Thailand is the world’s largest exporter of natural rubber. The country is also one of the leading producers, supplying international manufacturers with forms such as ribbed smoked sheets, technically specified rubber, concentrated latex, and other processed materials.
Rubber cultivation became important in southern Thailand after rubber trees were introduced from Malaya. The first recorded planting in Thailand took place in Trang province in 1899. Warm, humid conditions and abundant rainfall make the southern provinces especially suitable for plantations, and the crop became a major source of rural income and export revenue.
Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam dominate natural-rubber production, while China is a major consumer and processor. Malaysia is a common answer because it was historically a leading rubber producer and remains important in the industry, but Thailand now leads exports. Natural rubber also differs from synthetic rubber: it comes mainly from latex tapped from Hevea brasiliensis trees, whereas synthetic rubber is manufactured from petrochemical feedstocks. Thailand’s export leadership refers to natural rubber, not every category of finished rubber product.