Phuket still has many rubber tree plantations, despite the pressures of tourism and other land developments. Here you can see the grooves cut in the bark to make the raw rubber seep out and drip into the cup. Cups must be emptied daily and grooves must be recut regularly to keep the rubber flowing. It is also necessary to keep the spaces between trees clear of underbrush. Rubber tappers have a very hard life and earn very little.