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Thailand Oud

Q: Is Thailand Oud natural or synthetic?

. Extraction: Steam distillation or hydrodistillation of infected Aquilaria crassna heartwood. Increasingly plantation-sourced. CITES Appendix II listed. Yield is extremely low..

WOODS AND MOSSES / woody · balsamic · rich

Thailand Oud

Category	WOODS AND MOSSES
Subcategory	woody · balsamic · rich
Origin
Volatility	Base Note
Botanical	Aquilaria subintegra
Appearance	Pale yellow to amber viscous liquid
Odor Strength	Medium
Producing Countries	Thailand
Pyramid	Base

Sweet, fruity-floral, and distinctly softer than Cambodian or Indian oud. Thai agarwood has a honeyed, almost berry-like character with less barnyard funk.

Scent
Terroir & Origins
The Full Story
Fun Fact
Extraction & Chemistry
In Perfumery

Scent

Sweet, fruity-floral, and honeyed. Like opening a jar of high-grade Thai oud chips -- the initial impression is surprisingly accessible: berries, honey, a soft floral sweetness, and only a whisper of the animalic depth that dominates other origins. Softer than Cambodian. Friendlier than Indian.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Sweet, fruity-floral, honeyed. Soft and accessible.

After a few hours

The sweetness deepens. Warm, woody, with a gentle animalic whisper.

After a few days

A persistent, sweet, woody-oud residue.

Terroir & Maturity

Indicative 2025 wholesale prices.

The Full Story

Thailand oud refers to agarwood (oud) produced from Aquilaria species (primarily Aquilaria crassna) native to Thailand. Thai oud occupies a specific position in the spectrum of agarwood scents: it is generally considered sweeter, softer, and more fruity-floral than Cambodian (which is more animalic-barnyard), Indian (which is drier and more leathery), or Indonesian oud (which can be smokier and more complex).

The sweetness of Thai oud comes from a higher proportion of certain sesquiterpenes and chromone derivatives that produce honeyed, fruity, and floral qualities. The animalic, fecal quality that characterizes lower-grade oud is less pronounced in Thai material.

Aquilaria crassna is listed under CITES Appendix II, and Thai oud is increasingly sourced from plantations rather than wild harvest. Plantation oud tends to be lighter and less complex than wild-harvested material, but still carries the characteristic Thai sweetness.

In perfumery, Thai oud is used where a softer, more approachable oud character is desired.

This note in Première Peau. Nuit Elastique · Albâtre Sépia. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.

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Did You Know?

Did you know?

Aquilaria trees produce oud (agarwood resin) only as a defense response to fungal infection, primarily by Phialophora parasitica. Healthy trees contain no oud. Plantation producers deliberately inoculate trees with the fungus to induce resin production -- a process that takes 3-8 years.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: Steam distillation or hydrodistillation of infected Aquilaria crassna heartwood. Increasingly plantation-sourced. CITES Appendix II listed. Yield is extremely low.

↑ See Terroir & Origins for origin-specific methods.

Molecular Formula	Complex mixture (contains agarospirol, guaienes, eudesmols)
CAS Number	N/A — complex natural resinous oil
Botanical Name	Aquilaria subintegra
IFRA Status	No known restrictions
Synonyms	AGARWOOD · GAHARU · OUD
Physical Properties
Odor Strength	Medium
Appearance	Pale yellow to amber viscous liquid
Specific Gravity	0.930–0.980 @ 25 °C (est)

In Perfumery

Heart-to-base note in oud, amber, and sweet-woody compositions. Functions as a softer, more accessible oud option. Sweeter and more fruity-floral than Cambodian, Indian, or Indonesian origins. Aquilaria crassna, CITES Appendix II. Used where oud is desired without heavy animalic character.