saman Buravas and William D. Johnston,, Jr. ___________ 70 Ko Samui contact-metamorphic iron deposit, Surat Thani, by Glen F. Brown and Saman Buravas___._-_--------_-_______ 79 Lead and zinc__-_-___-_.--_---__-____--________----_-_----_--__ 79 Huai Tham prospect, Phrae, by George C. Taylor, Jr., and Saman Buravas_________________________________________ 80 Location and topography_______________________________ 80 Geology...__..._.__...__.____......__...__._...__..__ 80 Veins...--.-_---_---__.-_____-_---__-_------__---_--._ 81 Nong Phai lead-zinc mine, Kanchanaburi, by Glen F. Brown, Kasetr Pitakspraivan, and Sangop Kaeo Phithum.__________ 82 Location and accessibility._ ______-________---___-___-___ 82 Development.__-_-___.____________-___-----_-_-__---_ 84 Geologic setting.-__--___-_____._-__-__-_---_-_-_-__-_. 86 Ore deposits.--------------_------_-_-_---_----------. 87 Manganese, by George C. Taylor, Jr., and Saman Buravas_ ________ 88 General features.__________________________________________' 88 Ko Kram deposits, Chon Buri...____________________________ 89 Kai Thi Point deposits.________________________________ 91 Sadao Beach deposits._________________________________ 91 Ta Eng Beach deposits......___________________________ 93 Phudsa Wan Bay deposits.__---.-_______---_--_____-_-- 93 Molybdenum _________________________________________________ 94 Nam Khun prospect, Chanthaburi, by Saman Buravas, Jumchet Charaljavanaphet, and George C. Taylor, Jr___._______----_ 94 Monazite, by Saman Buravas_____________-__-____--_---_--__--- 96 Tin and tungsten_____-____---_______________-___--_-___--_--__ 96 Production __--.-_-_-_--_._-___.___________---_-__------__ 96 Tin.....__.-__-___..___.-__-..__..__.._--.__.._._-.-- 96 Tungsten.. _---------______---___-_--__---_-___---___- 97 Northwestern area.____..-___._______________--__._______._ 98 Mae Sariang tungsten district, Mae Hong Son, by Glen F. Brown and Nitipat Jalichandra.---_-__---__----_-__--- 99 General features-__________________________________ 99 Location and accessibility__________________________ 99 Development...--_-___-___-___________._______-__ 100 Transportation of ore._____________________________ 103 Geologic setting.-.__-__._____________-____./-___-__ 103 Ore deposits---_-___________-________-__________-- 104 The Pilok tungsten-tin district, Kanchanaburi^y Glen F. Brown, Vija Sresthaputra, and William D. Johnston, Jr__ 105 Location and accessibility __________________________