As the drought makes life difficult, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Wednesday urged "ignorant" farmers to diversify into more lucrative crops such as growing herbs that could cure impotency in men.
"Some can fetch over 800 baht per kilogramme for velvet beans ... so why do we ignorantly continue to grow crops that give us so little return," Gen Prayut told a group of visiting US-born Thai youths at Government House.
The vine, which is also known by many names including cow itch and lacuna bean, is exported to India and turned into medicine.
He said the government is urging the Public Health Ministry to work with the private sector on how to commercialise the herb.
Mucuna pruriens is a tropical legume that is native to many parts of Africa and tropical parts of Asia.
The plant is known for the itchiness it produces on contact, particularly the young foliage and seed pods.
Pharmacist Supaporn Pitiporn, of Chaophya Abhaibhubejhr, said the herb is a traditional one used in Myanmar, India and Thailand to treat erectile dysfunction and Parkinson's disease.