Importing Live Plants

[ajnamoon]

hi there

Relocating to Thailand soon does anyone know if i can bring over some bare rooted plants with me

Are there any regulations governing this would i need a certificate if so from where

Thanks Chris

[worgeordie]

Importing the plants in a legal manner I am sure you would need a Phytosanitary Certificate from your countries

Dept. of Agriculture,Certicate of Origin,and the plants would most likely have to checked that they are not on any

IUCN red list of threatened species, Cities certificate,there is a lot of paperwork involved and it could be expensive.

Depending which country you are bringing them from, are you sure they would thrive here.?

I think it would be best if you bought the plants locally,they are not really expensive, and there are a multitude

of varieties to be found here, you could bring seeds,no problem,

I hope this helps, regards Worgeordie

[ajnamoon]

Hithanks for your reply and info the plants i wanted to take over are bare rooted roses which are branded names and highly scented but it does seem like alot of work to take them over

Been living in Chaing Mai made alot of trips to garden centres at Tesco Lotus yes they have alot of Rose plants but no named varieties dou know of any rose nursery or garden centres sell named varieties ? thanks Chris

[Mapguy]

OP, my response, since I have some background and experience in such matters, is to warn you to use the utmost caution. Perhaps you understand these things, but many people don't understand the problem of importing plants and animals, and they might say --- as often happens --- what the devil is wrong with a little bit of this or a little bit of that in my luggage?

I do appreciate that some exotic (that is, foreign) species going from place to place are not a problem. Various roses probably are not a problem, but I ask you to reconsider. If anything, you set a very bad example.

Even the most accidental and seemingly innocent and thought-harmless imports of exotics (that is, species of plants and animals not native to a place) have proved to be a plague in any number of places. Ask about rabbits in Australia! Snakes in Hawaii! The same is true of plants. Have you ever heard of kudzu, also known as Japanese arrowroot and its awful effects? Or certain other "decorative hedge" plants imported to America from Europe that have overwhelmed native vegetation.

So, I like smelling the roses: the ones which are native to this habitat! Don't you agree that that is important?

[Mapguy]

More generally, OP, please consider what you are doing: "relocating,"as you put it! What does that mean?

You've been here before. Why are you relocating? This is a different place from where you are? Do you want to make it like where you are now? Why? Why relocate? Why don't you stay where you are --- or respect more the place, and its differences, where you intend to go?

Sometimes it gets very silly on this web site, like the inordinate concern for the availability of "western style" food here in Chiang Mai. (I wonder what it is like in the Japanese language chat places!) Now, remarkably, we (lovable lugs of TV Chiang Mai) actually joke about an earlier obsession with how to find the best hamburger in town. Tastes have generally grown more sophisticated on this site over the years! Anyway, I cook the world's best hamburger!

If you are going to relocate, do that, but leave less than essential baggage behind. This is a different place. I suggest not packing where you are now in the luggage you bring with you.

Otherwise, welcome!

[arunsakda]

More generally, OP, please consider what you are doing: "relocating,"as you put it! What does that mean?

You've been here before. Why are you relocating? This is a different place from where you are? Do you want to make it like where you are now? Why? Why relocate? Why don't you stay where you are --- or respect more the place, and its differences, where you intend to go?

Sometimes it gets very silly on this web site, like the inordinate concern for the availability of "western style" food here in Chiang Mai. (I wonder what it is like in the Japanese language chat places!) Now, remarkably, we (lovable lugs of TV Chiang Mai) actually joke about an earlier obsession with how to find the best hamburger in town. Tastes have generally grown more sophisticated on this site over the years! Anyway, I cook the world's best hamburger!

If you are going to relocate, do that, but leave less than essential baggage behind. This is a different place. I suggest not packing where you are now in the luggage you bring with you.

Otherwise, welcome!

"Relocating" is an Americanism meaning to move, as in moving ones place of residence. No other any other meaning of cultural imperialism or anything else is implied.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

More generally, OP, please consider what you are doing: "relocating,"as you put it! What does that mean?

You've been here before. Why are you relocating? This is a different place from where you are? Do you want to make it like where you are now? Why? Why relocate? Why don't you stay where you are --- or respect more the place, and its differences, where you intend to go?

Sometimes it gets very silly on this web site, like the inordinate concern for the availability of "western style" food here in Chiang Mai. (I wonder what it is like in the Japanese language chat places!) Now, remarkably, we (lovable lugs of TV Chiang Mai) actually joke about an earlier obsession with how to find the best hamburger in town. Tastes have generally grown more sophisticated on this site over the years! Anyway, I cook the world's best hamburger!

If you are going to relocate, do that, but leave less than essential baggage behind. This is a different place. I suggest not packing where you are now in the luggage you bring with you.

Otherwise, welcome!

LOL. Eh, yes, ehm: Welcome.

I also appreciate how a post about the forum can prove itself true within that same post, when you said: "Sometimes it gets very silly on this web site".

[WinnieTheKhwai]

As for bringing in plants, I've done that myself; just a common house plant that I had a hard time finding in Thailand.  (At the time, I've since found it.)

Also you can order seeds for just about anything online, no issue getting that mailed straight to you.

I also doubt there is an issue with roses; they're not exactly going off like the Day of the Triffids all by themselves; it's hard enough to keep them alive, let alone flower properly.

[NancyL]

OP, please ignore Mapguy. It seems he was posting while drunk, again. And, being his usual welcoming self to newbies.

I personally happen to know something about this, having owned a rose nursery in the U.S. I can totally understand why the OP wants to bring in some specific rose varieties that can't be located here. Rose nuts are collectors -- it's no different than people who are into, say, wine or books and want something rare, usual and special.

Oh, and for those of you who think that no harm can come from importing roses, be advised that the "politics" of rose importing is important. For example, in the U.S. you can import roses only from a few countries. For most, you have to get a USDA license and then grow the roses for three years 50 yards away from other roses, with inspections by the USDA every few months. Some countries -- you can't import at all. You can't import roses from Australia into the U.S. even if you're willing to pay for the quaranteed growing and inspections.

Start by contacting your local depart of agriculture -- the agency that inspects and licenses nurseries in your area. A local nursery (in your county) should be able to tell you how to contact their insepctor. Then tell the inspector what you want to do. They will want to know the final destination address -- simply saying "Chaing Mai, Thailand" isn't enough because the rules may vary by amphur (although I doubt it, but they can vary by county in the U.S.) The inspector has access to databases that will disclose what the inspection and documentation requirements are.

The inspector will want to look at the plants in question, shortly before you plan to ship. Barerooting is definitely the way to go. It's the possiblity of varmits in the soil that causes the inspectors most heartburn. We left the trade about six years ago, but at that time an export inspection cost about $75 and it didn't matter if it was for one plant or a hundred. The actual inspection process is pretty cursory and short -- but then the inspector would retire to his car where he'd spend the next hour completing paperwork on his computer which he printed on a printer he kept in his car for this purpose.

If you're planning to bring the roses in your luggage, I'd suggest that you arrive at Swampy, not CM, and arrive during regular business hours. The customs inspectors will probably want to call in the Thai agricultural inspectors to take a look and they may not be available 24/7.

I think there's a subforum on Thai Visa for plants and agriculture. I'd suggest the OP post his inquiry there for advice for someone's who's actually done this.