The Father of Thai orchids

Giants in History: Rapee Sagarik (4 December 1922 – 17 February 2018) was Thailand’s renowned expert on orchids. Sagarik dedicated his career to the research of native orchids in Thailand.

He served as the president of Kasetsart University from 1972 to 1980 and was also the Deputy Minister of Agriculture. Sagarik’s interest in orchids began as a boy, when he nursed some sick orchids back to health. Through his research on orchids, especially in the development of hybrid flowers, Sagarik helped to establish the orchid industry in Thailand, now the world’s leading exporter of orchids. He started the first orchid library in Thailand and founded the Orchid Society of Thailand. A variety of orchid, the Pecteilis sagarikii Seident, has been named in his honour.