(Please note: Thai Growers Association in the previous posts should read
Thai Bonsai Association.)
As I mentioned before, by pure chance I found out that there is a bonsai exhibition being held in Bangkok. It was a very sunny day. I first admired the stunning bonsai on display. Then went about take pictures. After taking about 1/3 of the bonsai on display, I got exhausted by the heat. By then, my T-Shirt was all wet from the sweat.
I went to the tent where the organisers were sitting about. I showed my printed page with English details of Dr. Montri Suksermsongchai and Mr. Revat Wongkasem addresses. It turned out, the gentleman whom I was speaking too is Mr. Revat Wongkasem, the Vice President of the Thai Bonsai Association. I was made very welcomed by the organisers. I was offered coffee and water. I was absolutely touched by the reception.
Here are the trees. I believe I missed only two:
Photo 1a - a ficus
Photo 1b - one-side trunk details of the above (1a) ficus
Photo 2 - a ficus (I think)
Photo 3 - some small bonsai
Photo 4 - a ficus -- this bonsai belongs to Mr. Revat Wongkasem, who is the Vice President of the Thai Bonsai Association.
Photo 5 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 6 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 7 - a ficus (?)
Photo 8 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 9 - a ficus religiosa
Photo 10 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 11 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 12 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 13 - a ficus
Photo 14 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 15 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 16 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 17 - a ficus (?)
Photo 18 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 19a - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 19b - a side view of the above (19a) tree
Photo 20 - a ficus
Photo 21 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 22 - a ficus
Photo 23a - a ficus -- this bonsai also belongs to Mr. Revat Wongkasem, who is the Vice President of the Thai Bonsai Association.
Photo 23b - one-side trunk details of the above (23a) ficus
Photo 24 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 25 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 26 - a ficus (?)
Photo 27 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 28 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 29 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 30 - Ebony Diospyros rhodocalyx Kurz Ebenaceae. I first saw this (type of) tree on a Vietnamese web-site (Vietnamese name is
cẩm thị.) The bark is naturally as black as burned timber. They can be very large trees in nature. I believe their timber can also be used to build furnitures.
Photo 31 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 32 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 33 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 34 - a ficus
Photo 35 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 36 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 37 - a ficus. Rather stunning!
Photo 38a - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 38b - Thai label of the above (38a) tree
Photo 39a - a ficus
Photo 39b - one-side trunk details of the above (39a) ficus
Photo 39c - Thai label of the above (39a) tree
Photo 40a - a ficus
Photo 40b - one-side trunk details of the above (40a) ficus
Photo 40c - Thai label of the above (40a) tree
Photo 41a - a ficus
Photo 41b - one-side trunk details of the above (41a) ficus
Photo 42a - a ficus
Photo 42b - fruiting details. Stunning!
Photo 43 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 44 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 45 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 46 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 47 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 48 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 49 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 50 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 51 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 52 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 53 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 54 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 55 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 56 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 57 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 58a - a ficus
Photo 58b - one-side trunk details of the above (58a) tree
Photo 59 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 60 - Tamarindus Indica Caealpiniaceae. A very common tree in South East Asia (or at least Thailand and Vietnam.) Their fruits can be quite edible when ripe, but one should not eat too much, can get stomach upset, which requires extremely frequent toilet visits, I am speaking from my personal kiddy experiences. Its young fruits (sometimes leaves) are used to make sour soup in Vietnamese cuisine, and I believe it is the case in Thai cuisine as well. They can be very large tree. The trunk can reach metres in diameter. In some streets of Sai Gon city, one can find them as street trees. When the winds come, old leaves fall off like rain, a subject of beautiful romantic songs and poems in the 1960s. Some even claimed this is a unique feature of Sai Gon city.
Photo 61a - a ficus
Photo 61b - one-side trunk details of the above (61a) ficus
Photo 62 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 63 - a ficus
Photo 64 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 65 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 66a - a ficus
Photo 66b - one-side trunk details of the above (66a) ficus
Photo 67 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 68 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 69 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 70 - a ficus (?)
Photo 71 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 72 - Wrightia Religiosa. This type of tree has also been very popular in Vietnam is past few hundred years. When in flower, in the night, when the wind comes, the flowers release a very pleasant scent, not unlike that of jasmines. That is why a lot of people confuse it with jasmine. There is no relations between the two. Its Vietnamese name is
Mai Chiếu Thủy.
Photo 73 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 74 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 75 - I do not know the name of this tree. It is one of my favourites.
Photo 76 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 77 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 78 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 79 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 80 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 81 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 82 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 83 - I do not know the name of this tree
Photo 84 - Ixora Coccinea Rubiaceae Rubiales. I have seen this tree in Bangkok, Pattaya and Chiang Mai. They are used as ornamental street shrubs and hedges. They are also popular in Vietnam.
Photo 85 - I do not know the name of this tree
*
* *
After a little while, another gentleman appeared, whom Mr. Revat Wongkasem introduced the President of the Thai Bonsai Association -- Mr. Pisit Ariyaamornkul.
Mr. Pisit Ariyaamornkul gave me the 5th edition of the book
Attractive ornamental and other rare plants guide book in Thailand by TU. Mr. TU is the short name of Mr. Sirisak Boonyagarn. Needless to say, I did not expect to receive gift. And I feel absolutely honoured.
*
* *
Mr. Revat Wongkasem right in front of the exhibition area
Mr. Revat Wongkasem also runs Namsaisuay Resort And Bonsai
http://www.namsaimaisuayresort.com.
The English version of the resort address is:
63 Moo4 Tambon Lumsum
Aumper Saiyok, Kanjanaburi 71150
Tel: 081 9037786, 081-8035706
Mr. Revat Wongkasem says that there is a bonsai garden at the resort with thousands of bonsai on permanent display. I did not have enough time to go there.
Kanjanaburi is about 4 hours from Bangkok and Metro Train, and about 2 hours by car. Travel by taxi-meter could cost up to 2000 baht each way -- from and to Bangkok.
Mr. Revat Wongkasem beside one of his trees at the exhibition
Mr. Revat Wongkasem standing close to the middle rows
The organisers. Left to right: I apologise for not getting the name of the gentleman on the left-most, Mr. Chatchai Phetsuwan, Mr. Charal Poweatchakul, Mr. Revat Wongkasem
With Mr. Pisit Ariyaamornkul
Young people who ran the sales tables
Some of shohin pots on sales
Pots on sales
The sales area is small compared to what we usually have in Australia.
This is the name of the place where the exhibition was held. When travel around in Thailand metro areas, it is much easier if we have addresses written in Thai, the taxi drivers will have troubles understanding the English version of addresses.
*
* *
This is the book that was given to me by Mr. Pisit Ariyaamornkul. The gentleman on the cover is the author: Mr. Sirisak Boonyagarn (Mr. TU.) I have also met Mr. TU at the exhibition. But I did not take any picture of him or with him with my camera. His appearance on the cover is not as striking as when I met him on the 10th/August/2010.
Some of the trees I took pictures of above also appear in this magazine. Needless to say, the quality of the photos are much better.
*
* *
I observed that Thai people are rather formal in greeting, addressing and introducing names. The title Mr. is almost always preceeds the first name. Also "thank you" is often accompanies by "Mr." or "Sir" at the end.
-- Next I will write about bonsai in Nong Nooch Garden, Pattaya.