Quartz Resource Deposite in Thailand
Silica sand, quartz, and feldspar are abundant in places in Thailand, and locally have been mined, or offer substantial resources for future development.
Brown and others (1951, p. 153) reported that "Small quantities of vein quartz, quartz sand, flint, and feldspar are used in the glass and ceramic industries in Thailand. Of some interest is the use of burned rice husks, containing 80-95 percent of silica, in the manufacture of ceramic glazes. The material is abundant and cheap and does not require grinding."
| Flint | Vein Quartz | Quartz Sand | ||||||
| Kanchanburi | Chon Buri | Ko Samui | Yala | Nakhon Si Thammarat | Chantaburi | |||
| SiO2 | 90.10 | 96.25 | 93.85 | 96.03 | 96.17 | 96.40 | 95.43 | 95.02 |
| Al2O3 | 4.46 | 2.90 | 2.87 | 2.26 | 2.03 | 2.36 | 2.07 | 3.53 |
| Fe2O3 | 3.51 | .78 | .84 | .52 | .90 | .61 | .78 | .62 |
| CaO | .48 | na | .22 | .53 | .21 | .22 | 1.33 | .22 |
| MgO | .60 | na | na | .50 | na | .06 | .07 | .10 |
| Ignition | .69 | .69 | .21 | .68 | .32 | .28 | .48 | |
| Total | 99.84 | 98.62 | 99.99 | 99.60 | 99.99 | 99.97 | 99.96 | 99.97 |
Orthoclase feldspar has been produced from porphyritic granite and pegmatite at two localities near Khao Phra Bat, Chon Buri province, and is known at Tha Di, Nakhon Si Thammarat province.
Pitrakul and Tantisukrit (1973, p. 39-40) reported a productive feldspar deposit in the Chom Bung district, Ratburi province, and other deposits are known at Ban Lat Ya, Muang, Kanchanaburi province. The Muang district, Tak province, is in porphyritic leucogranite. Other feldpar deposits have been reported in Prachuap Khiri Khan province.
According to Pitrakul and Tantisukrit (1973, p. 39-40) silica sand deposits near Khao Kao Seng in Songkhla province produce more than 50,000 tons per year for domestic glass factories. Large resources of high grade silica also are known along the beaches of Nakhon Si Thammarat and Pattani provinces, Ko Tarutao in Satun province, and in Trang and Prachuap Khiri Khan provinces.
The best quality silica sand reported in Thailand is in the Laem Mae Pirn deposit, Klaeng, Rayong province, now being used in domestic glass factories. Hughes and Bateson (1967, p. 19) reported sharply angular, medium- to fine-grained sand containing very little feldspar and iron minerals in the vicinity of Chantaburi.