Chiang Mai Royal Flora 2006 shoiw

Typical Thai arrogance and lack of planning = the usual cockups. You have to be insane to attend events like this in Thailand.

The inadequacy of electric trailers and golf cars to take the visitors around the exposition was the main subject.

"I appreciated the exposition, but the trailer service is unacceptable," said Major General Thanee Wattanaphuti, a 76-year-old retired soldier, who waited three hours to get a trailer.

Thanee said the exposition was of the same high standard as the flower show he attended in the Netherlands four years ago, but the service here did not compare.

Soon after the gate was opened, the main station for trailers and golf cars became a scene of chaos, packed with visitors angry about inadequate vehicles and the staff's inability to arrange a queue.

While the organisers expected about 30,000 visitors a day, their total number of trailers and golf cars can only serve about 1,000 people - for round trips that take about 40 minutes each.

The food halls were a subject of complaint. One elderly woman from Lampang said she had to eat standing as no seat was available. And some toilets, including those near the Press Centre were already out of order.

The Royal Pavilion, described as the "heart" of the expo and a "must-see" attraction, was closed yesterday to prepare for the opening ceremony by the Princess.

Bottle trees from Australia were the talk of the town among many visitors due to their remarkable shape, but some other special trees were hard to locate.