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From the early 19th century to the 1980s, the abundance of tin along the Andaman coast became a major industrial development in Siam. The production of around 899,244 tons of tin, worth $ 31 billion, made Thailand one of the world’s top four producers in 1961-1994. Although tin mining ceased to operate around 30 years ago in Southern Thailand, traces of its history and culture remain, including tangibles like buildings and mine openings, and intangibles relating to the lives of miners, food, and accommodation. These traces link to tourist sites and local sports, arts, and crafts, characterizing the relationship between people’s lives and historical tin mines. In a multi-racial area where Siamese merchants sold goods and Indians worked as security guards or traveling traders, most businesses were headed by Westerners, with Siamese locals as staff and Chinese laborers. Tin, an important resource, attracted international investment and power, with mines mostly owned by Westerners or Chinese. The majority of the population along the Andaman coast consisted of Chinese who had settled in the area centuries ago.

The history and cultural heritage of the tin mining industry in Southern Thailand provides an outstanding example of tourism development. It capitalizes on a local cultural asset which can be upgraded to the new avenue of a tourism-based economy. The creative economy provides the framework for tourism development. This approach works together with settlement research, the basic way to understand the history and cultural heritage of this important resource area.