SONGKHLA, Thailand – A former Thai soldier who left the military after more than 20 years has turned charcoal production into a profitable business in Songkhla, earning at least 60,000 baht a month from growing demand for quality fuel.
Thanet Khongthong, 42, runs Mai Ngam Charcoal in Ching Kho subdistrict, Singhanakhon district, where he produces charcoal from wood and wood waste using pyrolysis technology. Monthly orders average four to five tonnes, with demand rising during the rainy season.
Thanet said the business grew from a problem faced by his wife’s family, which operates a charcoal wholesale and retail business. Damaged charcoal from suppliers caused significant losses, prompting him to try producing his own fuel to improve quality and reduce waste.
He first studied charcoal-making techniques through YouTube before conducting experiments and developing the process into a business. His production system heats wood under oxygen-limited conditions, helping control the carbonisation process. Compared with uncontrolled burning, pyrolysis can reduce smoke and certain emissions, although the extent depends on the equipment and operating conditions.
The business uses locally available wood, including rubberwood, which is valued for its strong heat output and long burning time. Small charcoal fragments are also reused rather than discarded, helping reduce waste and production costs.
Thanet said reliable charcoal that burns for longer is particularly important during the rainy season, when damp conditions can make starting and maintaining a fire more difficult for households and restaurants. His business now provides a new livelihood after military service while adding value to wood materials and charcoal that might otherwise go to waste. Customers can contact Mai Ngam Charcoal on 082-497-1545.
