A Gram-positive, endospore-forming, rod-shaped bacterium, strain PD-A10^T, was isolated from salted crab (poo-khem) in Thailand and subjected to a taxonomic study. Phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics, including phylogenetic analyses, showed that the novel strain was a member of the genus Bacillus. The novel strain grew in medium with 0–14 % (w/v) NaCl, at 4–55 °C and at pH 4.5–9. The predominant quinone was a menaquinone with seven isoprene units (MK-7). The major fatty acids were anteiso-C_15 : 0 and anteiso-C_17 : 0. Polar lipid analysis revealed the presence of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, lysylphosphatidylglycerol, glycolipid and unknown lipids. The DNA G+C content was 41.4 mol%. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities between strain PD-A10^T and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens NBRC 15535^T, Bacillus subtilis DSM 10^T, Bacillus vallismortis DSM 11031^T and Bacillus mojavensis IFO 15718^T were 99.5, 99.4, 99.4 and 99.2 %, respectively. Strain PD-A10^T showed a low degree similarity of rep-PCR fingerprints and low DNA–DNA relatedness with the above-mentioned species. On the basis of the data gathered in this study, strain PD-A10^T should be classified as representing a novel species of the genus Bacillus, for which the name Bacillus siamensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is PD-A10^T (=BCC 22614^T=KCTC 13613^T).

Eighteen rod-shaped homofermentatives, six heterofermentatives, and a coccal homofermentative lactic acid bacteria were isolated from fermented tea leaves (miang) produced in the northern part of Thailand. The isolates were placed in a monophyletic cluster consisting of Lactobacillus and Pediococcus species. They were divided into seven groups by phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics, DNA-DNA similarity, and 16S rRNA gene sequences. Groups I to VI belonged to Lactobacillus and Group VII to Pediococcus. All of the strains tested produced DL-lactic acid but those in Group IV produced L-lactic acid. The strains tested in Groups I, II and V had meso-diaminopimelic acid in the cell wall. Six strains in Group I were identified as Lactobacillus pantheris; five strains in Group II as Lactobacillus pentosus; and four strains in Group V as Lactobacillus suebicus. Two strains in Group VI showed high DNA-DNA similarity for each other and MCH4-2 was closest to Lactobacillus fermentum CECT 562(T) with 99.5% of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity. Five strains in Group III are proposed as Lactobacillus thailandensis sp. nov., and MCH5-2(T) (BCC 21235(T)=JCM 13996(T)=NRIC 0671(T)=PCU 272(T)) is the type strain which has 49 mol% G+C of DNA. Two strains in Group IV are proposed as Lactobacillus camelliae sp. nov., and the type strain is MCH3-1(T) (BCC 21233(T)=JCM 13995(T)=NRIC 0672(T)=PCU 273(T)) which has 51.9 mol% G+C of DNA. One strain in Group VII is proposed as Pediococcus siamensis sp. nov., and MCH3-2(T) (BCC 21234(T)=JCM 13997(T)=NRIC 0675(T)=PCU 274(T)) is the type strain which has 42 mol% G+C of DNA.

Four strains of acetic acid bacteria were isolated from flowers collected in Thailand. In phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and 16S–23S rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region sequences, the four isolates were located in the lineage of the genus Gluconobacter and constituted a separate cluster from the known Gluconobacter species, Gluconobacter oxydans, Gluconobacter cerinus, and Gluconobacter frateurii. In addition, the isolates were distinguished from the known species by restriction analysis of 16S–23S rDNA ITS region PCR products using three restriction endonucleases Bsp1286I, MboII, and AvaII. The DNA base composition of the isolates ranged from 55.3–56.3 mol% G+C. The four isolates constituted a taxon separate from G. oxydans, G. cerinus, and G. frateurii on the basis of DNA-DNA similarities. Morphologically, physiologically, and biochemically, the four isolates were very similar to the type strains of G. oxydans, G. cerinus, and G. frateurii; however, the isolates were discriminated in their growth at 37°C from the type strains of G. cerinus and G. frateurii, and in their growth on L-arabitol and meso-ribitol from the type strain of G. oxydans. The isolates showed no acid production from myo-inositol or melibiose, which differed from the type strains of the three known species. The major ubiquinone homologue was Q-10. On the basis of the results obtained, Gluconobacter thailandicus sp. nov. was proposed for the four isolates. The type strain is isolate F149-1T (=BCC 14116T=NBRC 100600T=JCM 12310T=TISTR 1533T=PCU 225T), which had 55.8 mol% G+C, isolated from a flower of the Indian cork tree (Millingtonia hortensis) collected in Bangkok, Thailand.

