The fiery little pepper at the heart of Thai cooking — small, slender and seriously hot, on an astonishingly heavy-yielding plant. Pick them green or red and use them fresh in curries, stir-fries and dipping sauces.
The Story
The Thai chilli — พริก, the famous prik kee noo or "mouse-dropping chilli" — is the fiery soul of Thai cooking. Tiny and slender, it ripens from glossy green to brilliant red, and a single pod carries a bright, clean, lingering heat far bigger than its size.
Used green for a sharper bite or red for a rounder warmth, it is essential in curries, stir-fries, som tam, nam prik and countless dipping sauces. Few ingredients pack so much flavour and fire into something so small.
In the garden it is a star performer: a compact, bushy plant that crops with remarkable generosity, covering itself in dozens upon dozens of upright little chillies through the warm months. One healthy plant can keep a kitchen well supplied all season.
How Hot Is It?
The Thai chilli is many times hotter than a jalapeño, with a fast, sharp, clean heat. The scale above is illustrative, not linear. A little goes a long way — taste as you cook.
Grower's Profile
When to Sow in Australia
Thai chillies are warm-season and frost-tender, and reward a long, hot season. Start seed early under cover and transplant out only once nights are reliably warm. Use your local climate zone below as a guide.
| Climate Zone | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Darwin, Cairns |
G | G | H | H | S | S | G | G | H | H | G | G |
| Subtropical Brisbane, N. NSW |
G | H | H | H | · | · | I | I | S | S | G | G |
| Temperate Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, ACT |
G | H | H | H | · | · | I | I | I | S | G | G |
| Arid / Semi-arid Alice Springs, Mildura, WA inland |
G | H | H | · | · | · | I | I | S | S | G | G |
| Cool / Mountain Tasmania, Highlands |
G | H | H | · | · | · | I | I | I | I | S | G |
Growing Guide
Sow seed 5–8 mm deep in moist seed-raising mix. Keep at a steady 25–30°C; germination takes around 10–21 days. A heat mat or warm windowsill speeds things along.
When seedlings have a couple of true leaves, move them gently into individual pots. Keep warm, brightly lit and evenly moist to raise strong, bushy young plants.
Once all frost has passed and nights are warm, harden off over a week, then plant out 30–40 cm apart in full sun and rich, free-draining soil — or into a generous pot.
Feed every few weeks with a potassium-rich organic fertiliser to fuel that heavy crop. Keep watering consistent and stake the plant once it is laden with fruit.
Harvest green for a sharper bite or leave to ripen red for more depth. Frequent picking keeps this prolific plant producing wave after wave of chillies. Wear gloves.
Healthy Plants
Soft clusters on tips and flower buds that can spread virus. Blast off with water, encourage ladybirds, or use a mild organic soap spray, checking leaf undersides.
Tiny white flies that lift in clouds when disturbed, weakening plants and leaving sticky residue. Use yellow sticky traps and organic sprays, and keep plants well spaced.
A serious pest in many Australian regions. Use approved traps and exclusion netting, and dispose of any stung fruit promptly to break the breeding cycle.
A sunken dark patch at the base of the fruit, caused by uneven watering and calcium uptake. Keep soil moisture steady and mulch well — it is not a disease.
Pale, papery patches on exposed fruit during heatwaves. Encourage healthy leaf cover and use light shade cloth during extreme heat to protect the crop.
Seedlings collapse at the base in cold, wet conditions. Sow into warm fresh mix, avoid overwatering, and give trays good airflow and gentle warmth to prevent it.
At a Glance
| Botanical & Culinary Profile | |
|---|---|
| Common Names | Thai Chilli, Thai Bird's Eye, Prik Kee Noo (พริก) |
| Botanical Name | Capsicum annuum |
| Type | Open-pollinated — warm-season Thai chilli pepper |
| Heat Level | Very hot — approx. 50,000–100,000 Scoville Heat Units |
| Yield | Heavy — a very productive, prolific cropper |
| Seeds Per Pack | 15 seeds, hand-counted |
| Plant Height | Approx. 45–90 cm, compact and bushy |
| Sow Depth | 5–8 mm |
| Germination | 10–21 days at 25–30°C soil temperature |
| Spacing | 30–40 cm between plants |
| Days to Harvest | Approx. 80–100 days from transplant |
| Position | Full sun, warm, sheltered, rich free-draining soil; excellent in pots |
| Fruit | Small, slender; ripening green to red; usable at both stages; very hot |
| Uses | Curries, stir-fries, som tam, nam prik, dipping sauces (use sparingly) |
| Origin | AUS grown & hand-packed in Australia by Eternity Essential Store |
Handle With Care
Thai chillies are small but very hot. The capsaicin oil can cause a painful burning sensation on skin, lips and eyes. Wear gloves when cutting fresh or dried fruit, avoid touching your face, and wash hands, knives and surfaces thoroughly afterwards.
Introduce to food in very small amounts and taste as you go — one little pod can carry a lot of heat. Keep ripe fruit, dried chillies and any home-made sauce well out of reach of children and pets.
This product is sold as seed for growing. Grow, harvest and consume the resulting chillies responsibly and at your own discretion.
Postage & Delivery
Fast dispatch in protective, moisture-resistant packaging straight to your letterbox. Combined postage on multiple seed packets — buy more and save.
Worldwide postage is available to most destinations. Delivery times vary by country and customs processing. Carefully packed to travel safely over long distances.
Every order is hand-checked and sealed in clearly labelled packets with the variety name and basic sowing notes, so you know exactly what you are planting.
It is the buyer's responsibility to check their own country's (and where relevant, their state's) import regulations, quarantine rules and biosecurity requirements before purchasing seeds.
Seeds and plant material are restricted or prohibited in some regions. Please confirm that this product can be legally imported to your location. We cannot be held responsible for items seized, destroyed or delayed by customs or quarantine authorities, and such items are not eligible for refund where loss results from local import restrictions.
By placing an order you confirm that you have checked and comply with the relevant import and biosecurity rules for your delivery address.
Fifteen seeds can fill your summer with hundreds of fiery little Thai chillies — enough for curries, stir-fries, sauces and a chilli stash to share. Add this pack to your basket and turn up the heat.
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