7 Royal Orchids Stamp

Issue : 5 June, 2009

Purpose : To promote stamp collecting activities

Designer : Miss Mayuree Narknisorn (Thailand Post Co., Ltd.)

Printer : Thai British Security Printing PLC.

Design 1 : Cattleya Queen Sirikit

Design 2 : Paphiopedilum Princess Sangwan

Design 3 : Sirinhornia pulehella

Design 4 : Phalaenopsis Princess Chulabhorn

Design 5 : Dendrobium 'Pink Nagarindra'

Design 6 : Ascocenda Sukontharat

Design 7 : Dendrobium 'Soamsawali'

1. Cattleya Queen Sirikit is an Orchid from Black and Flory Co., Ltd. of the United Kingdom and was registered under the name of "Exquisite" and won an Award of Merit from the U.K. Royal Horticultural Society. The Company was granted a royal permission to name this beautiful orchid after Queen Sirikit of Thailand.

Flowers : single white flower or clusters of 1-4 flowers per stem with oval triangular shape sepals and 5 petals being fringed on the edges. In the middle of each inner petal is a golden patch. This orchid produces flowers all year round and has a slight fragrant.

2. Paphiopedilum Princess Sangwan was produced by the Mae Fah Luang Foundation's Doi Tung Development Project in Chiang Rai, 6 cm long, single flowered inflorescence on 10cm peduncle, white with maroon streaks or dark maroon.

3. Sinrindhornia pulchella is a terrestrial orchid, with a pink to whitish pink color, greenish pink broadly orbicular wings, lip sparse with red and reddish pink colour, apical part expands to 3 shallow lobes, 10-11 mm, large spur funel form and slightly curved pollinia.

4. Phalaenopsis Princess Chulabhorn is a new species of orchid named after HRH Princess Chulabhorn, Thailand's foremost scientist Princess, following a request from the government of Sri Lanka.

Flowers : large, broadly orbicular, similar in shape to most large Phalaenopsis flowers. Two sepals : the white, oval and elongated loer sepal is has line crimson specks between the middle and the base while the long, oval upper sepal and petal and the two large, rounded wings are white with charming pale pink color that become fainter toward the white edges.

5. Dendrobium 'Pink Nagarinda' is the name bestowed upon this species of orchid by HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana, Krom Luang Narathiwas Ratchanagarindra. It is a hybrid orchid of Dendrobium Blushing and Dendrobium 'Arica', produced by Mr. Suang Khumwichian (Air Orchids Company). This orchid has a semi circular flowers of old rose color, reddish pink lips, and pale silver specks on the petals that glisten in the light. during winter the entire flowers will turn deep old rose in color.

6. Ascocenda Sukontharat is the name of this orchid, bestowed by HRH the Crown Prince, to be named after Phra Chao Worawong Ther Phra Ong Chao Srirat, the Princess Consort. the word 'Sukontharat' means tantalizing fragrance.

Flowers : orange yellow petal tips, all day long mild fragrant that gets stronger in the morning, flower throughout the year.

7. Dendrobium 'Soamsawali' is the name that Phra Chao Worawong Ther Phra Ong Chao Soamsawali granted on this orchid, has a hanging pale lavender colored inflorescences have faint white streaks on the petals and white peduncle. The lavender colored floers are generally darker when they start to bloom but will become lighter when in full bloom.

credit : This Stamp Bulletin Vol. 2009 Issue 3

Hindu God Postage Stamps

Hindu God Postage Stamps

Date of Issue : June 2, 2009

Desiger : Veena Chantanatat (Thailand Post Co., Ltd.)

Printer : Cartor Security Printing, France

The One Who Has Power Over Obstacles

The Creator

The Preserver

The Destroyer

Ganesa, which is another name for Ganesha, means the "God who has power over obstacles".

A son of Shiva and Uma, he has the face of an elephant and he was blessed by his father so as to have the power to dispel all obstacles. Offerings must be made to Ganesha before any other gods.

Brahma, according to Brahmin Doctrine, is believed to the Creator of all things on earth. The Musnapurana Legend states that he divided himself into two parts one being a male figure, which was Brahma himself and the other in a female form, named Sraswadee, who served as his consort. They helped each other in creating deities, humans, animals, demons and plants.

Narayana, also known to the Thais as Phra Narai, is responsible for preserving things in their appropriate condition. His preserving things in their appropriate condition. His work is continual so as to create peace and harmony in the world. Narai has ten incarnated lives on earth.

