< PreviousGI Thailand Magazine 10 GI TRIP When summer arrives, added to sun and sea, tropical fruits are at the center of recognition, and they even taste better in season, at a reasonable price. GI Trip this issue would like to show you destinations in the east, let start our trip as it will be long and filled with amazing destinations, scenic stops, thrilling activities, and top quality summer fruits GI level throughout the route. Enjoying Nature and Tasting Delicious Fruits in Rayong This coastal province has everything ranging from natural attractions, heavy industry, food, fruits, and history. It usually takes about 3 hours from Bangkok by car. Our first stop is coined ‘Unseen New Series’ of ‘Amazing Thailand’ destinations; that is, Rayong Botanical Garden, The Botanical Garden Organization, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. It situates around Samnak Yai Lake (Lake Jamrung) Chakpong Subdistrict, Klaeng District, with 3,800 rai area, in order to collect all flora species in the east region and a learning hub on nature. The park allows its visitors to explore on foot path surrounding by forest, by cycling, motor boat or kayaking as well. After getting tired, Rayong Golden Pineapple, a Queen variety pineapple locally grown in Rayong. It is in cylinder shape with shallow skin groove, big eyes, and thin skin. The flesh is deep yellow, firm, and not too watery, sweet and sour, fragrant, and most importantly, not too acidic to ‘burn’ your tongue. New Scenic Destination in Chanthaburi This small town is indeed filled with many interesting tourist attractions including old historical communities, sea, waterfalls, and mountains. Our first destination is also another one on Unseen New Series, that is, Khao Bo Toei viewpoint. This locates in Khung Kraben Wildlife Sanctuary which can be accessed by foot through Khao Bo Toei nature trail. The trail offers a stunning view of sky, sea and coast, and islands around the viewpoint. There is another destination on this trail is Huay Ta Bo reservoir. It offers natural and romantic atmosphere surrounding by forest, somehow like Pang Ung, Mea Hong Son, and misty in the morning. Chanthaburi is a must-visit place for durian lovers. Chanthaburi durians include many local varieties like Puang Manee, Nok Yip, Thong Linjong, Thong Chan, and Kob Suwan, as well as more commercial variety like Chanthaburi 1 to Chanthaburi 10 which are all have fine yellow flesh with low or no fiber at all. They taste sharp Rayong Botanical Garden Rayong Golden Pineapple Bo Toei Viewpoint Thailand’s Geographical Indication Journal Road Tip Through 3 Fruit Capital of Thailand – Rayong, Chanthaburi, and Trat11 sweet, and are grown locally in Chanthaburi. Let taste them all before buying some for your loved one at home. Thrilling with Various Activities in Trat Trat is a highly attractive province with its numerous and beautiful islands such as Koh Chang Island. The island has pristine nature and breathtakingly beautiful beaches plus many fun leisure activities such as kayaking to explore nature route into mangrove of Salak Kok village, the biggest mangrove forest of the Island . While Tree Top Adventure Park Koh Chang offers a thrilling experience of crossing between trees with rope bridges and zipline ride which are equally fun. Trat experience cannot complete without its GI fruit products like Trat Si Thong Pineapple; a Queen variety with large cylinder shape fruit, yellowish green thin skin, firm yellow flesh with low water content, and sweet. The flesh and core are low fiber, making the core edible. It is generally grown in Muaeng Trat District, Khao Saming District, Laem Ngob District, and Khlong Yai District. Cha Nee Koh Chang Durian is a prime choice for durian in Trat. It is of Cha Nee variety with oblong shape with bigger spikes, and thin reddish brown shell. It has thick, yellow, and dry flesh with yellow to light yellow orange and fine texture, sweet and fragrant. It is solely grown in Koh Chang District, Trat Province. Chan Durian Tree Top Adventure Park Koh Chang Trat Si Thong Pineapple Cha Nee Koh Chang Durian Add Values to GI Products with GI+ Mr.Vuttikrai Leewiraphan Director General, Department of Intellectual Property Registration of community products to be Geographical Indication products or GI product alleviates regular community products to be premium ones. This is because community products that are capable of being registered as geographical products must have uniqueness linking to the sources, when combining with local culture and local wisdom, it strongly differentiates products from other products. In turn, this generates genuine demand of the product from consumers, and often higher demand raise the prices. This is particularly true for products registered to be GI along with good public relation campaigns. In addition, values and prices of GI products can be even higher with GI Plus scheme. It is a combination of existing GI status with and something special that can make GI products even worth more for its specialty such as adding status of organic product on top of being GI products to add more values, using special design and eye-catching packaging, or combining GI products and other intellectual property like trademarks or art patents or people to make GI products known more or wider. So GI Plus is an act of addition to increase more than 1 things to establish higher value for GI product in a sustainable way. “Adding for More” Thailand’s Geographical Indication Journal ISSUE 3 : MARCH 2022 Tips & TricksNext >