The public and private sectors of the Department of Agriculture concurrently create "Bug World", a center aimed at enhancing
the study of insects, on 400 square meters of the
Royal Flora Ratchaphruek 2006 Exposition site.

Bangkok, …, on the 20th of March 2006, the public and private sectors of the Department of Agriculture concurrently created "Bug World", a center aimed at enhancing the knowledge of insects; swiftly collecting and breeding rare insect species from across the nation, to be exhibited on an exclusive 400 square meters of the "Royal Flora Ratchaphruek 2006" site, providing students and visitors, both local and international, with a real-life experience of the "Bug World",  contained within a vast and fully-functional living observatory.

Mr. Paisan Ratanasatien, the group director of Entomological and Zoological studies within the Department of Agriculture, revealed that the Entomological and Zoological division of the Department of Agriculture is skilled and experienced in various fields pertaining to insect specimen, with an insect museum that was established over 70 years ago at Kasetsart University. The museum contains an assortment of over 9,000 species of stuffed insects, as well as samples of over 500,000 different varieties. To enable students, citizens, and visitors, local and international, to obtain a real-life experience of the insect world within a vast and fully-functional living observatory, the Department has jointly convened with the Kam Pang San campus of Kasetsart University, located in Nakornpathom province, Chiang Mai province's Mae Jo University, and the National Park, to organize a center for studies of the insect world, to be held on 400 square meters of the "Royal Flora Ratchaphruek 2006" Exposition. With "Valuable are insects, bringing balance to nature" as the theme of this project, the Department is confident that BUG WORLD will prove to be a significant highlight for visitors to the event.

The layout of BUG WORLD consists of 2 major areas; the first being the Living Zone, where live insects will be exhibited within a 4 meter tall dome, measuring 11 meters in length, with a width of 15 meters. Constructed as a cage, completely enclosed by trees and plants, the dome recreates an environment that closely parallels nature. A number of caterpillars are currently being bred and reared, both within Bangkok and Chiang Mai, to ensure that the numbers will be sufficient for release within the dome; a few variations being the Atlas Moth (Attacus atlas Linnaeus), the Plain Tiger (Anosia chrysippus chrysippus Linnaeus), the Striped Albatross (Appias libythea Fabricius), Glowworms and Giant Fireflies (Lamprigera spp.), Sugarbag or Stingless Bees (Trigona sp.), etc.

The Non Living Zone contains displays of various rare stuffed insects and an exhibition of different insect diagrams and images. Within the building is also an exhibition of the evolutionary processes of the Bristletails, Dragonfly, Giant Dragonfly, the Orange Bug, and many others, as well as the life-cycle, the way of life, and the environment of the ecosystems within which certain insects thrive. Also present will be an exhibition of rare and distinct insect species, Thailand's Nang-Lawaeng Butterfly, for instance, is a singular spectacle for this event, with its magnificent beauty and spectacular size. The Non Living Zone will also consist of a display of poisonous insects, beginning with bees and wasps, as well as an educational exhibition to present the facts of each specimen's life cycle, information regarding insects and the groups to which they belong, how the species relate to one another, and so forth.

"Of all the living organisms on this planet, 75% of the entire population is composed of insects, with an approximate of 30 million different species to investigate and explore; thus, BUG WORLD, to be created within "Royal Flora Ratchaphruek 2006", is anticipated to be an important highlight and an opportunity for visitors to closely examine the lives of insects. Subsequent to the 92 days of the exposition, the living insects will be released into the wild, and the exhibition will be relocated to Bangkok. Thailand's role as the host of this event may promote and support the eventual establishment of a rare Thai insects museum; for the preservation of Thai goods, enabling those with little or no knowledge concerning insects to gain a better understanding of them, and to conserve and protect insects from becoming the treasures of other nations," Mr. Paisan concluded.

The International Horticultural Exposition to Honour His Majesty the King, "Royal Flora Ratchaphruek 2006", will be held between the 1st of November 2006 – 31st of January 2007, a duration of 92 days, at the Royal Agricultural Research Institute in the Mae-Haie District of Chiang Mai province.

For additional information, please contact:-

Royal Flora Ratchaphruek 2006 Project Management Office for Event Operations, Activity, and Communications :-

Nawaporn Rojarayanont   Tel. 0-2686-7252 or 05-9079490  email:nawaporn@royalfloraexpo.com

Suwanna  Jaruthanakijpanich Tel. 0-2686-7329 or 01-615-2558 email:suwanna@royalfloraexpo.com

Kaesinee Phantteranuruck   Tel. 0-2686-7360 or 01-9893416  email:kaesinee@royalfloraexpo.com

Nawaporn Rojarayanont
Project Management Office,
16th FL.,Unit 1602 Empire Tower,
195 South Sathorn Rd.,Yannawa
Bangkok 10120 Thailand
T. +66 2686 7252
M. +66 59079490
www.royalfloraexpo.com