Chinese demand for rosewood has turned Thailand's forests into virtual war zones

[webfact]

Chinese Demand for Rosewood Has Turned Thailand’s Forests Into Virtual War Zones
Charlie Campbell

Illegal loggers and forest rangers regularly do battle over the precious timber

BANGKOK: -- Richly hued, cherry-brown rosewood is one of the world’s most valuable timbers. Native across much of Indochina, a cubic meter can fetch $5,000 in Cambodia or 10 times that amount once smuggled into China, where the demand for Ming- and Qing-style rosewood furniture is enormous.

A single ornately carved bed can cost a cool $1 million in plush Shanghai showrooms, meaning the potential profits are tantalizing for impoverished loggers, as well as the traffickers who spirit the lumber across porous frontiers.

However, voracious Chinese demand also means that Siamese rosewood is on the brink of extinction. When the species was finally listed on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) list in 2013, experts thought that it was the Mekong region that was mostly affected.

Full story: http://time.com/4288287/china-thailand-rosewood-environment-logging/

-- TIME 2016-04-13

[khwaibah]

Nothing new. This has been going on for ever in Thailand. The only rosewood to be found is the fence post that farmers have in the area.

[Boycie]

Video http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880618-conflict-forest-rangers/

[yellowboat]

Sad, but few countries do a good job protecting their natural resources. Those that do have from their experience. The human race and the natural world are rarely in harmony.

[phoenixdoglover]

By the time the Chinese are done, there won't be much left of the planet. Enjoy your cheap manufactured goods.

[ace]

Seems like an opportunity for forward looking landowners maybe take 50 years or whatever, but chuck in a few seeds / saplings, why not.

[Jimbo2014]

The Chinese are only finishing what the Western imperial/industrial age began. Hopefully we soon move beyond the age of industrialization, combustion.

[khwaibah]

By the time the Chinese are done, there won't be much left of the planet. Enjoy your cheap manufactured goods.

There like a super virus they just bought Lazada. http://tech.thaivisa.com/alibaba-buys-controlling-stake-in-lazada/14751/

[chainarong]

Until you remove the price factor you are whistling Dixie , like anything illegal the price rules the day and in Thailand they'd sell grandmother for 10 thousand Baht , that's how cheap they will operate at and make a good Thai profit, in this case Rosewood would have to cost 200 baht a metre before the party would stop............... .

[HLover]

By the time the Chinese are done, there won't be much left of the planet. Enjoy your cheap manufactured goods.

It will be one big tour bus heading to and from a prawn buffet.

[Junkyarddog]

In the article it says a bed can cost a million dollars. They used the dollar sign. That can't be right. Maybe they meant a million baht and used the dollar sign by mistake.

[HLover]

In the article it says a bed can cost a million dollars. They used the dollar sign. That can't be right. Maybe they meant a million baht and used the dollar sign by mistake.

Or just more shoddy and inaccurate reporting?

[khwaibah]

In the article it says a bed can cost a million dollars. They used the dollar sign. That can't be right. Maybe they meant a million baht and used the dollar sign by mistake.

Or just more shoddy and inaccurate reporting?

The dollar sign is used as a generic symbol for money a lot in asian journalism. Saying that it is very easy that in China a bed made from Rosewood would fetch 1 million USD.

Edited April 13, 2016 by khwaibah

[HLover]

In the article it says a bed can cost a million dollars. They used the dollar sign. That can't be right. Maybe they meant a million baht and used the dollar sign by mistake.

Or just more shoddy and inaccurate reporting?

The dollar sign is used as a generic symbol for money a lot in asian journalism. Saying that it is very easy that in China a bed made from Rosewood would fetch 1 million USD.

With money like that to spend on a bed, the Chinese elite must be doing very well.

[williamgeorgeallen]

Sad, but few countries do a good job protecting their natural resources. Those that do have from their experience. The human race and the natural world are rarely in harmony.

well new zealand is trying with over a third of its area now national parks. how much of this is due to trying to earn the tourist dollar and how much is trying to protect the habitat i dont know. unfortunately deer, rabbits, rats and possums have already had a heavy impact on the plants and native birds. would have been amazing to see nz before man arrived.

