NARATHIWAT, Feb 13 – The flower selling ambience in many parts of Thailand is lively for this year’s Valentines/Magha Puja Day.
In this violence-torn southern border province, roses are popular despite higher prices. A Holland rose is sold at Bt100 each.
In Thailand’s northeastern province of Maha Sarakham, bouquets of flowers are sold at Bt350 each. A local florist said roses’ order has dropped half year-on-year, for prices of roses have become double from Bt350 bouquet of 25 roses to Bt800-950 for 25 roses.
As Valentine’s Day this year falls on the same day as Buddhist religious day of Magha Puja, where lotuses are bought for praying, a local lotus farmer in the southern province of Trang’s provincial seat said the order for lotuses has increased. However, the supply of lotuses has dropped this year due to flood in November 2013.
The farmer said usually 3,000-5,000 lotuses are in demand annually and sold at Bt3 each. Due to low supply this year, the price has surged double for the first time in ten years from Bt3 to Bt6. Up to 120 lotuses can be picked up for sale this year, she said.
Meanwhile, in another southern province of Songkhla, lotus farmers in Hat Yai district said lotuses are in high demand for Magha Puja Day but the supply has as well dropped owing to drought in several areas.
The same situation in the northeastern province of Ubon Ratchathani where lotuses are short of supply due to low harvest from drought. The price of a lotus has increased from Bt3 to Bt10 each this year, while only 1,000 lotuses are available in the municipality’s market in the provincial seat.
