"orchid"

Thai researchers were in for the find of their lives when they discovered a new species of orchid in the world at Khao Luang in Nakhon Si Thammarat province. They have named the orchid “Uaeng anyamanee Si Thammarat” – Si Thammarat Gem Orchid – or corybas papillatus Inuthai.

The export of orchids last year dropped by 5 per cent year on year owing to the impact Covid-19 has had on international shipping and consumer demand, the Office of Agricultural Economics (OAE) said on Friday.

The ongoing pandemic has hit orchid exports and orchid growers are so badly off now that they need financial assistance from the government, the Thai Orchid Exporter Association’s vice president Jade Meeyarnyium said.

Diageo Moët Hennessy (Thailand) has launched a pilot project through which the company provides used Johnnie Walker bottles to Bangkok Flowers Centre, an orchid exporter and tissue culture service provider, to support the centre's orchid tissue culture.

More Thai orchids will soon beautify weddings, conferences and restaurants in mainland China after the Thai Orchid Exporter Association joined hands with Ali Auction, an online auction platform under Alibaba Group, to promote export of the world-renowned flowers through e-commerce.

WILAWAN AKATMEK, now 45, decided in 2008 that it was time to change career and become an orchid farmer, after working as an office employee for the previous 16 years.