British rule in Burma
During the European colonisation of Southeast Asia in the 19th century, wood was in high demand. British timber industry started logging in India for teak, a tropical hardwood native to south and southeast Asia. The teak logging industry then expanded from India to Burma following British rule in Burma. Although Thailand was not a colony, Britain still wanted to expand its teak logging to Thailand. In 1883, Britain won logging concession agreement with local ruler in the northern provinces, making Phrae the center of British teak logging in Thailand.