Its range extends south and east from the Khasi Hills in the northeast Indian state of Meghalaya, to northern Thailand, Philippines, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, southernmost China, and Vietnam.

It is an important plantation species elsewhere in the world, including in southern Africa and South America.

Pinus kesiya is a tree reaching up to 30–35 metres (98–115 feet) tall with a straight, cylindrical trunk.

[citation needed] The soft and light timber of Pinus kesiya can be used for a wide range of applications, including boxes, paper pulp, and temporary electric poles.

[3][4] The good-quality resin is not abundant and has not been much used except during the Spanish colonial period in the Philippines for the production of turpentine.