Old wood becomes a source of legal timber in Thailand
Reclaimed timber is contributing to Thailand’s local economy and becoming an important livelihoods source. Timber from old houses that have come to the end of their lifecycle are being bought by traders and turned into a thriving business.
The reclaimed timber supply chain started more than 10 years ago but was overlooked and unrecognized. Since a range of regulatory obstacles were removed, bureaucratic processes are being simplified and will contribute to a decrease in corruption. In turn, the earning potential for the Small and micro Economic Entities (SmEs) in Thailand that trade in this timber will have a significant boost.
The recognition of reclaimed timber as legal source of timber is the result of efforts to raise awareness among policy makers engaged in the formal Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) process between the Government of Thailand and the EU.
European Forest Institute
