Drivers of deforestation in Thailand
Thailand: Drivers of deforestation was 16,122 hectares in 2023. ▲ Rising
Drivers of deforestation in Thailand, 2001–2023
Source: Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
The most recent figure for drivers of deforestation in Thailand is 16,122 hectares, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 16.9% on the previous year and up 64.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, drivers of deforestation in Thailand peaked at 19,393 hectares in 2022 and was at its lowest, 2,822 hectares, in 2001.
Thailand ranks 19th of 166 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.
Drivers of deforestation in Thailand, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 2,822 hectares | — |
| 2002 | 5,434 hectares | +92.6% |
| 2003 | 5,438 hectares | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 7,555 hectares | +38.9% |
| 2005 | 5,046 hectares | -33.2% |
| 2006 | 6,013 hectares | +19.2% |
| 2007 | 5,162 hectares | -14.2% |
| 2008 | 4,770 hectares | -7.6% |
| 2009 | 7,146 hectares | +49.8% |
| 2010 | 7,115 hectares | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 7,231 hectares | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 11,023 hectares | +52.4% |
| 2013 | 9,815 hectares | -11.0% |
| 2014 | 15,090 hectares | +53.7% |
| 2015 | 9,749 hectares | -35.4% |
| 2016 | 12,051 hectares | +23.6% |
| 2017 | 10,003 hectares | -17.0% |
| 2018 | 10,101 hectares | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 9,817 hectares | -2.8% |
| 2020 | 11,999 hectares | +22.2% |
| 2021 | 14,630 hectares | +21.9% |
| 2022 | 19,393 hectares | +32.6% |
| 2023 | 16,122 hectares | -16.9% |
Thailand compared with similar countries
- Thailand's 16,122 hectares is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 74.69 hectares, 215.8× the median. (50 countries reporting)
- Thailand's 16,122 hectares is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 4,457 hectares, 3.6× the median. (21 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5,487 hectares | 2,822 hectares | 7,555 hectares | 9 |
| 2010s | 10,199 hectares | 7,115 hectares | 15,090 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 15,536 hectares | 11,999 hectares | 19,393 hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Thailand
More environment data for Thailand
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 1.44 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 1.54 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.306 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.01 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.85 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate 0.1009 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is drivers of deforestation in Thailand?
- Drivers of deforestation in Thailand was 16,122 hectares in 2023, according to Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest drivers of deforestation recorded in Thailand?
- The highest recorded value was 19,393 hectares in 2022.
- What is the lowest drivers of deforestation recorded in Thailand?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,822 hectares in 2001.
- How does Thailand rank for drivers of deforestation?
- Thailand ranks 19th out of 166 countries with data for 2023.
- Is drivers of deforestation rising or falling in Thailand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 64.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Thailand data come from?
- The figures come from Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Drivers of deforestation. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Estimates of commodity-driven deforestation, measured in hectares per year. This includes deforestation caused by the production of agricultural products and forestry, which account for approximately 90% of the world's deforestation.