CHANTHABURI, Thailand – Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra visited Chanthaburi Province today, where she demonstrated durian harvesting, met with fruit farmers, and listened to concerns regarding fluctuating prices and unstable market standards. Farmers urged the government to address delays in fruit clearance and labor shortages. In response, the Prime Minister assured that the government is working to streamline export documentation and reduce border inspection times.
Accompanied by Minister Attached to the Prime Minister’s Office Jiraporn Sindhuprai, Deputy Commerce Minister Suchart Chomklin, and Deputy Agriculture Ministers Itthi Sirilatthayakorn and Akkara Promphao, the Prime Minister held discussions at “Suan Ruk Tawan” orchard in Songphinong Subdistrict, Tha Mai District. There, she listened to concerns from fruit growers and buyers about rising production costs and inconsistent fruit pricing. She also observed a live-streaming durian sale session by a new generation of tech-savvy farmers under the Young Smart Farmer program.
Members of Parliament (MPs) from Chanthaburi and Trat provinces, representing the Prachachon Party (People’s Party), including Ms. Yanthicha Bua-phuean (Chanthaburi, District 3), Mr. Warayut Thongsuk (Chanthaburi, District 1), and Mr. Sakdinai Numnoo (Trat), were present to present local agricultural issues to the Prime Minister. She was briefed on the regional fruit production situation by Chanthaburi Governor Monsit Paisanthanawat and was urged to improve fruit marketing strategies—particularly for durians, a key export fruit.
Durian exporters proposed the establishment of on-site laboratory testing facilities in major fruit-growing provinces like Chanthaburi and Chumphon to speed up certification and improve cash flow. They also suggested using international influencers, such as Lisa from BLACKPINK, to promote Thai fruit abroad.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn expressed support for drafting new regulations to control durian quality, including setting moisture content standards and requiring joint inspections between government agencies and private sector collectors. Mangosteen farmers raised concerns over price discrepancies—low at the farm but high at market—and called for pricing transparency at buying centers. They also requested faster customs processing at Chinese checkpoints, where current inspection delays of 8–12 days lead to fruit spoilage.
MP Yanthicha requested an extension for migrant labor permits and cross-provincial work rights, especially during harvest season, and also called for emergency funding to address wild elephant invasions destroying crops.
The Prime Minister said she was pleased to meet with Chanthaburi farmers and is committed to resolving their concerns. She has directed the Agriculture Ministry to work with private buyers to stabilize fruit prices and minimize waste. She confirmed that lab infrastructure nationwide would be strengthened and that research funding has already been approved to support agricultural exports amid global changes.
On customs bottlenecks with China, she noted progress through bilateral collaboration between Thai and Chinese teams to reduce inspection time. She stressed that a one-stop service system is in development to fast-track export documentation and residue testing, allowing Chinese buyers to conduct joint inspections in Thailand. She added that new inspection facilities are being built at the border to cut clearance time from 8–12 days down to 24 hours.
The Prime Minister also confirmed that a new law on fruit quality control will be announced on July 10, and each provincial governor will lead a local team to set fair and transparent pricing and quality criteria. For labor issues, she assigned the Ministry of Interior to work with provincial authorities to find flexible solutions.
Addressing the issue of wild elephants invading farms, she acknowledged the danger to human life and pledged to treat it as a special case, noting, “As long as we still breathe, we will fight. This is life. If I can’t think of a solution, I’ll ask the governor.”
Afterward, the Prime Minister visited an exhibition on the fruit production landscape in Chanthaburi and Eastern Thailand. She also participated in a durian tree planting ceremony, observed agricultural technology demonstrations such as pesticide-spraying drones, and visited a 100-year-old durian tree. She captured a video of a durian being harvested and, after cutting one herself, remarked with a smile, “I’ve been to durian orchards before. The harvesters are very skilled—none of the fruit ever falls.” When told the durian weighed about three kilograms, she joked, “No problem—carrying my child is heavier than this.” (TNA)
