In southern Thailand, the rubber price back in 2000 hovered around 20 baht a kilo. It is now up over 70 baht. Recent high prices have seen rubber sometimes leap over the mystical 100 baht barrier. This makes for lots of happy plantation owners, and well-remunerated armies of tappers, throughout the rubber producing provinces.

Processing rubber sheets

Each sheet of rubber in this picture is worth at least 70 baht. The plantation in question is making a profit of almost 80,000 baht per month. Good money – in an area that only 30 years ago was riven by insurgency and strife. Times change, and now the money flows.