According to the Thai Ministry of Commerce, China will account for 34.88% of Thailand’s agricultural product export market in 2024, and fruit exports are particularly dependent on the Chinese market. Taking the five main exported fruits as an example, Thailand will export 859,183 tons of durian in 2024, worth US$3.7557 billion (about 134.852 billion baht), and mainland China will account for 97.4% of its export market, almost supporting the entire share of Thailand’s durian exports. In the same year, Thailand exported 527,927 tons of longan, worth US$571.2 million (about 19.698 billion baht), and China, as the largest export market, accounted for 73.1%. In terms of mangosteen, 91.0% of Thailand’s fresh mangosteen is exported to China, with an export volume of 284,860 tons in 2024, worth US$490.5 million (about 17.573 billion baht). China accounts for 82.7% of the total value of coconut exports. Mango exports to China account for a relatively low proportion, but also account for 61.8% of Thailand’s total fresh mango exports.
It is reported that Thailand’s fruit production is expected to reach 6.736 million tons in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 15%, of which durian production is expected to reach 1.76 million tons (a year-on-year increase of 37%) and mango production is expected to reach 1.3 million tons (a year-on-year increase of 10%). In order to stabilize fruit prices, the Thai Ministry of Commerce has taken a number of measures to promote exports and accelerate market expansion with the help of multiple online platforms.
To ensure the quality of durian exported to China, relevant Thai agencies strictly inspect the entire process of durian exported to China, from orchard planting management to post-harvest screening, packaging, and transportation. The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives strictly supervises product quality inspections, especially for cadmium and alkaline yellow substances that are strictly controlled in China. Once violations are found, legal action will be taken immediately to ensure fruit quality from the source.
The Department of Foreign Trade of the Ministry of Commerce of Thailand has formulated a strategy to enhance the credibility of the quality of Thai durian through the overseas offices of the Department of International Trade Promotion and the provincial commercial offices. Emphasize the taste and quality advantages of Thai fruits and their differences from competing products, coordinate with customs checkpoints and importers, and promote trade with real-time data updates. Expand the online market, cooperate with Douyin, Weibo, Xiaohongshu influencers and anchors to create promotional content for Thai durian to attract young consumers; jointly organize the “Thai Fruit Golden Month” online event with e-commerce platforms such as Tmall and JD.com, set May 5 as Thai Durian Day, and create selling points in combination with the best production time. In addition, Thailand will also increase sales through international exhibitions, include Thai durian in import trade exhibitions such as the China-ASEAN Trade Expo, and invite Chinese importers to participate in Thai trade exhibitions such as THAIFEX to explore direct business opportunities.
At the same time, the Thai government is actively expanding the domestic market. The Thai Ministry of Industry signed a 100,000-ton purchase contract with fruit producers, purchasing fruit directly from producers and putting it on the domestic market to increase supply and consumer demand. The government also implemented a purchase subsidy policy for another 90,000 tons of fruit. Fruit dealers can receive a subsidy of 3 baht for every kilogram purchased (1 RMB is approximately 5.05 baht), encouraging dealers to purchase more and promote domestic fruit circulation and consumption.
