Case Study 1: The man who brought Rubber Tree Plantation into Thailand

Phraya Ratsadanupradit Mahison Phakdi (Khaw Sin Bee)

Phraya Ratsadanupradit Mahison Phakdi, formerly called Khaw Sin Bee Na Ranong, was born on April 8, 1857 in Ranong, south of Thailand. He is the 6th son of Phraya Damrong Sucharit Mahison Phakdi (Khaw Soo Cheang). His father was the first person from the Ranong family to become the first governor of the Ranong province. After his father died, his brother suggested him to guard King Rama 5 and then he was assigned to be governor of Saraburi, a province in the central Thailand, northeast to Bangkok.  

Afterwards, Khaw Sin Bee was assigned to be Commissioner of Monthon Phuket which included 7 territories including Phuket, Trang, Phang-nga, Satun, Takuapa, Krabi and Ranong. Khaw Sin Bee got the idea of rubber tree plantation when we visited Malaysia. He saw that Malays were planting rubber trees and that they were producing a great amount of money and had a booming economy. He was interested and wanted to bring the idea into Thailand but he couldn't at the time because the owner didn't give him the seeds for that type of tree. Phra Sathon Santhanphitak visited Indonesia in 1901 and managed to bring in rubber seedling in 1899 and planted his first tree at his home in Trang. 

Phra Sathon Santhanphitak expanded the rubber tree plantation to 45 areas. After that, Khaw Sin Bee sent people to investigate and study the rubber trees and the methods. The rubber tree idea made a fortune. Rubber trees were planted in the South and the East and having 9 million rubber tree plantation which were owned by about 5 milion families around Thailand. The people relied on Rubber trees and it was a major job for people. It was that big that rubber trees became an economic plant of Thailand after rice and Khaw Sin Bee then became "Father of Rubber".