I have lived in Thailand for 10 years and have tried on several occasions to grow jade plants. Every attempt failed. I’ve never seen a pine or maple here either, and have tried them as well.

In California I grew several jades which were large, healthy and gorgeous.

I have tried several varieties (in Thailand) but nothing works out. People at a local botanical garden are no help as they’ve never heard of jades.

Why are there no jades in Thailand?

This is a cut and paste from a fellow Educator very knowledgeable in this area: I would surmise it’s too hot and possibly too humid (during Monsoon season) in Thailand. Looking at the world hardiness zone from this scientific paper from NCSU https://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=s0103-90162008000700009&script=sci_arttext, if they are growing outside, Thailand is along the equator (zone 13), while South Africa where Crassula ovata originates is 7-10. Here is an article from the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) on growing Jade (includes outdoor cultivation). http://pza.sanbi.org/crassula-ovata

Indoors, Jade plants do best with daytime temperatures between 65 and 75 ° F, and nighttime temperatures between 50 and 55 ° F. If it is grown in full sun it can withstand higher temperatures. Common problems we see growing Jade indoors are too much or too little water(it tolerates neglect better than overwatering) plus insects and mites. Root rot usually results from a soil mix that does not drain quickly or overly frequent watering. Leaf drop can happen if the plant is allowed to become extremely dry. Fertilize every 3 months when actively growing.

I might advise looking for a cultivar that can tolerate heat and humidity. Another thing to suggest or ask is how they are propagating their Jade. Jade is easy to root via cutting, especially in summer. If they are using seeds since “there are no jade in Thailand”, they could have seed quality or germination issues/dampening off problems.