'Miracle Cure' Trees Sprout Cash In Roi Et

[Jai Dee]

'Miracle cure' trees sprout cash in Roi Et

News is spreading fast of a "miracle cure" for many illnesses allegedly contained in the leaves of the Hoan Ngoc tree sold by Thongsuk Suwansri.

The 65-year-old Tha Watchaburi woman sells each leaf for Bt10 and while she does not advertise, word of mouth has seen her daily income top five figures. People believe the leaves have magic properties and can cure even cancers.

Thongsuk has no medical training but turned to the leaves after seeing her husband respond to their properties.

"People call them magical leaves but, actually, they are Hoan Ngoc leaves," she said busily handing out the lucrative foliage to customers.

The tree is native to Vietnam. It has been grown here for just 10 years. Vietnam war veterans tried the leaves and reports spread of their recoveries.

"I now grow the plant for sale after seeing with my own eyes my husband improve wonderfully," she said. Husband Pim suffered 10 years from gall and kidney stones, asthma and a form of gastritis. Their daughter sent 100 leaves.

She claimed Pim was a new man after consuming about half the leaves. "Before he took the leaves he needed two operations to remove gallstones. Now, his health is fine," she said.

Pim's recovery was big news and soon neighbours and friends were knocking on the door seeking the herbal cure.

"I asked my daughter to buy Hoan Ngoc trees. We bought 30 for Bt50,000 and now we sell the leaves and sometimes a tree, too," she said. Trees cost between Bt800 and Bt1,000.

Neighbours have successfully battled cancer," she said. Others had treated different diseases.

"I haven't advertised the benefits of the leaf but it has become widely known through word of mouth," Thongsuk said.

Now the news media has caught on and Thongsuk and her leaves are becoming famous.

However, Roi Et public-health chief Dr Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai warned there was no medical proof the leaves cured disease. "People are free to use herbs but they should exercise caution. It's best to consult an expert before use," he said.

Source: The Nation - 20 February 2007

[Tony Clifton]

Free palm reading or session with an astrologer with every purchase over 1 kg.

[Scott]

You've got to just love this sort of stuff. I worked in China for a time and I remember they sold some type of medicine and it claimed, among other things, that it could regenerate lost limbs and cure AIDS!

I wonder if his gall bladder operation had anything to do with his recovery.

[chownah]

He had gall stones and had them removed....now he's fine....must be the leaves.

[Bryan in Isaan]

Back in the States we have places that sell things like that. They're called health food stores.

[leisurely]

Eating leaves in Thailand isn't anywhere near as strange as those in India who for one day a year eat live fish to cure asthma is it?

[Mid]

[Tony Clifton]

How about geophagia which consists of eating clay.

[Artisi]

Never under estimate the efficacy of herbal medicine but by the same token be aware of many of the miracle cures.

[guardian]

Eating leaves in Thailand isn't anywhere near as strange as those in India who for one day a year eat live fish to cure asthma is it?

The fish is not eaten. A ball of medicine is stuffed into a live fish and the asthma sufferer has to swallow the fish live. They claim that the wiggling of the live fish makes the medicine more effective as it helps clear accumulated phlegm from the patient's throat as it slithers down towards the stomach.

[Jai Dee]

Thongsuk Suwansri and her Hoan Ngoc trees. The leaves sell for Bt10 each but many believe the plant holds a miracle cure for diseases such as cancer. Doctors recommend caution.

Source: The Nation - 20 February 2007

[peter991]

Source:

Quirkies: Banana tree predicts lotto numbers

People in Thailand have been flocking to visit a banana tree which is said to be able to predict winning lottery numbers.

The Phuket Gazette reports that fortune seekers have been traveling to Koh Sireh after hearing of the tree's miraculous ability.

They rub a mixture of powder and water on the tree's trunk, then wait to see what number the solution resembles as it dries.

Many people claim to have won lottery prizes through the technique and they have been returning to pay their respects to the tree.

The paper reports the tree is helping to spark a local tourism industry - a woman who sells soft drinks near the tree is reporting brisk business from 100 to 200 visitors a day.

Peter

[Mid]

be funny if it wasn't so sad .....................

please , powers to be , educate your people

[Artisi]

Educate the people - fair go mate - the politicians wouldn't be able to hood-wink them any more if educated.

That's the sad part of it -

[Gravelrash]

Elequant touch, lets mix a herbal remedy story with one about predicting lotto numbers.

