Tapioca (Thai: มันสำปะหลัง; RTGS: man sampalang), besides being used as a food, the "native starch" it provides is used as a thickening agent and a stabilizer in many products.
It is unclear when cassava was first introduced to Thailand, but one estimate is that it was imported from what is known now as Malaysia in 1786.
Over time, the area of planted cassava gradually decreased due to the encroachment of rubber trees.
[5] The five provinces with the largest cassava plantations are Nakhon Ratchasima,[6] Kamphaeng Phet, Chaiyaphum, Sa Kaeo, and Chachoengsao.
Thailand produces 28-30 million tonnes of fresh cassava roots yearly from some 500,000 households, worth more than 100 billion baht.
[citation needed] The export price of tapioca products has dropped markedly from its highs in 2013.
For example, in October 2016 the price of a ton of super high-grade Thai tapioca starch was US$315, down from US$483 in April 2013.