National Rubber Day in Thailand Date in the current year: April 10, 2024

Natural rubber, also known as latex, is a natural polymer of isoprene characterized by high viscosity, elasticity, water resistance and dielectric properties. It is used extensively in many products and applications. The primary source of natural rubber is the rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis), a flowering plant belonging to the genus Hevea. Although the rubber tree is native to South America, the world’s largest producers of natural rubber are Asian countries (Thailand, Indonesia, China, Vietnam, and Malaysia).

Southern Trang Province was the first place where rubber trees were planted in Thailand in the early 20th century. Since then, the cultivation of rubber trees and the production of natural rubber have become one of the most important features of Thai agriculture. Today, Thailand is the world’s largest producer and exporter of natural rubber, due to its tropical climate and effective cultivation methods. The total area of Thailand’s rubber tree plantations is about 3.5 million hectares, and the amount of rubber produced is about 4.3–5 million tons per year. About 1.4 million households are engaged in rubber tree farming.

Thailand produces rubber both for the domestic market (about 500,000 tons per year) and for export. About half of the rubber produced for the domestic market is used in the manufacture of car tires, while the other half is used to produce gloves, rubber bands, elastics, tires and tubes for motorcycles, and other products.

In 2015, Thailand exported 3.76 million tons of natural rubber. The five largest importers of Thai rubber are China, Malaysia, Europe, Japan, and South Korea. In addition to supplying other countries with raw materials, Thailand exports various rubber products, such as tires, gloves, hoses, elastics, and condoms.

Unfortunately, Thailand’s rubber industry has been experiencing difficult times during the past few years. Its decline is caused by a number of factors, including the overproduction of rubber in the region and the associated drop in demand and price (at some point, the price of rubber was lower than its production cost), the growing popularity of synthetic rubber, as well as severe floods during the rainy season and the leaf fall disease affecting rubber trees. To support the rubber industry and households engaged in rubber tree farming, the government provides them with additional funding.

National Rubber Tree Day in Thailand was inaugurated to highlight the emphasize the importance of the rubber industry for the country’s economy, as well as to raise public awareness of the problems that the industry has to face and consolidate efforts in searching for the ways to solve them.