DURING my recent visit to Thailand I chanced upon to visit Bangkok flower market, famous for its large collection of flowers and its impeccable delivery system. Pak Klong Talat is the most famous flower market in Bangkok. It is located on Thanon Triphet Road, nearby Memorial Bridge known by Thai people as Saphan Phut. It is spread over a one and a half kilometer area by the side of busier artery lane crisscrossing the main market. If you are looking for flowers in Bangkok, you would be surprised to know that everyone has a fair knowledge of this market and will recommend you to go and buy flowers from there. And I bet you won't be disappointed and will be forced to lighten your wallet seeing the variety of fresh colourful flowers and that too at a cheap price.

Pak Klong Talat is open 24×7, just contrary to the CP flower market in Delhi which opens at the wee hours and packs up at 9 o'clock in the morning. Usually the busy hour for this market will be 5-6 o'clock in the evening till 1-2 o'clock in the morning. It is the time that the tradesmen from other towns come to buy flowers for selling in their local markets. The flowers here are sold and purchased by retailers and wholesalers as well. Seeing the sea of crowds in that area, I was not surprised a bit and wondered why this small country cannot be a good example for us to emulate in order to tap the unexplored potential of Indian floriculture sector and to emerge as a leading player in this sector. It can be a lesson for us.

Indo-Thai trade in floriculture offers many opportunities, but fair and good business practices are a 'must' to exploit those opportunities. This was clear when I met a few traders dealing with different countries - importing flowers or doing exports to Japan and other overseas markets. They consider India as a potential trade partner. They know about India, how its industry is preparing to meet the demand during the forthcoming Commonwealth Games and so on. They are well informed through their trade channel partners in China and Gulf countries, but unfortunately, Indian trade is not in their "good books, due to bad business practices and other reasons."

"I do not want to disclose the names of those few traders in Kolkata, Mumbai and the southern market who did not fulfill their commitments," complained a leading Thai trader. To get the version of an Indian trader, I called Ajab Singh Choudhury, Managing Director of New Delhi-based Intuch Flora. Choudhury, who is a leading importer of flowers and fruits from Thailand, gave a different picture. "They are not firm in their decisions. They are blaming us. . . As per my calculation, India is importing 50-60 thousand orchid stems per day. They are dependent on us, sending flowers and fruits to us. Payment in India is not an issue. But on the whole, they don't like Indians. . . Maybe, because of their bad experience of dealing with a small section of financiers from India,"

Choudhury averred, "Our suppliers are very much satisfied with us and increasing their volume. On quality of Thai flowers, he said, their supplies and packaging are very good. "Cost-wise, if I get flowers from south India, the airfreight and other expenses will be over Rs. 60 per kg, whereas, if I import flowers from Thailand, the landed cost is approximately Rs. 45-50 per kg. A big advantage is that I get properly graded, wellpacked quality flowers at my door step." That's the reason our import volumes of flowers and fruits are increasing. "We need to take lessons from them."