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Cover
story : 10
Oct 05 / Vol. 22 No. 13
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The
largest international horticultural
exposition in Thailand |
Thailand is situated in the tropical zone and has abundant forests,
streams and good soil. So, it is rich in plant and flower species,
some of which like Mok Rachini or Wrightia Sirikitiae
Mid.&Santisuk and Mahaphrom Rachini or
Mitrephora Sirikitae Weerasuriya, Chalermglin & R.M.K. Saunders,
can be found only here.
HM King Bhumibol |
Moreover, Thai varieties of orchids are known worldwide to be
exotic and rare; to name just a few, Phalaenopsis gibosa and
Schoenochris fragram. As a country qualified in this field,
Thailand will hold a grand international horticultural exposition
late in 2006.
International Garden |
According to Khun Ying Sudarat Keyuraphan,
Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Thailand's tropical
horticultural products such as fruit plants and flower plants,
particularly orchids, are deemed to be of the highest quality
in the world. These products contribute to over 800 billion
baht in export revenue per year. This horticultural exposition
will realize Thailand's vision of becoming not only the Kitchen
of the World but also a Tropical Horticultural Center.
 The
Celebrations that Happen Only Once in Decades
To mark and celebrate HM King Bhumibol's Diamond Jubilee of
His Accession to the Throne in 2006 and His Majesty's 80th Birthday
anniversary in 2007, the Thai government will hold the International
Horticultural Exposition or the "Royal Flora Ratchaphruek
2006", in Chiang Mai from 1 November 2006 to 31 January
2007. The exhibition will be divided into 14 weeks
with different themes of competitions and display.
Click here to
learn more about Ratchaphruek
Mae Fa Luang Garden |
Royal Flora Ratchaphruek 2006 will be
the first and largest international horticultural exposition
with A1 status to be held in Thailand. Events of this significance
happen only once in decades.
Mok Rachini |
According to the Association of International
Horticultural Producers (AIPH), there are four levels of horticultural
exhibitions, which are A1, A2, B1 and B2. A1 stands for Large
International  Horticultural
Exhibitions which must be held in accordance with the restrictions
of the Bureau of International Exposition (BIE) as follows:
1) The length of the exhibition:
3-6 months. 2) The exhibition must showcase all aspects of the
advancement of horticulture. 3) The exhibition area must cover
at least 50 hectares. 4) At least 5% of the total area of the
exhibition must be operated by other countries and at least
10 countries must be participating. 5) An exhibition of A1 level
is allowed to be organized only once a year in the world and
a host country can only hold such an exhibition once in a decade.
The Theme "To Express the
Love for Humanity"
The conceptual designs and layouts of the event have been carried
out in accordance with the central theme "To Express the
Love for Humanity". Inspired by the eternal love of nature
for mankind, the theme is to reflect the unconditioned love
and care of HM the King for his subjects.
The
Picture Perfect Setting of the Expo
The exhibition site covering 75.2 hectares of land area is located
at the Royal Agricultural Research Center in Mae Hia district
in the provincial town of Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand.
It is only 8 km from the airport and has a parking lot accommodating
up to 10,000 vehicles. Nestling amidst the evergreen mountains
with cool climate, the site serves well as the setting for the
Royal Flora Ratchaphruek 2006.
Waterfront Plaza |
The
Expo Zones
In such a vast area of beautiful landscape, the expo will feature
over 2,200 species of tropical plants and flowers or a total
of 2,500,000 plants in these following zones.
1.Gardens for the King
This outdoor exhibition area consisting of international gardens
and corporate gardens emphasizes on Royal Initiated Agricultural
Projects which reflect His Majesty's tremendous insight and
ingenuity. Foreign and local organizers are invited to honour
His Majesty the King by demonstrating their horticultural excellence.
There will also be the first Night Garden of Asia which will
add colours to the event.
2. World of Tropical Plants and Flowers
This exhibition will highlight Thailand's wide variety of plants
and flowers. Created to be the largest and most comprehensive
collection of tropical horticulture species, the exhibition
will showcase the vast diversity of fruits, flowers, orchids
and herbs.
