Looks like a Thai hot to me. The smaller ones are Thai hot Ornamentals. I think you got the real thing. :)

I think another problem may be that there could be a few varieties of "Thai hot pepper" or "Thai chili". They do look a bit like cayenne at first glance, but when you see more of them side-by-side, you can start to discern a differences.

Looks like Thai Hot to me also. Like gardenper said, there are many varieties of Thai peppers and I know which variety you're talking about, Bruce. They're a shorter, fatter pepper. Can't remember the name though.

Kevin

I'm getting very frustrated with these Thai's. I had some seeds I got years ago called Thai Hot Orange. I loved them, small fruit, bright florescent orange, grows upright and the plant is covered in them (extremely ornamental), and they are really flavorful. Well, I wasn't able to collect seeds last year and I purchased some Thai orange. I don't think they are the same thing, the fruit is bigger than the ones I used to have and they aren't even ripe yet. Does anyone know if there is a difference between Thai Orange and Thai Hot Orange? I need to find where I purchased my original seed.
Pam

Kevin, those look just like "Japone" I grew last year. Of the three I grew to maturity, one was just like the bunched, upright form factor in your second pic - the other two were more open. The pods are quite distinctive, though, with the heavy caps.

I'd say one of us got something slightly mis-labeled (I got mine in a seed swap).

Dennis

Dennis: The Thai Hot(store bought 3 years ago) and the Japones(smokemaster seeds, thanks Mike) I grew last year grow the exact same way. I can't tell any difference in fruit either--- size, shape, or flavor. To the trained pepper expert, maybe he/she could tell the difference. Btw, those are Bruce's pics.

Pam: no idea. Probably the same thing, just named differently by different suppliers.

Kevin

Those look very similar to the Thai Dragon peppers I grew for a couple years. I couldn't find those plants this year. My Thai Dragon got to be over 4' tall, and when I took everything else out of the veggie bed, I left that one as a Xmas decoration out there! The chilies dried on the stems in the winter sunshine.

-Babka

Thanks guys. I am going to assume I have a Thai Hot or at least one version of it. I am also growing a Thai Dragon this year. Looking forward to seeing how that turns out.
Bruce

I hope you got the Thai Dragon hybrid and not the heirloom. The hybrid is really tasty, and it's much bigger than the heirloom. I thought the heirloom had really tough skin and full of seeds with a kinda nasty flavor.

Kevin, I don't see how it could be the same variety when they are so different. Also the plant I have now the fruit seems to be growing down and not up. I guess time will tell.
Pam

I've grown these for three years, and the second pic looks just like a Thai Hot. Mine got about 4-1/2' tall, and the fruit was in bunches. Damn good pepper. Dries well and makes good Piri-piri sauce...

Thanks tomt226: Yah, all those photos are the same plant.

but now I have another issue. I grew two of these this year again and have since transplanted them both into a single 5 gallon pail. I just noticed that they don't look anything like the one I grew last year...I have to check to see if it was seed from last year's plant or another source for this year's plant. And I thought I had everything under control this year???

Here are the two I am growing this year.
Bruce

Yeah, they do look different. I've gotten variations in stem and leaves on some of my Thai's too. Have to wait, I guess...