Today, many Thai people are building on traditional local wisdom to cut production costs and increase their income by planting Yang Na trees (Dipterocarpus alatus) to use as a substitute for diesel. Oil from the Yang Na tree can be made into biodiesel that replaces diesel very well, especially in low-speed agricultural machinery. For example, it can replace diesel 100% in walk-behind tractors. Research has found that oil from the Yang Na tree can greatly reduce costs.
Yang Na trees can be tapped for oil from the age of 15-20 years. The method is not complicated. Start with a 5-hun (5/8-inch) electric drill and drill into the trunk at a 45-degree upward angle, through the bark and into the wood of the tree. Drill 30-50 centimeters above the ground, to a depth of 15-20 centimeters. Then take a plastic bottle fitted with a homemade rubber-hose stopper and insert it into the drilled hole, sealing it with modeling clay so the hose doesn't come loose, and let the Yang Na oil flow down into the bottle. Leave it for 2-3 days and you will get about 500-600 milliliters of oil, and you can then move to another spot.
Next, take the oil-collecting device made from a plastic bottle, connect the hose and insert it into the drilled hole, plugging it with modeling clay so the Yang Na oil doesn't flow out of the hose. Leave it for about 1-2 nights and you will have Yang Na oil ready to use. The amount depends on each tree.
The oil settles naturally and can be poured straight into agricultural machinery. When using Yang Na oil, you can mix it with diesel half and half, or use 100 percent Yang Na oil, with no effect on engine performance. It reduces farming costs and serves as an alternative energy that cuts agricultural costs in an era of expensive fuel, while also increasing green areas through reforestation.
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