The Eigth Immortals 2011, Thailand.

The Eight Immortals : The Eight Chinese Deities or "Ba Sane" are the patron saints of Chinese Taoists. Their images are believed to be incredibly auspicious. Colorful stories surround the Immortals. There is a world of magic and supernatrual feats that bring benefits to those who invite them into their homes. They are frequently depicted on Chinese porcelain, such as vases, urns and plates, and are believed to bestow happiness and good fortune when their images are displayed inside the the home. The best way to invite them into your home is to hang a beautiful painting of all eight of them, each dressed to reflect individual wordly personas and holding their own symbols of magic.

The Eight Immortals : each guard one of the eight directions, so their presence in the home ensures all round good feng shui. When you have them near you, deep inside there is nothing to fear. They help you bring longevity, good fortune, good descendents, wealth, fame and recognition. They also create compassion and generosity of spirit. Indeed, they are saints, so they stand for all things positive, pure and invigorating.

李鐵拐 Li Tieguai (Iron-Crutch Li).

His direction is South and his element is fire. He is depicted as a beggar with an iron crutch and a magic staff. His symbols are the iron staff and a magical gourd (a symbol of universal medicine). Having mastered the Five Phases of Energy and successfully combining Yin and Yang energy, he can metamorphose matter and concoct medicines and potions from his gourd. He has a reputation for benevolence and is known to help those in need of money and those recovering from illness. He occassionally transforms into a dragon and flies to the Heavens, but frequently returns to Earth when called upon. He travels to Earth mounted on a Pi Yao or chimera, a mythical guardian animal symbolizing diginity and courage.

鐘離權 Zhongli Quan (further) or Han Chong Li.

His direction is East and his element is wood. He is portrayed as bearded and thinly clad. His hair is gathered in two coils on the sides of his head. His symbol is a magical palm-leaf fan, which he uses to revive and reincarnate the souls of the recently departed. Over 1,800 years of old, he is said to frequently visit the Earth realm as a messenger of the Gods of Heaven. He is mounted on a Chi Lin, a mythical animal sacred to the Taoists. If you invite him into your home, he will bring honorable sons into your family and invoke the great support of the magical Tai Sui, also known as the Grand Duke Jupiter. It is said that if you have upset the Tai Sui, having his image in the home will appease the Tai Sui, thereby saving you from misfortune. He signifies longevity.

呂洞賓 Lü Dongbin (further).  

His direction is West and his element is metal. He is always portrayed with a double-edged "demon slaying" magical sword strapped on his back. This pure Yang sword possesses supernatural powers and was given to him by a dragon. It makes him invisible to evil spirits and enables him to hide in the heavens. Popularly known as Ancestor Lu, his three-part beard symbolizes the three Channels in the body that is used to attain the highest meditative levels. He is believed to have spent 400 years on earth, and periodically reappears. He can be accessed via channeling through mediums. High meditators can communicate directly with him. When you invite him into your home, you can be certain that no one with evil intentions can enter your house.

張果老 Zhang Guo Lao (Elder Zhang Guo). 

His direction is North and his element is water. His symbol are the magical donkey and tube containing wands or "phoenix feathers" which he uses to forecast fortunes and misfortunes. When he is not riding his donkey, he can fold the donkey and put it in a small box. He is believed to assist those who have passed on to reincarnate into good realms. His image is best placed inside bedrooms, especially for those who are trying to have children. He is also said to be excellent at giving you the gift of prophetic dreams.

何仙姑 Immortal Woman He (何瓊 He Qiong) or He Shian Gu.

Her direction is Southwest and her element is earth. Taoists believe that she is still alive, but is now over 1,400 years old. She became immortal at 14 when she was given the precious Peach of Immortality. She is shown holding a magical lotus blossom, the flower of divine brilliance, which symbolizes her power and purity. She sits on a deer, a symbol of energetic longevity. She helps those whose situations are desperate and in need of divine intervention. She brings marriage and family luck.

藍采和 Lan Caihe. 

His direction is Northwest and his element is metal. He is the youngest of the Eight Immortals. His symbol is a magical basket of flowers, which consists of 108 flowers, plants, and branches from trees associated with longevity, such as the chrysanthemum, peach blossom, pine and bamboo. He is mounted upon an elephant, a symbol of wisdom, strength and prudence, and is also a friend of the crane. Having him in your home help brings joyousness and attracts beautiful people into your life.

                                

韓湘 Han Xiang (Master Han Xiang [韓湘子 Han Xiangzi]).

His direction is Southeast and his element is wood. He is an expert on the mysteries of Heaven and a Master of the Five Phases of Energy. The sacred knots on his robe are symbols of his success in combining the two energies of Yin and Yang into the One Original Energy. He always carries a flute, with which he plays the Six Healing Sounds. His magical flute was made of purple bamaoo and it glows purple light in the dark. He is shown mounted on an Ox, a mythical beast.

