This study is to investigate the capability of producing lignin-based phenol-formaldehyde adhesive (LBPFA) with lignin derived from coir pith collected in the Mekong Delta, Viet Nam. The LBPFA synthetic process underwent non chemical modifications to minimize petrochemicals and energy. Effective factors as reaction time, reaction temperature and various lignin contents of phenol substitution were examined. Physical, chemical and thermal properties containing formaldehyde content, viscosity, solid content, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), tensile strength, tensile modulus and tensile strain were conducted. LBPFA was successfully synthesized at various levels of lignin contents substituting for phenol. The LBPFA’s parameters were in accordance with GB/T14372-2006 standard. The optimum reaction time, reaction temperature and lignin replacement content for LBPFA synthesis process were identified at 180 minutes, 90⁰C and 40% wt/wt, respectively. The LBPFA showed the highest dry and wet tensile strengths of 14.42 MPa and 7.66 MPa on wooden boards compared to corresponding figures of commercial resin with 2.98 MPa and 0 MPa, respectively. For plywood, bending strength shown in LBPFA and commercial adhesive were 15.97 MPa and 20.16 MPa, respectively.