Siva, generally known as Phra Issuan to the Thais, has the duty of destroying all evil things on earth. This god has three eyes and a white complexion. According to traditional Thai belief, Shiva will pay an annual 10 day visit to the earth. This visit will start on the seventh night of the waning moon in the first lunar month and end on the first night of the waning moon in the same month. During the visit, a Brahmin ceremony, know as the Tri Yumpawai, will be organized to welcome the God.

credit : Thai Stamp Bulletin, Vol. 2009, issue 2

Kite Flying, Thai traditional sport

Kite flying is the one of most popular Thai traditional sport. During February until May (summer season) at Sanam Luang Park (nearly Wat Pra Keaw).
Kite flying have 2 major kinds are Chura and Pakpao.

Kite flying and fighting
Visitors can witness many spectacular kite-fighting (Chula and Pakpao) events. Kite flyers often hold kite fighting contests with the aim of capturing the line of an enemy kite by using their own lines to pull their opponent's kite across a line marked on the ground.

Mu Ko Similan National Park, Phang nga

The province of Phang-nga is located some 788 kilometres from Bangkok. It covers an area of 4,170 square kilometres.

Phang-nga is a province with two characters - land and sea - and packed with national parks that guard magnificent scenery with immensely different attractions.Most famous is Ao Phang-nga National Park, a geological wonder filled with islets, sunken caverns and startling rock formations rising sheer out of the sea. The bay is extremely sheltered ideal for expeditions of sea canoes to explore the many fascinating caverns with their own eco-systems.Phang-nga's andaman coast offers parks of a different kind. The island groups of Surin and Similan are renowned for their beautiful unspoilt beaches and spectacular underwater scenery, attracting divers from around the world. Khao Lak is a coastal park full of birds, mammals and scenic waterfalls, with a number of hotel developments after Tsunami disaster in December 2004

Mu Ko Similan National Park
Similan is a Yawi or Malay word, which means nine or a group of nine islands. This is located in Tambon Ko Phra Thong, Amphoe Khura Buri, occupying an area of 32,000 acres. It was declared a national park on 1st September 1982. Similan is a small group of islands comprising nine islands stretching from north to south, respectively, namely: Ko Bon, Ko Bayu, Ko Similan, Ko Payu, Ko Miang (two adjoining islands), Ko Payan, Ko Payang, and Ko Huyong. The National Parks office is located on Ko Miang. Similan is highly praised for its beautiful scenery, both onshore and underwater. It is situated 70 kilometres from Phang-nga town. Best time to visit is between November and April.

Interesting attractions in the National Park include:
Ko Similan or Ko Paet is the largest island in this group of islands. It has a distinctive horseshoe-shaped bay. The average depth of the water is 60 feet. Underwater is full of rock formations and coral reefs in several shapes and forms such as deer, leaf, brain, and mushroom. The latter one is the most unspoiled coral found in the country. Its soft sandy beach is very beautiful and diving around here will let you see a lot of fishes and coral. To the north, lies a striking large rock formation with astonishing shapes such as boot and Donald Ducks head. The upper part of the beach is an ideal lookout point with a rock of a sailing boat shape.

Ko Ba-ngu is the ninth island of the Similan group of islands. It has a strange feature. Looking from one point, the shape of a skull can be seen. Underwater is as beautiful as a valley full of coral reefs, deep gorge, and various sizes of fish.

Ko Huyong, the island offers the whitest and longest beach of all the nine islands. During turtles ’egg laying season, from November to February, there would be tracks on the beach from turtles that come onshore to lay eggs, resembling centipede tracks.

Ko Miang is the second largest island among 9 islands after Similan Island. It is where the office of the National Park is located. The island offers a scenic beach which is suitable for camping.

Diving SpotsThere are several diving spots that suit both snorkelling and scuba diving. The famous scuba diving spots including rock formations that lie to the west of Ko Tachai where whale sharks can be seen, Ko Bon, Christmas Point rock formation, Fantasy rock formation, and Ao Kwang En (to the east of Ko Paet), etc.
Snorkelling spots are scattered around these nine islands. The interesting points are by the sailing boat rock, Ao Kwang En, and behind Miang Island.
-tourismthailand.org/

Unseen ThailandCrab Similan Islands

Every night around 20.00pm. at Ko Si (Kho Meing) The officer from Similan Islands National Park will arrange and take visitors to the forest, walk and look around with flashlight, the main purpose to see one of the exciting animal, that animal will walk with some sound as chib.. chib.. and visitors can catching that sound and see it with their flashlight and found it that are crabs. The visitors will surprise and wonderful because of that sound is like chicken but everyone eyes see crabs!!

Orchid Farms / Vanda, Cattleya, Oncidium, Rhyndrostylis

Taling Chan Floating Market
Boat excursions tour to Orchid Farms / Vanda, Cattleya, Rhyndrostylis, Onchidium