Recently, the results of marine spatial planning (the first batch) for Koh Lan and its surrounding waters compiled by the Research Center for Islands & Coastal Zone of FIO and Prince of Songkla University (PSU) of Thailand were officially handed over to the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR), Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE), Thailand. The handover ceremony was attended by representatives from Thailand, including Wannakiat Thubthimsang, senior advisor of DMCR, Dhana Yingcharoen, director of the Marine and Coastal Conservation Division, Paritad Charoensit, director of the Data Center, and Tanet Munnoy, director of the Marine and Coastal Resources Administration Office (Chonburi Branch), as well as the project group of FIO's Research Center for Islands & Coastal Zone. The results of marine spatial planning for Koh Lan provide a Chinese solution for the preparation, implementation, and evaluation of marine spatial planning in coastal countries and regions. It is also an important practice and innovation of Chinese wisdom in countries and regions along the Belt and Road. 

Located about 10 kilometers west of the coastline of Pattaya, a famous tourist destination of Thailand, Koh Lan is an internationally renowned tourist resort with an annual visitor volume of nearly 5 million. However, due to insufficient management and disordered tourism development, there are problems such as "excessive surrounding garbage", "deterioration of seawater quality", and "coral reef degradation", which bring severe challenges to the ecosystem of Koh Lan and its surrounding waters, and seriously affect the sustainable development of ecotourism in Koh Lan. 

In recent years, FIO has actively promoted the implementation of the Framework Plan for International Cooperation for the South China Sea and its Adjacent Oceans and the relevant documents, including the memorandum of understanding on maritime cooperation between China and Thailand. With the support of the China-Thailand Joint Laboratory for Climate and Marine Ecosystem, FIO initiated the preparation of marine spatial planning for Koh Lan in 2016 in conjunction with PSU and DMCR, Thailand. Since the execution of the project, the project group has completed the investigation and special research on the ecological environment, hydrodynamic environment, and development and utilization activities of Koh Lan and its surrounding waters. At the same time, the government of Pattaya has organized analyses and coordination of stakeholders to ensure that the planning is tailored to actual local conditions. After the handover of the project results, FIO will assist DMCR and the government of Pattaya to coordinate stakeholders of marine spatial planning, adjust planning suitability, further analyze and solve the problems of unscientific spatial allocation of regional development and unsustainable utilization of resources and environment, and carry out technical training for relevant management personnel of Thailand to ensure the smooth implementation of the planning.