I agree with the versatility of bamboos and their place in Thai society.

It would really be shameful to have to go and bring in other varieties of grass (like Miscanthus, Napier/Elephant/Bana/...) that may become weeds like many introduced species we have now. (On my last journey in Isan, I noticed young rubber trees everywhere and hardly any wild birds, wild animals, wild plants --except some at markets in border towns. We have changed the ecological makeup and we don't really know what impacts on our lives will be.) Surely, invasive species like Napier grass should be kept out or tested to ensure we can keep it in control.

Years away from Thailand is showing, I went and looked up http://th.wikipedia.org/wiki/ไผ่  and found there are 30 bamboos in Thailand but ไผ่สีสุกยักษ์ is not among them.

Can anyone help me with my learning?

Is ไผ่สีสุกยักษ์ the same as ไผ่ตากวาง (ชื่อวิทยาศาสตร์: Gigantochloa kurzii) or ไผ่เป๊าะ (ชื่อวิทยาศาสตร์: Dendrocalamus giganteus) or ไผ่ไร่ (ชื่อวิทยาศาสตร์: Gigantochloa albociliata)?