Royal Flora Ratchaphruek

AIPH Chiang Mai 2006-2007
Royal Pavilion
Overview
BIE-class	Horticultural exposition
Name	Royal Flora Ratchaphurek
Area	80 hectares (200 acres)
Participant(s)
Countries	30
Location
Country	Thailand
City	Chiang Mai
Venue	Royal Agricultural Research Center
Coordinates	18°44′45.4″N 98°55′31.8″E / 18.745944°N 98.925500°E / 18.745944; 98.925500
Timeline
Opening	November 1, 2006 (2006-11-01)
Closure	January 31, 2007 (2007-01-31)
Horticultural expositions
Previous	2003 World Horticultural Exposition in Rostock
Next	Floriade 2012 in Venlo
Specialized expositions
Previous	Expo 2005 in Nagoya
Next	Expo 2008 in Zaragoza
Universal expositions
Previous	Expo 2000 in Hanover
Next	Expo 2010 in Shanghai

The Royal Flora Ratchaphruek was a flower festival held 1 November 2006 to 31 January 2007 in the Thai city of Chiang Mai that drew 3,781,624 visitors. It was one of the grand celebrations being hosted by the Royal Thai Government in honor of King Bhumibol, the world's longest reigning monarch.

The Ratchaphruek (Cassia fistula L.) or golden shower tree is the de facto national flower of Thailand. Its yellow blossoms correspond to Monday, the birthday of Bhumibol. It is also named "Khun" or "Chaiyaphruek".

The event was located on 80 hectares of land at the Royal Agricultural Research Center in the Mae Hia sub-district, Mueang district, Chiang Mai Province in northern Thailand. The 92 days of the expo featured 30 international gardens reflecting nations such as Japan, South Korea, Belgium, Netherlands, South Africa, and Canada. More than 2.5 million trees of 2,200 species of tropical plants and flowers were on display in this exhibition. The Association of International Horticultural Producers (AIPH), gave this expo A1 status,^[1] its highest level. Such exhibitions occur only once a year throughout the world. In addition, a host country can only hold one such exhibition once a decade.

The festival included many highlights to attract tourists:

Gardens for the king There were two features in this zone: one was international gardens, which were presented by 30 participating nations and covered 21,000 square meters; the other was corporate gardens, which covered 27,475 square meters, and were presented by both Thai state enterprises, and domestic and international major corporations.
Ho Kham Royal Pavilion This building featured Lanna architecture, the architectural style of northern Thailand; inside, visitors saw pictures of King Bhumibol's works and his dedication.
Thai Tropical Garden The enormous 100,000-square-meter garden showcased the diversity of tropical horticulture: fruit varieties, plants, flowers, herbs, and rare plants.
Expo Plaza This was the focus of the exposition's fun-filled activities, amenities, and services. Visitors were able to purchase products from royal projects and authentic local products from Chiang Mai such as handicrafts, paper umbrellas, and souvenirs.
Cultural shows A total of 45 cultural shows from various regions of Thailand were performed, including traditional music and dance. In addition, cultural performances from other nations were presented.

The Thai government had expected an average of 20,000 visitors per day, with over 100,000 visitors on a crowded day, and 3 million visitors in total to attend the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek 2006. At the exposition's conclusion, organizers claimed that the exposition had injected 27 billion baht into the regional economy.

The Thai government has proposed transforming the site of the exposition into a permanent training center. Despite some complaints of corruption and substandard facilities, organizers believed the exposition achieved its goals of promoting tourism and developing Thai horticultural industries.^[2]

The park was open to the public in 2008 with many of the past highlights still very much in evidence, including the international exhibits. It is thought that it will remain to stay open as a valued addition to things to do in Chiang Mai. The park receives around 500 visitors a day at the moment, mainly Thai.

References

↑ "AIPH – Exhibitions, history". Retrieved 2 August 2011.
↑ "Expo closes with ceremony of allegiance to His Majesty". Retrieved 2 August 2011.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Royal Flora Expo 2006.

List of world expositions

Retrospectively
recognized
Expositions

BIE recognized
Universal
Expositions

BIE recognized
Specialized
Expositions

BIE recognized
horticultural
Exhibitions (AIPH)

Canceled

Rome 1942
Chicago 1992
Vienna & Budapest 1995
Metro Manila 2002
Seine Saint Denis 2004

Not BIE recognized

Asia	Nanyang 1910 Hangzhou 1929 Nagoya 1937 Shenyang 2006

Oceania	Melbourne 1866 Sydney 1870 Melbourne 1875 Brisbane 1876 Sydney 1879 Dunedin 1889 Christchurch 1906 Auckland 1913–14 Dunedin 1925 Wellington 1939–40

Europe	London 1756 Dublin 1853 Manchester 1857 Porto 1865 London 1871–74 Vienna 1873 Amsterdam 1883 Liverpool 1886 London 1886 Copenhagen 1888 Glasgow 1888 Frankfurt 1891 Prague 1891 Lyon 1894 Oporto 1894 Berlin 1896 Glasgow 1901 Cork 1902 Hanoi 1902 London 1905 London 1906 Marseille 1906 Dublin 1907 London 1908 Zaragoza 1908 London 1910 Dresden 1911 London 1911 London 1912 Lyon 1914 Cologne 1914 London 1914 Kristiania 1914 Malmö 1914 Semarang 1914 London 1921 Marseille 1922 British Empire Exhibition (1924–25) Antwerp 1930 Stockholm 1930 Paris 1931 Porto 1934 Glasgow 1938

North America	New York City 1826–1897 Bryant Park, New York City 1853 Atlanta 1881 Louisville 1883–87 New Orleans 1884 Atlanta 1887 San Francisco 1894 Atlanta 1895 Nashville 1897 Omaha 1898 Buffalo 1901 Charleston 1901–02 Portland, Oregon 1905 Jamestown 1907 Seattle 1909 Knoxville 1913 San Diego 1915–17 Bronx 1918 Philadelphia 1926 San Diego 1935–36 Dallas 1936 Cleveland 1936–37 Dallas 1937 San Francisco 1939–40 New York City 1964–65

South America	Buenos Aires 1910 Rio de Janeiro 1922

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