Ahh, maybe the people believe the Viet leaves are "magical" because they see peoples health improving after use? Guess from where many of our pharmaceutical drugs derive...er herbs.

Don't know about this tree, but why the surprise at a herbal remedy purportedly working?

Guess what, many herbal remedies are very powerful and don't have the associated side effects of pharmaceutical drugs to boot. But can't patent herbs, therefore best to play them down and create a phamaceutical alternative that can be patented.

Both pharmaceuticals and herbs have their place, it is asinine to disparage something you probably know nothing about.

Doctors usually recommend caution with herbal medicine, homeopathy, acupucture, chiropratic etc. Why is that I wonder? Competition? Add that they generally know nothing about any of the above, and what a surprise, call it quackery etc. Consumers in the west are moving more towards "natural" therapies, why is that I wonder? Probably because they don't work.

[HenryB]

Eating leaves in Thailand isn't anywhere near as strange as those in India who for one day a year eat live fish to cure asthma is it?

We should not make fun of any others beliefs I have seen in Pakistan people who are are 120 father children and live to 165 these people eat right and have true and pure beliefs.

Glad I can help

[Tony Clifton]

Eating leaves in Thailand isn't anywhere near as strange as those in India who for one day a year eat live fish to cure asthma is it?

We should not make fun of any others beliefs I have seen in Pakistan people who are are 120 father children and live to 165 these people eat right and have true and pure beliefs.

Glad I can help

Jeanne Louise Calment, a French woman (February 21, 1875 - August 4, 1997) reached the longest confirmed lifespan in history at 122 years.

[HenryB]

Eating leaves in Thailand isn't anywhere near as strange as those in India who for one day a year eat live fish to cure asthma is it?

We should not make fun of any others beliefs I have seen in Pakistan people who are are 120 father children and live to 165 these people eat right and have true and pure beliefs.

Glad I can help

Jeanne Louise Calment, a French woman (February 21, 1875 - August 4, 1997) reached the longest confirmed lifespan in history at 122 years.

We all known in Pakistan about Ali Ben Ali 436 years old still going strong.

[ollyrosee]

does it cure baldness ? if so there are lots of farangs that need it

[Tony Clifton]

Is it/he a tree? I'd count the rings and then verify the age.

[Maestro]

Guess from where many of our pharmaceutical drugs derive...er herbs.

I had occasion today to look up a particular drug in Thailand’s index and found that its active ingredients are herbal extracts.

Does anybody know the botanical name of the Hoan Ngoc tree?

--

Maestro

[astral]

Shucks.

For years I have been telling my wife and children that "money does not grow on trees......"

[thaimat]

Educate the people - fair go mate - the politicians wouldn't be able to hood-wink them any more if educated.

That's the sad part of it -

I wish that was true, but, look to America, where George W. Butcher has hoodwinked Americans for 6 years. Wag that dog, Dubbleya.

[Maestro]

Does anybody know the botanical name of the Hoan Ngoc tree?

No botanists on this forum, it seems.

I asked Professor T.C. Khanh, who is mentioned as a researcher on the Hoan Ngoc tree on this website, and this was the response I received today:

Hoan ngoc is a local name only. The official name of this plant is 'Xuan

hoa'. Its Latin name is Pseuderanthemum palatiferum (Wall.) Radlk.,

Acanthaceae.

--

Maestro

[wintermute]

Ahh the Thai version of "snake oil" and "herbalife"..so is selling fraudulent miracle drugs part of the sufficiency economy?

[jbsears]

So she paid 50k for 30 trees, then the article says the trees are for sale for 800-1000 baht. Something doesn't seem right there.

[nonthaburial]

So she paid 50k for 30 trees, then the article says the trees are for sale for 800-1000 baht. Something doesn't seem right there.

Darnn it beat me to it. Perhaps she is a charity worker, buying for approx 1,666 each and then discounting onward sales

[sriracha john]

Thongsuk Suwansri and her Hoan Ngoc trees. The leaves sell for Bt10 each but many believe the plant holds a miracle cure for diseases such as cancer. Doctors recommend caution.

Source: The Nation - 20 February 2007

Somdet Smokesalot's mysterious Chokeandhack tree. The leaves sell for Bt10 each but many believe the plant holds a miracle cure for diseases such as glaucoma. Doctors recommend caution.

Source: Bangkok Herald-Examiner