Sunflower-Thailand

Sunflower in Thailand called “Thantawan”. Normally it’s well grown in tropical area about 18-25 Celsius degree. Thailand grows it in central, northern and northeastern part of Thailand such as Lop Buri, Saraburi, Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Phyao, Ratchaburi, Kanchanaburi and Nakhon Ratchasima but the famous sunflower fields which attract the tourist is Lop Buri, Saraburi and Chiang Rai.

Sunflower Cultivation

Today, sunflower cultivation in Thailand can consume only i n domestic and we still import its products and grains from abroad. So we started planting sunflowers as a commercial crop in 1988; with a total area of 12 sq. Kilometers. But domestic consuming in industry is about 100,000 tons per year that’s why we need to import sunflower oil about 60,000 tons per year. So the government support agriculturist grown it after they harvested their main crops. In industry they used sunflower oil made soap, tan leather, coat fruit and wax such as candle and cosmetics. Medical profession has analysis that the sunflower is main material for extract Lecithin which use for reduce cholesterol in patient. Spa shop in Thailand often used sunflower oil for massage. Sunflower seed can make many kind of food since snacks until bread and also can feeding birds.

Sunflower History

The sunflower legend based on Greek mythology, which legend tell, Clytie who was born and lived under the sea, she’s never up to the coast. She slept in a shell with the peace until she was growing as a young woman. One day it had a big storm from above blew to her place and sweeps everything in her place up to the coast. Clytie is one of things that came up too. This is the first time that she saw the Sun; Apollo (the God of the sun) and she fell in love with him at first sight. So she swore that she will not go back under the sea anymore. Since she sitting and fixing her eyes only on her beloved sun from sunrise until sunset day after day. There’s one god pity her so much because Apollo never looking at her even one time. So he made a miracle by changed her clothes to green color, changed her hair to yellow color around her face and put her leg to ground and gave her brown eyes for looking at the sun. So she can turn her face to the sun all the time. That’s why sunflower has the shape like today.