[elgordo38]

By the time the Chinese are done, there won't be much left of the planet. Enjoy your cheap manufactured goods.

Yes they are definitely in a hurry to spend all their "Greenbacks" before they become worthless. America thought they were giving China a helping hand when they agreed to all those trade deals with them and shipped most of the good paying jobs to Great Wall. They opened a Pandora's box and the horse is out of the barn on this one. The Chinese are clever people they are also taking their Yankee greenbacks and buying up American real estate by the billions. A stealth takeover from within. They will definitely beat the Mexicans and the Muslims in claiming the heartland.

Edited April 13, 2016 by elgordo38

[chainarong]

In the article it says a bed can cost a million dollars. They used the dollar sign. That can't be right. Maybe they meant a million baht and used the dollar sign by mistake.

Or just more shoddy and inaccurate reporting?

The dollar sign is used as a generic symbol for money a lot in asian journalism. Saying that it is very easy that in China a bed made from Rosewood would fetch 1 million USD.

With money like that to spend on a bed, the Chinese elite must be doing very well.

They were doing well, much to the chagrin of the peasants, some are now in trouble, with the drop off in their economy.

[cat handler]

The Chinese are only finishing what the Western imperial/industrial age began. Hopefully we soon move beyond the age of industrialization, combustion.

Says the person on his computer with his electric light on and surfing the Internet. Funny, very funny, kind of like the protesters against Asian sweat shops wearing Reeboks made in China.

[Dumbastheycome]

By the time the Chinese are done, there won't be much left of the planet. Enjoy your cheap manufactured goods.

Yes they are definitely in a hurry to spend all their "Greenbacks" before they become worthless. America thought they were giving China a helping hand when they agreed to all those trade deals with them and shipped most of the good paying jobs to Great Wall. They opened a Pandora's box and the horse is out of the barn on this one. The Chinese are clever people they are also taking their Yankee greenbacks and buying up American real estate by the billions. A stealth takeover from within. They will definitely beat the Mexicans and the Muslims in claiming the heartland.

The truth !

[Praematura]

I never disliked the Chinese until I saw these masses of humanity in Thailand. They are destroying this country piece by piece. Zero dollar tours, pollution via thousands of diesel buses packing every street in Pattaya. Even the staff at the Hilton buffet acknowledged our common request to be seated away from these people.

[Praematura]

By the time the Chinese are done, there won't be much left of the planet. Enjoy your cheap manufactured goods.

Yes they are definitely in a hurry to spend all their "Greenbacks" before they become worthless. America thought they were giving China a helping hand when they agreed to all those trade deals with them and shipped most of the good paying jobs to Great Wall. They opened a Pandora's box and the horse is out of the barn on this one. The Chinese are clever people they are also taking their Yankee greenbacks and buying up American real estate by the billions. A stealth takeover from within. They will definitely beat the Mexicans and the Muslims in claiming the heartland.

I was staff on the Ways and Means Committee in 1999-2001. I told my boss Congressman Wally Herger about giving MFN to China permanently would lead to massive job loss. However, the Republican Party wanted it done. Edited April 13, 2016 by Praematura

[fasteddie]

By the time the Chinese are done, there won't be much left of the planet. Enjoy your cheap manufactured goods.

Yes they are definitely in a hurry to spend all their "Greenbacks" before they become worthless. America thought they were giving China a helping hand when they agreed to all those trade deals with them and shipped most of the good paying jobs to Great Wall. They opened a Pandora's box and the horse is out of the barn on this one. The Chinese are clever people they are also taking their Yankee greenbacks and buying up American real estate by the billions. A stealth takeover from within. They will definitely beat the Mexicans and the Muslims in claiming the heartland.

I was staff on the Ways and Means Committee in 1999-2001. I told my boss Congressman Wally Herger about giving MFN to China permanently would lead to massive job loss. However, the Republican Party wanted it done.

That's capitalism for you, profit & growth = rape of the planets finite resources.

[tartampion]

All (most of) our problems come from MONEY (politics, religions, unemployment, social, education, thieves, drugs, ...).

