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VOL. 9.2

ARCHIVES:

Jewels Of The Forest

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Thailand is home to more than 1,100 species of wild orchid, an impressive proportion of the 40,000 or so worldwide. Orchids are found in forests from the north of the country to the south, their jewel-like colours rewarding walkers and other visitors.

Look but don’t touch is the best motto - the theft of orchids from national parks and forests is an ongoing concern. Some unethical collectors pay villagers to break the law and gather the plants, thereby threatening the very survival of some rare species. Reputable nurseries grow native species for export in compliance with strict rules imposed by the Agriculture Ministry.

Thailand is also one of the world’s biggest producers of commercial orchid blooms, which are grown for the domestic market, and for export. Local markets are a good place to see these cultivated orchids, bundled into huge sheafs of glowing colour, laid one on top of the other. The exotically coloured bunches are as affordable as they are beautiful, often costing less than a single spray from a florist overseas.