Thailand aims to boost domestic rubber consumption in its effort to shore up the commodity’s battered price by among others, increasing its usage in roads construction, said Prime Minister Gen. Prayuth Chano -cha.

He said as one of the world’s top natural rubber producers, Thailand must come up with various usages of the commodity including building rubberised roads.

“We can use rubber for roads repair, produce rubber products such as rubber pillows, rubber beds in military camps, as well as prisons,” he told a press conference after the weekly cabinet meeting here today.

The cabinet has approved an allocation of 2.568 billion baht (100 baht=RM13.42) to build 670 rubberised roads with a total length of 1,744 km in the country.

Tires remain the top product for domestic consumption of natural rubber in Thailand, followed by elastics, gloves, tires and tubes for motorcycles, and rubber bands.

It was reported that the world's top producers -- Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia -- have agreed to cut natural rubber exports by 240,000 tonnes from April to July this year, aimed at boosting the commodity's price.

Source: BERNAMA