have you heard of this stuff http://www.resysta.com/

it sounds fantastic and given that its made from rice, should be easy to make here

i wonder if its available under a different trade name in thailand?

Have always wondered about the "wood" in those roadside furniture shops. I bought a big office desk, looks great, looks real, very heavy, and would cost a fortune in Farangland. But dont think the wood is the real deal. But hey.

Then had a problem with treated "wood" planks used as a trellis shade above the garden path. After about a year began to crumble and snap.

Maybe a cheap charlie version of this stuff made from rice husks.

Don't they call it "Cherra" (sp?) in Thailand? Or maybe that's something different? It was translated to me as "fake wood".

Don't they call it "Cherra" (sp?) in Thailand? Or maybe that's something different? It was translated to me as "fake wood".

"Shera" board and "Conwood" in Thailand is a sort of cement fibre material very similar to "Spun concrete" for pipes.

An interesting option is Artowoood - made from recycled plastics and wood. It was developed and is made in Thailand.

I remember hearing about this stuff a year or two back (or at least it was some kind of wood substitute made from rice and/or corn husks). As I recall, it was basically as expensive or more expensive than teak wood grown on plantations, and thus didn't look to have a great market appeal in Thailand. This may no longer be the case, or this could be a different manufacturer who has figured out how to make the process cheaper.

At the time I heard about it, it was going to be marketed to wealthy Europeans as an environmentally friendly alternative to using wood which "destroys the rain forests." I heard about it from some NGO.

You'd have to email the company and ask, but if it is what I think it is, don't expect it to be of interest to the vast majority of Thais. I think you'll have a much better chance with traditional wood/plastic mixes like Artowood mentioned above.