Trip to Thailand

[Vivienne]

Hi everyone!

My brother is making a trip to Thailand and Cambodia later this year - so of course, the orchid lover in me (newbie that I am) has all kinds of dreams and questions.

Is it possible to bring back orchids from there to the US? Plants? Flasks?
Are there special plants to look for? Special paperwork that needs to be done? Any and all advice, including telling me it's a pipe dream, is greatly appreciated.

- Vivienne

[prisana]

Vivienne, check out the info on CITES . Most nurseries will supply the certificate for you, but you will probably need to apply for permit from you State to see if they allow whatever it is you'll be bringing in. I think theres also a charge for this and that, and the permit could take up to 2 months to get, but check to make sure, it's different everywhere.
Thailand is known for Vanda alliance, but stay away from species, you'll never know if they were obtained legally. There are orchids everywhere overthere, you can also check out Thai orchid growers on the net, there are tons of them , most of them are in or around Bangkok. Let me know how it goes. Here's one of the links you can get some info from

www.fws.gov

[BillC]

Hi Viv, Just thought I would post something I picked up on CITES for your information:



CITES

The convention for international trade in endangered species was originally and commendably set up to prevent the illegal trade in endangered species of animals.

Plants and especially orchids were included hurriedly, and possibly without to much rational thinking, the result is that it is is now illegal to import orchids without the proper CITES documentation, whilst this may stop plants from being collected from their habitat in the wild, it is doubtful that it protects them satisfactorily, and certainly makes it illegal for nurseries to mass produce them, which would probably reduce the illegal demand for wild collected plants, thus securing their continuance in two different ways, especially in areas of deforestation.



The CITES rule precludes the movement of any orchid from one country to another

without a permit,



even nursery grown hybrids,



European Union members are considered to be individual states of one country

I bring your attention to ' even nursery grown hybrids ' you must have a permit for any orchid plant. Hope you get what you want, Bill

[dennis]

here is the link
http://www.cites.org/

[janet_a]

i dunno, i'd be very wary of bringing plants in, if for no other reason that if you get an uninformed customs agent or ag inspector on the US side, they could confiscate your plants and that would be that.