曹國舅 Cao Guojiu (Royal Uncle Cao).

His direction is Northeast and his element is earth. He is one of two royal brothers whose sister was a Sung Empress. His symbol are the magical castanets (a pair of small pieces of bamboo plate that are joined at the top), which he plays in a soothing and relaxing rhythm to facilitate meditation and to help him journey through the universe. He is mounted on a Pi Yao whose spirit helps him unveil the secrets of the Tao and Immorality. He is said to be still living on earth. Having him in the home is said to invoke his protective presence. He is like a powerful protector who guards you without you even knowing it. He is an excellent friend of those who want to be successful in their studies.

The Eigth Immortals crossing the sea from Myths and Legends of China.

A set of the Eigth Immortals stamps from China.

The Thai stamps issued on 01/02/2011.

Dinosaurs.

Phuwiangosaurus sirindhornae (meaning "Phu Wiang lizard") is the name given to a genus of dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous. It was a titanosaur which lived in Thailand. The type species, P. sirindhornae, was described by Martin, Buffetaut, and Suteethorn in 1994, it was named to honour Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand on her interested on geology and palaeontology of Thailand. It was around 90 feet long.
This new genus is very different from the sauropods from the upper Jurassic of China. Abundant remains of juveniles, attributed to Phuwiangosaurus sirindhornae, provide new data on babies sauropodes, little known until now.

Siamotyrannus Isanensis (meaning "Siamese Tyrant") is a genus of theropod dinosaur from the early Cretaceous (Aptian-Albian). It is known from a partial skeleton which includes part of the pelvis, the sacrum, and a number of vertebrae. The fossils were found in 1993 by Somchai Traimwichanon in the Sao Khua Formation of northeastern Thailand. As evidenced by its name, it was originally thought to be a tyrannosauroid, though due to lacking some of the primary tyrannosauroid synapomorphies that define the clade, its position here is not certain. Some analyses have categorized Siamotyrannus as a primitive carnosaur rather than a basal tyrannosauroid, and it has several features that may determine it to be an allosaurid or a sinraptorid. Little is known of the appearance of the animal, though the known elements suggest it was approximately 6.5 meters long.

Siamosaurus Suteethorni (meaning "Siamese lizard") is a genus of theropod dinosaur from Early Cretaceous Thailand. The size of the animal is unknown, but it may have reached a length of about 9.1 meters (30 ft). The type species, Siamosaurus suteethorni, was formally described by Buffetaut and Ingavat in 1986. There is very little information on this Cretaceous meat-eater, but it is known from teeth that closely resemble those of Spinosaurus; it may have eaten fish.

 Psittacosaurus Sattayaraki (from the Greek for "parrot lizard") is a genus of psittacosaurid ceratopsian dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Period of what is now Asia, about 130 to 100 million years ago. It is notable for being the most species-rich dinosaur genus. Nine to eleven species are recognized from fossils found in different regions of modern-day China, Mongolia and Russia, with a possible additional species from Thailand.

                                                            Issued on 28/08/1997.                                

Wild Animals.

 

 

The Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) is a medium-sized wild cat of South and Southeast Asia. In 2008, the IUCN classified the fishing cat as endangered since they are concentrated primarily in wetland habitats, which are increasingly being settled, degraded and converted. Over the last decade, the fishing cat population throughout much of its Asian range declined severely. Fishing cat are endangered due to their dependence on wetlands, which are increasingly being settled and converted for agricultural use, and also due to human over-exploitation of local fish stocks. It is believed to be extirpated in Afghanistan, it may already be gone from Malaysia and China, and it has become rare throughout its remaining distribution range.

The tiger (Panthera tigris) is the largest cat species. Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts.
In zoos, tigers have lived for 20 to 26 years, which also seems to be their longevity in the wild.[5] They are territorial and generally solitary but social animals, often requiring large contiguous areas of habitat that support their prey requirements. This, coupled with the fact that they are indigenous to some of the more densely populated places on earth, has caused significant conflicts with humans. Tigers once ranged widely across Asia, from Turkey in the west to the eastern coast of Russia. Over the past 100 years, they have lost 93% of their historic range, and have been extirpated from southwest and central Asia, from the islands of Java and Bali, and from large areas of Southeast and Eastern Asia. Today, they range from the Siberian taiga to open grasslands and tropical mangrove swamps. The remaining six tiger subspecies have been classified as endangered by IUCN.

The leopard (Panthera pardus) is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its range of distribution has decreased radically because of hunting and loss of habitat. It is now chiefly found in sub-Saharan Africa; there are also fragmented populations in the Indian subcontinent, Sri Lanka, Indochina, Malaysia, Indonesia, and China. Because of its declining range and population, it is listed as a "Near Threatened" species on the IUCN Red List.

