Comprehensive list of commonly available timbers in Thailand.

[Admin]

Comprehensive list of commonly available timbers in Thailand.
*some of the wood kinds in the list aren't that common in Thailand.

Tree Latin Name: Pterocarpus indicus
Thai name: mai doo
Trade Name: Narra

Description: The local beauty wood used mainly for furniture, windows and doors but also used for instruments. An open grain with distinctive scent when working - relatively hard but termite resistant. Red-Orange in colour.

Tree Latin Name: Pterocarpus indicus
Local Lao/Thai name: mai doo fai
Trade Name: Rosewood

Description: Decorative and expensive wood mainly used for instruments and decorative items. Not available

Tree Latin Name: Xylia xylocarpa
Thai name: mai daeng
Trade Name: Pyinkado

Description: Even though a direct tranlation would work out as 'red wood' it isn't, neither is it rosewood. Pyinkado is actually the Burmese name trade name but it covers all wood in Lao and Thai. It is a VERY durable and tough wood which has twice the hardness of teak. Used for railway sleepers, piers and other sub-aqua purposes (15 years life untreated) also excellent flooring. With these properties it is also very heavy when green over 1000kg per Cu m also hard to work. Added to this it's a very decorative pinky red in colour.

Tree Latin Name: Hopea Odorata
Thai name: Some people will call it mai khaen and others mai khaen hua
Trade name: Ceylon/Malabar Ironwood

Description: Malabar Ironwood - pretty much goes by it's name strong but light and durable timber resistant to termites (regardless of what the shops will tell you!). Used to make windows, doors, furniture, boats and roofing struts - well it's actually used for basically anything and everything. Sold in Thailand as a 'cheap' alternative to mai doo. Easy to work particularly when green. Quite a bizarre wood when it comes to colour - fresh cut and keep out of sunlight it is a white wood, once exposed to sun it changes to a dark orange colour similar to mai doo.

A very good all-round wood however the lack of seasoning done in Thailand ruins the potential of the wood.
People think it's a weak or inferior wood due to working on when it hasn't been seasoned then when it shrinks and cracks due to being held in place they blame the timber!

Can be used for decking supports, made hand rails from it bedside tables,etc.

Tree Latin Name: Hopea ferrea
Thai name: mai khaen hin / Mai Takhien (don't confuse for cheaper Khaen Hua)
Trade name: Heavy Hopea (also Giam)

Description: This wood is very similar in attributes to Pyinkado, very heavy (1000+kg Cu M) and very strong. The best time to work this wood is when green when dried it is like cutting granite - even more so than pyinkado, jigsaw blades will bend - circular saws is the way. If you want strong arms then handsawing is the way to go! Unlike mai khaen it has very little shrinkage and cracking so working it when green is possible. As with pyinkado it's water and termite resistant. In terms of colour when cut it's a wonderful white colour with a yellow tinge. Used as a decking with rain it will turn a pale grey. Resistant to staining (it will just wash off in the rain as the wood is so dense the stain doesn't penetrate).
 
Note: Don't confuse this for the cheaper and lesser khaen hua the only real way of telling is by it's colour and if you have to identical size pieces khaen hin is heavier.

Tree Latin Name: Dipterocarpus alatus
Local Lao/Thai name: mai nhang
No trade name

Description: The stuff you don't want your house to be from - termites love it! Mainly used in as building materials and shuttering when moulding concrete pillar and beams etc. Due to being termites favourite food it's avoided for most things.

Tree Latin Name: Dalbergia cochinchinensis
Local Lao/Thai name: Mai Kha Nhoung
Trade name: Siam Rosewood

Description: As Rosewood above - there is numerous varities of rosewood the only difference between them is the colour of the wood.

Tree Latin Name: Tectona grandis
Local Lao/Thai name: Mai Sak
Trade name: Teak

Description: Teak is teak! Pretty much everyone is aware of the qualities of teak, it's oily nature and use on boat decks.

More information about diverse species of trees and other plants:

http://www.arboretum.ait.ac.th/

http://www.thewoodexplorer.com/maindata/we779.html

List of wood kinds / Thai names:

Mai sisiet nua = Akazie (Acacia catechu)
Mai makha = Monkey Pod Tree (Afzelia xylocarpa)
Gaang luang = Coffin Wood (Albizia chinensis)
Mai krabak yai = Krabak (Anisoptera costata)
Mai saake = Brotfrucht (Artocarpus communis)
Mai kanun = Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus)
Mai ngiu = Flamboyant / Flame of the Forest (Bombax ceiba)
Mai chayapruek = Laburnum (Cassia fistula)
Mai ma prao = Kokos (Cocos nucifera)
Mai daang = Rosenholz (Dalbergia parviflora)
Mai ma klua = Ebenholz (Diospyros mollis)
Mai yang = Yang / Gardschan Balsam (Dipterocarpus)
Mai yukalip = Eukalyptus (Eucalyptus sp)
Mai ni krot = Banyan / Feigenbaum (Ficus bengalensis)
Mai dton bo = Bodhibaum / Feige (Ficus religiosa)
Mai para = Gummibaum / Rubber wood (Hevea brasiliensis)
Mai takhien = Takhien (Hopea odorata)
Mai tong bung = Kempas (Koompassia)
Mai ma muang = Mango (Mangifera caloneura)
Mai champa = Magnolie (Michelia champaca)
Mai dton son = Pinie (Pinus kesiya, merkusii)
Mai pradu = Nara Wood (Pterocarpus indicus)
Mai ching chun = Siamese Rosewood (Pterocarpus macrocarpus)
Mai gong gang = Mangrove (Rhizophora mucronata)
Mai cham churee - Chamchuree (Samanea samana)
Mai daang = Burmesischer Sal Baum (Shorea obtusa)
Mai rang = Thai Sal Baum (Shorea siamensis)
Mai gong gang = Mangrove (Sonneratia sp)
Mai makam = Tamarind (Tamarindus indica)
Mai sak = Teak (Tectona grandis)
Mai daeng = Ironwood (Xylia xylocarpa)

[boloa]

Thanks Admin, that's a great help, especially the next time I want to get wood with the Mrs.