A Gram-positive and catalase-negative coccus that formed chains, designated strain FP48-3^T, isolated from fermented sausage (‘mum’), was studied systematically. Strain FP48-3^T was facultatively anaerobic and produced l-lactic acid from glucose. Straight-chain fatty acids C_18 : 1 and C_16 : 0 were the dominant components. The DNA G+C content of strain FP48-3^T was 37.9 mol%. On the basis of 16S rRNA and RNA polymerase α-subunit (rpoA) gene sequence analysis, strain FP48-3^T was closely related to Enterococcus hirae LMG 6399^T, Enterococcus durans LMG 10746^T and Enterococcus faecium LMG 11423^T, with 99.3–99.6 and 95.1–96.9 % sequence similarities, respectively. Strain FP48-3^T could be clearly distinguished from E. hirae LMG 6399^T, E. durans LMG 10746^T and E. faecium LMG 11423^T by low DNA–DNA relatedness (≤14 %) and phenotypic characteristics. Therefore, this strain represents a novel species of the genus Enterococcus, for which the name Enterococcus thailandicus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is FP48-3^T (=KCTC 13134^T=NBRC 101867^T=NRIC 0107^T=TISTR 933^T=PCU 282^T).

A Gram-positive, rod-shaped, strictly aerobic, spore-forming, moderately halophilic bacterium, designated strain SSK2-2T, was isolated from fermented shrimp paste (ka-pi) produced in Thailand. It contained MK-7 as the predominant menaquinone and meso-diaminopimelic acid in the cell-wall peptidoglycan. The isolate grew at 8–43 °C, pH 6–9 and in 0.5–24 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 6–14 % NaCl). The major cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C15 : 0 and anteiso-C17 : 0. Phosphatidylglycerol and diphosphatidylglycerol were the major polar lipid components. The DNA G+C content was 39.7 mol%. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses showed that strain SSK2-2T was most closely related to Oceanobacillus picturae KCTC 3821T with 98.7 % sequence similarity. Based on phenotypic and molecular features combined with DNA–DNA hybridization results (≤24.9 % with O. picturae KCTC 3821T), this strain represents a novel species of the genus Oceanobacillus for which the name Oceanobacillus kapialis sp. nov. is proposed; the type strain is SSK2-2T (=KCTC 13177T=PCU 300T=TISTR 1858T).

A Gram-positive, spore-forming and moderately halophilic bacterium was isolated from fermented fish (pla-ra) in Thailand. Cells of the isolate, RBU1-1^T, were strictly aerobic, motile rods and contained meso-diaminopimelic acid in the cell-wall peptidoglycan. Menaquinone with seven isoprene units (MK-7) was the predominant quinone. This isolate grew at 15–48 °C, pH 5–9 and in 2–30 % NaCl (optimally 10–20 %). The major cellular fatty acids were iso-C_15 : 0 and anteiso-C_15 : 0. Polar lipid analysis revealed the presence of phosphatidylglycerol and diphosphatidylglycerol. The DNA G+C content was 36.7 mol%. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that strain RBU1-1^T was a member of the family Bacillaceae, and belonged to a cluster with Filobacillus and Tenuibacillus; strain RBU1-1^T showed 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities of 96.0–96.9 % to members of these two genera. Strain RBU1-1^T could also be differentiated from members of the genera Filobacillus and Tenuibacillus based on certain phenotypic characteristics such as cell-wall composition, mode of flagellation and growth pH range. Therefore, strain RBU1-1^T is considered to represent a novel species in a new genus in the family Bacillaceae, for which the name Piscibacillus salipiscarius gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Piscibacillus salipiscarius is RBU1-1^T (=JCM 13188^T=PCU 270^T=TISTR 1571^T).