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Colourful Blossom Garden |
3. Royal Plaza
The Royal Pavilion, the Grand Amphitheater and an indoor exhibition
hall are clustered in this area. The exhibition hall will feature
a series of specialised exhibitions and a variety of plant competitions.
Visitors can enjoy shopping for plants and flowers, OTOP souvenirs
and traditional handicrafts at a nearby open-air market place.
Participation Opportunities
The Government invites members of both the private and public
sectors and other countries to join this exhibition. All interested
parties will be able to participate in this grand event in different
ways. So far, Austria, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Chile, Indonesia,
Kazakhstan, the Philippines, Nigeria and the United Kingdom
have all expressed their intention to participate in this historic
event.
Another colourful scenery of
Mae Fa Luang Garden |
Greater
Lanna
In addition to spending their time at the grand exposition,
visitors will also be encouraged to pay a visit to Chiang
Mai's neighbouring provinces that were once part of the glorious
ancient Lanna Kingdom -- the Land of a Million Fields.
Zinnia (Zinnia elegans) |
All provinces have a wide variety of tourist attractions,
especially the many magnificent horticultural and botanical
gardens and parks.
Royal Pavilion |
Among these, the well-known ones are Mae Fah Luang Garden
on Doi Tung, Mae Fah Luang Arboretum on Doi Chang Mub mountain
peak, the botanical gardens that are part of the Mae Fah Luang
Art and Cultural Park in Chiang Rai province and the Queen
Sirikit Botanical Garden in Mae Sa.
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Queen
Sirikit Botanical Garden, Chiang Mai |
A special Royal Flora Ratchaphruek 2006 tour will be on offer
and will include visits to many of these sites.
Siam Tulip (Curcuma alimatifolia
Gagnep) |
Visitors
An average of 20,000 visitors per day, with over 100,000 visitors
on a crowded day, and 2 million visitors in total are expected
to attend the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek 2006.
Corporated Garden |
After January 2007, the Government plans to convert the 75.2
hectares, Royal Garden and Royal Pavilion, into a public park.
It will be a major tourist attraction for Chiang Mai. Furthermore,
the Herbal garden, Thai garden and Agricultural Learning Centre
will be transformed into an Agricultural Scientific Centre for
youth.
For more information, please contact Project Management Office
on tel: +66 0 2686 7299, fax: +66 0 2659 5920 www.royalfloraexpo.com.
The
Ratchaphruek
The National Flower
of Thailand
By Rachawadi
The national flower of Thailand, ratchapruek
is called differently in various dialects, but another
simple name used in general is khun. It is
also known as chaiyaphruek, but this name
is usually used to denote a pink-flower variety (Cassia
javanica) originating from Indonesia.
The ratchaphruek is a perennial
plant from India with a height of 10-15 metres. Its
bright yellow flowers hang down from its twigs or
branches in strings, each about 20-45 cms long. A
ratchaphruek flower has five oval petals about 5-8
cms in diameter and ten stamens. It bears fruit in
cylindrical pods with a length of 20-60 cms and a
diameter of 1.5-2.5 cms. The pods are black when old
and its meat is taken as a laxative. Many parts of
the tree, e.g. roots, leaves and flowers, can be used
as herbal medicine. The strong durable trunk is used
to make pillars and posts. The tree blossoms from
February to May and sheds leaves while blooming. When
ratchaphruek trees are in full bloom, they give a
very beautiful scene, especially those growing in
rows along the roads in the countryside.
The following are reasons for making ratchaphruek
the national flower. First, the name has a noble meaning
as ratchaphruek means a royal tree, and its other
name chaiyaphruek means a tree of triumph. Second,
the yellow colour is the colour of Buddhism and of
the royal standard. The Thai people also regard yellow
as the colour of glory. Third, all ratchaphruek trees
bloom about the same time which symbolizes the unity
and harmony of the Thai people.
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