In the late 1980s, increasingly aware of the adverse effects of the rapid decline of its natural forest resources, the Government of Thailand imposed a logging ban in all natural forests. Together with the depletion of forest resources, the ban led to a drop in domestic supply. The Government therefore looked for ways to involve the private sector and in particular local communities in generating alternative wood supplies. Nonetheless, up until recently, even if Thai people could grow commercial trees on the land they own, forest laws prohibited them from cutting and transporting important timber species unless their land was registered, inspected and local authorities informed before harvests.

Read more on how changes introduced in 2019 in the law governing forestry may finally promote reforestation efforts: http://www.euflegt.efi.int/es/publications/homegrown-trees-provide-additional-income-in-thailand