Money Can Grow on Trees: Teak assets in Northern Laos
Huaythongtai village, Paktha district, Bokeo Province, Lao PDR: A villager in Huaythongtai can sell one teak tree of a 50+ cm DBH (diameter at breast height, a standard method of expressing the diameter of a standing tree), to a trader in the provincial capital, Huay Xai, for about US $150. When villagers are in need of quick cash, their teak trees are their most reliable liquid assets.