Evolution of the Loei Belt in northeastern Thailand and northwestern Laos

On the tectonic evolution of the mainland South-east Asia, researchers pay more attention to the Chiang Mae and Nan belts. Investigation on the Loei Belt is usually ignored. Therefore, there are different opinions about its naming and evolution: Loei Fold-belt located at the western margin of the Indochina Block during the Late Paleozoic and Triassic (Bunopas, 1981; Man-tajit, 1999), Petchabun Fold-belt between the Khao Khwang and Pha Nok Khao carbonate plateforms dur-ing the Carboniferous and Permian (Helmcke, 1983, 1986; Altermann, 1989, 1991), Loei Suture Zone be-tween the Nakhon Thai and Indochina blocks during the Late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic (Charusiri et al., 1997, 2002; Chutakositkanon et al., 1997, 1999)