Chalerm Phrakiat Caladium Village

Chalerm Phrakiat Caladium Village is a cluster of smallholdings across Sai Noi and Khlong Khwang subdistricts in Nonthaburi’s Sai Noi district, where growers cultivate caladium — an ornamental plant prized for its patterned, multicoloured leaves rather than any flower. Queen Sirikit took a personal interest in the plant and gave her royal patronage to its cultivation and conservation, which is where the “Chalerm Phrakiat” (in honour of the monarchy) in the name comes from. The growing area centred on Ban Khlong Ha Roi, in Sai Noi subdistrict, is commonly cited as the largest concentration of caladium varieties in the country.

This is a working plant-nursery district rather than a single gated attraction — there’s no ticket booth or fixed entrance. Growers tend plots along the lanes and the newly dug Khlong Ha Roi canal in Khlong Khwang subdistrict, where a stretch of the roadside has been developed as a flower route for visitors to walk or drive along. Most of what’s for sale is the plants themselves: growers sell caladium bulbs and cuttings directly from their smallholdings, which is the easiest way to take a piece of the visit home.

Insider Tip: The village is at its best during the annual Chalerm Phrakiat celebration in mid-August, timed around Queen Sirikit’s birthday — growers bring out their finest specimens and the community puts on demonstrations that don’t happen the rest of the year. Visit outside that window and you’ll see a quieter, workaday nursery district instead.

Watch out: Because this is smallholdings rather than a managed park, opening hours and what’s in bloom vary grower to grower and by season. Don’t plan a special trip around a specific display without checking closer to the date, especially outside the August festival period.

Combine it with Sai Noi Floating Market or Bang Rak Noi Agritourism, both in the same district, to make a fuller day of Sai Noi’s canal-side attractions.