Soil survey and classification in Thailand began in 1941 (before LDD) by Dr. R. L. Pendelton a soil scientist from USA with Dr. Saroj Montrakul and Mr. Rerm Buranarerk by applied American methodologies. The first soil map of Thailand produced at that time was of scale 1:2,500,000 and the soils were classified into series even though at that time the infrastructure was insufficient. It was found later that some soil series in the map could be classified into Great Soil Group or Association of Great Soil Group because the scale was very small and very few field checks.

After Dr. R. L. Pendelton, soil survey and classification was carried on by Dr. Saroj Montrakul until 1961. Soil map was then developed by Dr. F. R. Moorman a Dutch soil scientist from FAO with the scientists from Department of Rice and Department of Agriculture from the one by Pendelton in North-eastern part of Thailand by provincial basis. Soil survey and classification then turned to be in the responsibility of Land Development Department (LDD) in 1963. LDD by the help of United Nations and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) etc. then developed many versions of soil maps until present.

Since 1964, LDD with FAO and Soil Department of Kasetsart University (Dr. Santad Rojanasoonthorn) had revised the 2,500,000 soil map of Thailand and made the hard copies of 1: 1,250,000 and 2,500,000 by apply the unit of Great Soil Groups and Association of Great Soil Groups. Followed by Provincial soil maps of scale 1: 100,000 and 1: 50,000 applying the units of Soil Series, Phase of Soil Series, Association of Soil Series and Soil Complex. Soil Taxonomy from USA was applied in soil survey and classification in Thailand since 1967 and LDD had produced soil maps of Thailand of scale 1: 1,000,000 and the map of regions of Thailand of scale 1: 500,000 with Great Groups and Particle Size Classes.

In 6th National Development Plan (1987-1991), LDD had produced provincial soil maps of scale 1:50,000 by the help of satellite images to map remote areas and the similar soil series were grouped into different units. The latest soil series group maps are in digital form and the suitability of the groups for crops are produced as soil suitability map.