Compared to other members of the Felidae family, the leopard has relatively short legs and a long body with a large skull. It is similar in appearance to the jaguar, but is smaller and more slightly built. Its fur is marked with rosettes similar to those of the jaguar, but the leopard's rosettes are smaller and more densely packed, and do not usually have central spots as the jaguars do. 

Leopards live mainly in grasslands, woodlands, and riverine forests. They are usually associated with savanna and rainforest, but leopards are exceptionally adaptable: in the Russian Far East, they inhabit temperate forests where winter temperatures reach a low of −25 °C (−13 °F). Leopards are known for their ability in climbing, and have been observed resting on tree branches during the day, dragging their kills up trees and hanging them there, and descending from trees headfirst. They are powerful swimmers, very agile, and can run at over 58 kilometres per hour . and jump up to 3 metres. Leopards are versatile, opportunistic hunters, and have a very broad diet, consists mostly of ungulates and monkeys, but they also eat rodents, reptiles, amphibians, insects, birds (like the Vulturine Guineafowl), fish and sometimes smaller predators (such as bat-eared foxes, martens, and jackals).

The jungle cat (Felis chaus) is a medium-sized cat native to Asia from southern China in the east through Southeast and Central Asia to the Nile Valley in the west. It is listed as Least Concern in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as it is widespread and common particularly in India. Population declines and range contraction are of concern, particularly in Egypt, in the Caucasus, and in southwestern, Central and Southeast Asia.

Geographic variation in the jungle cat is quite considerable. Due to the small tuft on the ears it is also called the jungle lynx but is not related to the lynx

This species of cat is capable of being domesticated under certain conditions. Cat breeders have been able to hybridize jungle cats with certain domestic cats, producing such breeds as the "chausie" (Jungle Cat x domestic cat) and the "jungle bob" (Jungle Cat x Pixie Bob).

                                Issued on 13/04/1998.

Protecting the King of Jungle.

Tigers are mammals of the same family as cats. These large cats are unique in appearance and behavior. They are nocturnal animals who hunt at night. Tigers are recognized as the King of the jungle and hunters of exceptional skill. However, the rapid decrease in tiger population in recent years makes it imperative for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to seriously step up its tiger conservation efforts.
The WWF is an international organization that has been involved in wildlife conservation for over 40 years. Its missions are dedicated to the protection and conservation of natural resources and the environment through a combination of scientific knowledge and local wisdom. WWF has also developed close collaborations with numerous individuals, conservation groups and organizations at different levels in many countries all over the world.
- The Marbled Cat (Pardofelis marmorata) is a small wild cat of South and Southeast Asia. Since 2002 it has been listed as vulnerable by IUCN as it occurs at low densities, and its total effective population size is suspected to be fewer than 10,000 mature individuals, with no single population numbering more than 1,000. Marbled cats are found in tropical Indomalaya westward along the Himalayan foothills westward into Nepal and eastward into southwest China, and on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. They are primarily associated with moist and mixed deciduous-evergreen tropical forest.

- The Asiatic Golden Cat (Pardofelis temminckii) is the largest of the small cat species & can be found from Tibet, Nepal & India to Southern China through southeast Asia to Sumatra. This cat is very uncommon & threatened by deforestation, & hunting for their pelt. This sub species is classified at near threatened and they do not breed well in captivity.  Found only in the country of Borneo, the Bay Cat is still a mystery and may simply be a smaller island form of the Asian Golden Cat. Because of their reclusive nature and small habitat, they managed to elude photographers in the wild for a long time.

- The Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalsensis) is a small wild cat of South and East Asia. Leopard cats are about the size of a domestic cat, but more slender with longer legs and well-defined webs between the toes.
Their range extends from the Amur region in the Russian Far East over the Korean Peninsula, China, Indochina, the Indian Subcontinent, to the West in northern Pakistan, and to the south in the Philippines and the Sunda islands of Indonesia. They are found in agriculturally used areas but prefer forested habitats.
They are rare in Pakistan’s arid treeless areas. In Sabah’s Tabin Wildlife Reserve leopard cats had average home ranges of 3.5 km² (1.4 sq mi). In Thailand’s Phu Khieu Wildlife Reserve 20 leopard cats were radio-collared between 1999 and 2003.

- The Flat-headed Cat (Prionailurus planiceps) is a small wild cat patchily distributed in the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Borneo and Sumatra. Since 2008, it has been listed as Endangered by the IUCN due to destruction of wetlands in their habitat. It is suspected that the effective population size could be fewer than 2,500 mature individuals, with no subpopulation having an effective population size larger than 250 adult individuals.
The distribution of flat-headed cats is restricted to lowland tropical rainforests in extreme southern Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei Darussalam, Kalimantan and Sumatra. They primarily occur in freshwater habitats near coastal and lowland areas. More than 70% of records were collected less than 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) away from water.
Flat-headed cats occur in both primary and secondary forest.
                                                     It's the first WWF stamps of Thailand.
                                                     Issued on 26/09/2011.