Gardening

[pharvey]

Guys - if anyone knows places sprecialising in Orchids - please give a heads up (seem to remember someone mentioning a market close to the border)

They certainly have quite a variety there - amongst the best and cheapest I've seen in Thailand. However, the fact that they're brought across the border from Burma, I wouldn't like to recommend that they'd have a particular species (is that the right word?) there when somebody visited. I would think what they have from day to day is pot luck.

Where exactly are you talking BB? How much of a drive from HH?

[Big Boy]

I'm talking about the market at Dan Singkhon on the Burmese Border. It's about an hour's drive South, and from memory you turn right at Thailand's narrowest point (again from memory, you'd turn left for Ao Manao).

I am getting a little old, so my memory fails me sometimes. I'm sure somebody will jump in and take pleasure telling that I'm wrong, and provide better direction

[pharvey]

I'm talking about the market at Dan Singkhon on the Burmese Border. It's about an hour's drive South, and from memory you turn right at Thailand's narrowest point (again from memory, you'd turn left for Ao Manao).

I am getting a little old, so my memory fails me sometimes. I'm sure somebody will jump in and take pleasure telling that I'm wrong, and provide better direction

Spot on BB - Many thanks..... Dan Singkhon will do for now!!

[Big Boy]

It's good for a lot more than just orchids. There's a lot of bargain priced pieces of teak furniture, and all of the tourist tat you find all over Thailand is available at about 10% of the Hua Hin price.

[pharvey]

Will certainly give it a try BB.

For those of you lucky ones with Thai wives/partners, any luck with the translation for.... Vanilla planifolia orchid....?

[dtaai-maai]

For those of you lucky ones with Thai wives/partners, any luck with the translation for.... Vanilla planifolia orchid....?

You'd be better off printing the picture and showing that!

[PeteC]

No luck with the translation from the wife, unknown type of orchid. If you google 'thailand vanilla plant' there's some input from the competition. One post indicates bulb/root bought down in KL all packaged and certified for export. If Malaysia has them, they must be here. Pete

[pharvey]

No luck with the translation from the wife, unknown type of orchid. If you google 'thailand vanilla plant' there's some input from the competition. One post indicates bulb/root bought down in KL all packaged and certified for export. If Malaysia has them, they must be here. Pete

Thanks for trying Pete. Yes, from the searches I've done on the Internet, the majority of results seem to point to Malaysia for supply. As you say, if Malaysia has them, surely Thailand should.

For those of you lucky ones with Thai wives/partners, any luck with the translation for.... Vanilla planifolia orchid....?

You'd be better off printing the picture and showing that!

Fair point DM - I'll give it a try.

[PeteC]

I actually haven't researched in what type of climate they grow best. If they are coming from the Malaysian highlands, then maybe found nearer to Chiang Mai rather than down here. Although, I bet there's a market somewhere in Bangkok filled with them. Pete

[Dannie Boy]

I bought vanilla pods direct from a tropical garden growing them in Pennang, Malaysia last September, so the climate in HH should be just as suitable for growing them.

Hopefully somebody will track the Orchid down in one of the garden centres?