The First Rubber Tree In Thailand

A roadside marker in Kantang town, Trang, commemorates the spot where Thailand’s rubber industry began. In 1899, Phraya Rasadanupradit Mahisonphakdi (Khaw Sim Bee na Ranong) — the governor credited with developing Trang province — planted seedlings brought from British Malaya, starting a crop that would eventually make Thailand the world’s largest rubber exporter. Entry is free, and the site sits in a quiet residential corner of town rather than on any tourist circuit.

Informational plaques around the marker explain the rubber trade’s spread through the south after that first planting, and a few younger rubber trees grow nearby as a living reminder of the original stock. Visitor accounts over the years note that the tree itself has been cut and regrown more than once since 1899, so what you’re seeing is more a preserved planting site than an untouched century-old trunk — worth knowing before you go in expecting a dramatic old-growth specimen.

Insider Tip: Combine it with the Phraya Ratsadanupradit Mahison Phakdi Museum and monument, both a short drive away in Kantang — together they tell the fuller story of how one governor’s decision reshaped the regional economy, which the tree alone can’t convey.

The stop itself takes ten to fifteen minutes. It’s a quiet, low-key piece of economic history rather than a visual highlight, and works best as one stop on a wider look at Kantang’s colonial-era landmarks — the old train station included.

For the wider region, see the Trang destination guide. Two related Kantang stops: the Phraya Ratsadanupradit Mahison Phakdi Museum and his monument, both covering the governor’s broader legacy.