Rubber Tree Plantation

Rubber Trees 

  

    Rubber trees are trees which produce latex which is used to make materials such as rubber toys, rubber bands, elastics and much more. In approximately 7 years the rubber tree produces 1 kilogram of rubber. Rubber trees grow up to 50 feet (15.42 meters) tall and live up to 100 years. They take approximately 6 years to grow and until they are able to produce latex. In Phuket there are many rubber trees which impacted and changed how Phuket is like today.

Phraya Ratsadanupradit Mahison Phakdi, the Commissioner of Monthon Phuket was the one who thought of the idea of planting rubber trees in Phuket. He got his ideas from when he visited Malaysia and Indonesia which had had rubber trees planted and they were getting a lot of money. In 1899 Khaw Soo Cheang then brought in the seeds to south Thailand and planted the first tree. 

Rubber Trees then became Thailand's major exporting product. It has affected Phuket both economically and physically. In a rubber tree farm, they can produce anywhere from 200kg to 400kg of rubber per rai, per year. That could sell up to 720 000 baht per year, depending on how big each farm is. There are also many rubber tree farms in Phuket which fills up about 40% of Phuket's area. Today, rubber trees cover over 33% of Phuket's area, it has decreased from the past due to more buildings.When you drive past you'd see thousands of rubber trees in lines with little black/brown cups on the tree with white liquid dripping down. 

Rubber trees are really important to Phuket as they have so many benefits. Many people in Phuket have jobs as to cut the latex out and to make the latex and the people selling the final product so people live on rubber tree's finances.