Instead to have "physical money" just reform it by having only one account by name then digitize it and make it transparent in case of complain then all problems will be solved. Each city manage its citizens' accounts.

A security payment (like Paypal which offers 45 days refund) will be a good idea.

Each ou us will have a digital tablet (around 8 inches long) that can be connected to another one to do any transaction between 2 people or businesses (goods, services). Can be used on internet too.

Optimum tracability and possibility by autorities to "freeze" any suspicious activity.

Double security code and fingerprint for security purpose.and ... big penalty (like 20 years in jail) for those wanting to "crack the code" !!

Edited April 17, 2016 by tartampion

[Sakeopete]

By the time the Chinese are done, there won't be much left of the planet. Enjoy your cheap manufactured goods.

Yes they are definitely in a hurry to spend all their "Greenbacks" before they become worthless. America thought they were giving China a helping hand when they agreed to all those trade deals with them and shipped most of the good paying jobs to Great Wall. They opened a Pandora's box and the horse is out of the barn on this one. The Chinese are clever people they are also taking their Yankee greenbacks and buying up American real estate by the billions. A stealth takeover from within. They will definitely beat the Mexicans and the Muslims in claiming the heartland.

That same old song and dance about the fall of the dollar and collapse of the USA has been played for decades. At the end of the day North America is self reliant with most of the worlds fresh water, abundant energy and all the rich farmland you could ever need. To top it off they have a hard working culture with people that are driven and educated who can think for themselves.

There is a reason the world follows American trends and is always trying to catch up to their technology.

Being Canadian I hate to admit it but facts are facts.

[Moonmoon]

By the time the Chinese are done, there won't be much left of the planet. Enjoy your cheap manufactured goods.

its true.

[laolover88]

By the time the Chinese are done, there won't be much left of the planet. Enjoy your cheap manufactured goods.

Yes they are definitely in a hurry to spend all their "Greenbacks" before they become worthless. America thought they were giving China a helping hand when they agreed to all those trade deals with them and shipped most of the good paying jobs to Great Wall. They opened a Pandora's box and the horse is out of the barn on this one. The Chinese are clever people they are also taking their Yankee greenbacks and buying up American real estate by the billions. A stealth takeover from within. They will definitely beat the Mexicans and the Muslims in claiming the heartland.

That, of course, is the core of the issue. Had the USA in its extraordinary greed for cheap goods not funded the Chinese "industries" to produce those goods at rock bottom prices with slave labour none of this would have happened. You should blame the USA not China...though sadly the end story is no-one wins

[mjakob007]

they are also taking all sort of timber and mountains in containers out of west africa

[PaPiPuPePo]

By the time the Chinese are done, there won't be much left of the planet. Enjoy your cheap manufactured goods.

Yes they are definitely in a hurry to spend all their "Greenbacks" before they become worthless. America thought they were giving China a helping hand when they agreed to all those trade deals with them and shipped most of the good paying jobs to Great Wall. They opened a Pandora's box and the horse is out of the barn on this one. The Chinese are clever people they are also taking their Yankee greenbacks and buying up American real estate by the billions. A stealth takeover from within. They will definitely beat the Mexicans and the Muslims in claiming the heartland.

That, of course, is the core of the issue. Had the USA in its extraordinary greed for cheap goods not funded the Chinese "industries" to produce those goods at rock bottom prices with slave labour none of this would have happened. You should blame the USA not China...though sadly the end story is no-one wins

You display an astounding ignorance of China, not that being ignorant ever stops people from sounding off, quite the opposite.

[ddavidovsky]

It's a tree. Plant some. Why are there no plantations for this lucractive commodity after all this time?

[PaPiPuPePo]

It's a tree. Plant some. Why are there no plantations for this lucractive commodity after all this time?

A tree farm is not a forest. Better than nothing, but not the best solution by any means.

Too bad this headline isn't, I suspect, at all accurate; I doubt the loggers are getting cut to bits by small-arms fire or hammered by artillery. If only there were soldiers in those forests honing their marksmanship on these guys, it would serve two positive goals.