How exactly are rubber plantations coping economically in Thailand?

How exactly are rubber plantations coping economically in Thailand?

In thailand, rubber trees are imperative for a surviving economy. As we have already discovered in my last viewpoint, tourism and pineapple production helps to provide an income for the plantation owners. This is increasingly important due to the fact that around 95% of the 12.5 million rai of rubber plantations in phuket, are owned by around 1 million families. In this viewpoint, it will convey all of the economical effects that rubber plantations has had on Phuket and also Thailand.

Since 1991, Thailand has been the largest producing and exporting country for rubber around the world. Per year, it exports a value of around 41,352 million baht worth of produce, which is the equivalent to around 1.6 million tonnes of produce.

In 1990, Phuket was ranked 7th in the total area of plantations planted in the provinces of Phuket. Then in 1996 it was ranked 17th, and finally in the last study done, in 2003 Phuket was ranked 15th. This is portraying that Phuket, although it may be small, holds a lot of plantations to be able to have a large income.

Not only is Thailand and Phuket using the latex produced by the trees, but also they are using the leftover wood to make furniture. In 1998, Thailand exported around 683 million US dollars of rubber wood furniture. The wood produced from the plantations are sold worldwide to furniture industries and in the future, it could be possible to have a larger income as the volume of produce is expanding rapidly. In 2009, around 80% of the wood from the rubber trees, were exported to China and the other 20% was shipped to Japan, Canada, India, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Vietnam and even the USA.

Overall, economically with rubber plantations, it can be said that Phuket and Thailand are coping and are receiving a reasonable income. If the produce of the rubber trees themselves doesn’t have enough income, I have already shown in my last viewpoint, that the farmers and owners of the plantations are putting the space to good use of other produce. E.g. Pineapples and papayas. Thailand is a major part in the world’s trade of rubber and without it, the world’s trade and rubber produce would not be the same and they would be lacking substantially of latex.

How rubber farms have affected tourism in Phuket?

Focus point 2

Phuket map

Rubber plantations in Phuket have made a substantial name in ecotourism. They are available for tours, trip and excursions in the plantations. Tourists in Phuket, are provided with, beautiful beaches, wonderful wildlife, and of course the ravishing rubber tree plantations, which is an extremely educational trip for the tourists.

A tour through a rubber plantation

In Thalang, there is a large rubber plantation that is based on tourism, its name is Agro Tourism Phuket. This plantation is funded by the government to educate the tourists on Phuket’s agriculture. There is a medicinal and herbal garden and the rubber farm processing area to give the tourists the real feel for the rubber industry.

Pineapples growing in a rubber plantation

The canopies that the rubber trees produce from the sunlight, is the perfect position to plant Phuket’s famous pineapple plants. The pineapples provides the farmers with an income in the months of waiting for the rubber latex to be ready. So we have discovered here that rubber tree plantations keep the population of Phuket employed. It was found out in a study done in Thailand last month that about 95% of the 12.5 million rai of rubber plantations are smallholding and run by about one million families.

The tourists filling beaches in Phuket

Why would they want to change to a tourist industry? Well, it is clear that the rubber plantations are struggling economically, so therefore, the owners have put the plantations to the use of tourism to get another income. In fact, in 2015 over 13 millions tourists entered Phuket. That is an incredible number. Undoubtedly, the rubber plantations will benefit from having a tourist side, and that will then influence the plantations life in the future.

Overall, rubber plantations in Phuket are realising that they will not survive for long on just the latex produced. Hence, the plantation owners are opening them up to tourist tours and excursions and also the production of pineapples. Without the plantations, some of Phuket’s population will become unemployed and Phuket would certainly be a different place not only economically but also as geographically.

Phraya Ratsadanupradit Mahison Phakdi

Focus Point 1

The museum in Trang.

Phraya Ratsadanupradit Mahison Phakdi was a past ruler of Trang. In 1899, Phakdi came back from the British Malaysia with rubber saplings and planted them in Thailand. He realised that rubber plantations had good results in Malaysia, so he planned to grow rubber trees as the economic crops for the villagers in Thailand. Unfortunately, in Malaysia at that time, plantation owners were very protective of their plants and would not allow Phakdi to take away seedlings. Phakdi was successful in bringing back samplings instead from Indonesia when he saw more successes there.

In 1901, Trang was the first ever place in Thailand that had rubber trees planted, and now in Trang there is only one tree remaining from the para, which is 115 years old. This success has spread all around Thailand and came to Phuket. 

In Phuket, the first rubber plantations were introduced in 1901. Their method was to wrap the roots with cotton and newspaper to let them grow whilst travelling. This was how Phraya Ratsadanupradit Mahison Phakdi was able to bring the rubber samplings to Phuket.

The lifelike was model of  Phakdi.

          Now, Phraya Ratsadanupradit Mahison Phakdi has made history in Thailand. He is known as the "Father of Rubber." There is a museum set up in Trang to commemorate Phakdi. It has a real life size wax statue of him and the museum contains his personal items also it contains photographs of his mansion. In addition, in some of the provinces of Thailand, there are some streets named after him. For example, Ratsada street. This has conveyed that even after Phakdi's death, Thailand respected Phraya's work and his help to Thailand's economy. 

In Phuket, there was originally deliberations on whether they should embark on the risk of starting up the rubber tree plantations. However, now, rubber plantations are a huge part of Thailand's reliable income and economy. This relates to the world, as the produce that is manufactured from the rubber plantations, were and still are traded with the world. Without Thailand's source of rubber industry, the world would not be where it is today. 

Overall, for Phuket to develop economically like it has since rubber plantations were first brought to Phuket, it was essential for rubber plantations to be set up and succeed in its work. If it wasn't for the British Malaysia, then Phraya Ratsadanupradit Mahison Phakdi wouldn't of been able to make this mark in Thailand's history and Thailand, especially Phuket, would not be the way it is today.