Thai in a grow kit, and which Thai product to choose

Thai is sold in the Netherlands in three forms: a fully colonised 1200cc kit that only needs misting, a larger 2100cc XXL kit, and spores for people who inoculate their own substrate. For a first grow the 1200cc FreshMushrooms kit is the simplest choice; the XXL kit gives more substrate for the same work; spores only make sense with sterile equipment and experience. Buying a kit is legal in the Netherlands, while the mushrooms are illegal once they appear (see the law). The general steps of growing are the same for every cubensis kit; this page covers what is specific to Thai and to these products.

What the shop says about Thai

Dutch-Smart describes the Thai line in two places. On the spore products: "This strain from Thailand is very suitable for beginners. It has an average colonization rate and is fairly easy to grow. The mushrooms emerge simultaneously in large numbers and can grow quite large during later flushes." On the XXL kit: Thai mushrooms "are known for their high yield. In terms of potency, they are similar to Mexican magic mushrooms."

Put together, the shop profile of Thai is a forgiving, average-speed line that tends to fruit in one even wave, with larger mushrooms in later flushes. No independent study of Thai growth rates or yields exists that we could find, so read these as the shop's experience with its own cultures.

The three Thai products compared

The FreshMushrooms kit is the one the shop describes as fully colonised with mycelium "for the best harvest", with a lower risk of contamination and no soaking: "simply spraying a little water into the grow kit every now and then is enough". The box comes with a grow bag with air filters and a manual in Dutch and English.

Which one to choose

First time, least effort. Take the 1200cc Thai FreshMushrooms kit. It arrives fully grown through, so the colonisation stage is already done; the shop says this lowers the risk of contamination.

Done a kit before, want more substrate. The Thai XXL kit has 2100cc of substrate, nearly twice the 1200cc box, so it has more material to fruit from per setup.

Experienced, working sterile. Thai spores come as a vial for use with a syringe, or as a ready syringe. Spores contain no psilocybin and are legal to buy in the Netherlands. They need a sterile workflow, which this site does not cover.

Thai next to other cultivars

If you are choosing between cultivars, two things are known. The shop places Thai at the same potency as Mexican. And a laboratory study that measured five cultivars with one method found Thai at the low end of the five, with B+ about a quarter higher (details on the strength page). A practical ladder from that information:

A single study of three mushrooms per cultivar is a thin basis, and differences between flushes can be larger than differences between names. Use the ladder to pick a cultivar; it says nothing exact about the size of a portion.

Small things that help

• A precision scale. Mushroom weights vary a lot, and a scale that reads to 0.1 gram makes it possible to know what a portion is.
• Light. A kit needs some light to fruit. A small grow light helps in a dark room; keep the kit out of direct sun.

Before ordering, read the law. After growing, the questions are about strength and effects.