The Ridiculous Beautiful Thai Flowers

With their exquisite delicacy and vivid colors, orchids echo the grace and gaiety of the Thai people themselves. It is a flower that could not be more fitting to the Thai Kingdom, and so highly is it esteemed that one especially beautiful bloom, the Queen Sirikit Cattleya, a perfectly formed flower of pure white with a yellow centre, has been named in honor of Her Majesty the Queen of Thailand.

Even before arriving in Thailand, travelers get, traveling with the Thai national airline can appreciate the exotic orchid as the airline presents corsages to all female passengers.

Strolling around the markets of Bangkok, the visitor can be amazed at stalls overflowing with cut sprays in every imaginable hue and sold at prices seemingly ridiculously low to anyone coming from temperate climes. More than 1000 wild species bloom in Thailand's forests, while orchid farms ensure a thriving export business.

It's a paradox that something so exotic should, in Thailand, be so ubiquitous. But like other icons of the Thai Kingdom, it is simply gorgeous.