Tucked away in Rayong is a fount of knowledge on medicinal plants that makes great efforts to appeal to both children and grown-ups
YVONNE BOHWONGPRASERT
For the first-time visitor, there's a lot more to the Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Herb Garden than immediately meets the eye. Located in the Rayong sub-district of Nikhom Phatthana, this lovingly maintained, 60-rai plantation boasts some 20,000 trees, shrubs and other plants from across the country, all with medicinal properties of some sort.
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| The herb garden is a delightful place to learn about an important natural resource whose value younger city-dwellers often overlook. |
Established in 1984 by the Petroleum Authority of Thailand (now PTT Plc), then a wholly state-owned enterprise, to preserve, expand and disseminate the body of knowledge on indigenous "healers" from the plant kingdom, the garden was formally presented to Princess Sirindhorn a year later. The nutmeg tree, several of which were planted here by members of the royal family in 1985, was later adopted as the official emblem of the garden.
The day we visited, the grounds were teeming with humanity, an interesting mix which included a noisy bunch of secondary-school students on a field trip, a big party of middle-aged academics all involved in research into Thai traditional medicine and people, like myself, who were there out of sheer curiosity.
From the reception area, we passed through an attractively laid out ornamental garden to reach the exhibition hall in the newly built HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Building. Several multimedia exhibits - included an animated film on the adventures of a rubber seed - were holding the attention of a small crowd of visitors as we headed for a photo gallery illustrating conservation projects in which the princess has been active over the years. A stone's throw away is a display demonstrating how we can all play a part in preserving our natural heritage and also avoid needless waste of energy.
Close by is a large exhibit on herbal and other forms of Thai traditional medicine. Here it is explained, through the clever use of props, that much of the medication we take for everyday ailments was originally sourced from tropical forests: The flowers, leaves, seeds, bark, roots and stems of various plants can be ingested or used externally to heal or alleviate the symptoms of a plethora of medical conditions.
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| Neem tree bark has anti-bacterial properties. |
Trained student guides are always on hand. |
We moved on with a better understanding of just how essential it is for us to do our utmost to preserve our remaining forests, a bountiful and still largely unexploited source of medicine.
Farther on a group was huddled around a television set watching a documentary on Thai traditional medicine and how it has progressed over the years.
Then we came to the e-learning room where Herbal City, a software programme designed specifically to appeal to children, is used to demonstrate to young visitors the many benefits that we humans derive from the plant kingdom.
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| This NGV-powered vehicle is used for tours of the garden. |
Venturing outside again, we hopped onto an NGV-powered van for a tour of the sprawling garden where some 260 different species of medicinal plant are raised. Visitors can also rent bicycles or stroll around at a leisurely pace.
That large party of academics we'd spotted earlier was already in the thick of things. They were totally engrossed in their research, jotting down information or taking photos of trees, shrubs and smaller plants that interested them.
The main entrance to the garden passes an enchantingly beautiful lotus pond surrounded by lush vegetation. Plants are grown in groups according to their medicinal properties, our guide explained as our vehicle wound its way through a copse of towering trees.
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| A leisurely promenade through the garden can be a most invigorating experience. |
The first category we encountered were aromatics including the Arabian jasmine, Indian rose and citronella. Then we passed clumps of tumeric, Chinese ginger and other rhizomes used to treat skin diseases. From plants with anti-haemorrhoidal and laxative properties to ones which can be used as blood tonics or to alleviate the symptoms of certain cancers, there seems to be something here to tackle practically every condition you could think of.
Refreshed after our tour, we wandered around a souvenir shop which stocks some unusual herbal items and then settled into the food court to sample a mouth-watering selection of dishes, many of which make use of herbs and spices grown a short distance away.
There is no admission fee to the garden, which is open daily, except Mondays, from 9am to 4pm. The souvenir shop and massage centre have a later closing time (7pm). To arrange a group visit, phone 038-915-213 or 038-915-215 or fax 038-915-216.
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