History Malai Charcoal Plant

Our charcoal plant is named Malai Charcoal Plant because the owner of the plant is named Khun Malai. Khun Malai inherited the business from his father many decades ago, who worked in a small coal factory. After Khun Malai took over, he gradually expanded the business, leading to its success today.

Our history is not complicated, as Yi San Subdistrict is a mangrove plantation area in Samut Songkhram Province, where charcoal burning has been a traditional occupation of local people for a long time. Mangrove charcoal produced here is a famous product of Samut Songkhram. The main source of production is Ban Khao YI San, which is in Yi San Sub-district, Amphawa District.

Ban Khao Yi San is different from other areas in Samut Songkhram because it is a mangrove forest, a saltwater area where no other plants can be cultivated except mangrove plants. The people here rely on the occupation of baking charcoal, which is affectionately called “charcoal burning” by the locals.

The wood used for burning charcoal is derived from a small mangrove tree that possesses special properties suitable for charcoal production. Since ancestral times, many households in the area have relied on this occupation which involves cutting wood to make charcoal. To enhance sustainability, villagers in Yi San practice rotational planting, where they plant small mangrove trees to replace the ones that have been cut down.

Our charcoal plant has over 200 rai of mangrove trees planted in crop rotation, but it is still insufficient to meet the market demand. To compensate for this, the plant purchases wood from the local villagers. Since not all villagers know how to bake charcoal or have their own charcoal oven, many sell wood to us. This way, our charcoal plant always has a steady supply of wood to circulate in the charcoal oven while also contributing to the local community’s income.

To bake charcoal, we use mangrove trees that are at least 13 years old, which takes a long time to grow. As a result, it is necessary to balance the cultivation of mangroves with cutting and burning charcoal through rotational planting. The villagers in Yi San must take reforestation and logging control seriously to avoid disturbing the ecosystem of the area. This will ensure that aquatic animals have a habitat and that renewable resources are available in the long run.

The small mangrove tree is a medium to large-sized tree that grows well in mangrove forests that are flooded by seawater. Its trunk is tall and straight, with supporting roots at the base of the tree. The tree is propagated using pods, which are inserted into the soil at a depth of about 5 cm. Approximately 4,000 mangrove saplings are required to plant 1 rai of land, and additional planting may be necessary if the trees die due to various factors.

When a mangrove tree reaches 13 years of age, the entire tree, including the roots, is cut down to prepare an open area for planting mangrove seedlings and to use the wood for various purposes. The wood is cut into pieces about 1.3 meters long, and the bark is removed by beating it until it completely falls off. If the bark is not removed, the resulting charcoal will have an unattractive color, weak flame, and lighter weight. The bark of the mangrove tree is used as firewood for charcoal drying, while the unsized branches and roots are used as fuel for charcoal production. Every part of the mangrove tree is used, except for the leaves, which are left in the planting area as fertilizer.

Because the mangrove planting area is a forested area and cannot be accessed by car, the wood must be transported out by boat only during high tide. This means that the transportation process takes place both during the night and during the day. Once the wood is collected, it is transported onto boats and taken to the kiln.

Our two kiln consists of bamboo structures with roofs and walls made of other materials. Each kiln contains a large dome-shaped charcoal kiln that can hold 7-8 tons of mangrove wood per kiln. With six kilns per bamboo structure and a total of 12 kilns, we can produce 80 tons of charcoal per month. However, this is still not enough to meet the needs of our customers.

Mangrove charcoal has outstanding properties, including strong and consistent fire, low smoke, low ash production, and no eruptions. We take pride in the entire process of creating and using mangrove charcoal. Next time you grill, consider using mangrove charcoal and experience its unique benefits.

Than to become charcoal

We will prepare 4,000 mangrove seedlings per 1 rai to replace the trees that have been cut down to make charcoal. Mangrove trees must be 13 years old before they can be cut down and used to make charcoal.

After the mangrove wood is cut into 130 cm-long logs, the bark is removed to make the resulting charcoal look beautiful and ensure its hardness and long-lasting burning.

Once the mangroves are cut into 130 cm and the logs are prepared, it’s time to remove the bark.

หลังจากนั้นจึงเอาเข้าเตาอบที่มีลักษณะคล้อยโดม มีทางเข้าเล็กๆ ขนาดพอสำหรับ 1 คนเข้าออก

เมื่อเรียงไม้โกงกางเสร็จเรียบร้อยแล้วจะปิดปากทางเข้าเตาอบและเหลือช่องเล็ก ๆ ไว้ด้านล่างสำหรับใส่เชื้อเพลิง

Bring mangrove branches and roots to make fuel.

Maintain the fire for 15 days, which will require staff to monitor the kiln and add fuel continuously.

After 15 days, extinguish the fire and close the door, then wait an additional 15 days before removing the coals from the kiln.

การนำถ่านออกจากเตาอบต้องทุบประตูที่ปิดออกก่อนจากนั้นจึงเข้าไปทยอยเอาถ่านออกมา

Charcoal Separation Process

The staff will separate the charcoal into broken and unbroken pieces for sale based on their condition and will trim them to specified sizes. There will be three sizes available: small, medium, and large. Each size will be 20 cm long, but the width will vary. The small size will have a diameter of about 3-4 cm, the medium size will have a diameter of about 6-7 cm, and the large size will have a diameter of about 8-9 cm.