Before I complain about the difficulties, here are some leads...

1. Essential oils: Body Shop has a small selection, but at twice the price of WATSON'S DRUGS (I continue to buy my Juniper oil there - fabulous in the hair)

2. Agar oil: Aquilaria agilochan tree oil, imported from Cambodia, Burma, Indonesia, etc - available at shops catering to Gulf State visitors, in the Arab quarter near Grace Hotel. Divine smell (in fact the Sufis say it actually is a gateway to heaven) Can also buy chips to burn in Yemeni incensors. Favoured by Japanese, where it is called 'jinko'. From expensive to outrageously expensive. I tried to get in this business in Cambodia, but I sense that there is something criminal about the trade (endangered species?). My leads were secretive like the gem trade. I found a seller in Bombay too, but obviously it is illegal there too, because it was 'come back another day'. Also, known as aloeswood oil.

3. Incense: high grade imported incense (my favorites are japanese and Tibetan, and some Taiwanese) - was briefly able to find some superb incense at one of religious ritual parephenalia shops near the Tamil style Hindu Temple on Silom. Don't know if they ever got any more in stock. Mostly they sell low-grade incense, especially Indian florals.

A buddy in Chonburi told me that aromatherapy was all 'the rage in Thailand'. Really? I find it a challenge to find any sophisticated aromas. Mostly its synthetics. Why people would want to burn industrial smells to the gods I have never understood.

My wife runs a lemongrass house store, I belive the products are also available in many places in Bangkok including chatachat and some of teh malls, 100% natural, handmade etc...

What oils are you looking for?

What oils are you looking for?

1. woods (mostly conifers), cypress, spruce, etc

2. resins (frankincense,oakmoss)

3. exotic florals (e.g. cistus)

4. herbs (rosemary)

Rosemary, Frankincense are easy - the others are a little harder - depending on the quantity you need, if you do a search on lemongrass house in google it will come up as number 1, go to the essential oils tab to see what are typically stocked.

I have bought several different oils but I find they don't last long. What is the shelf life of these oils?