Chanthaburi Fruit Orchards

Chanthaburi produces more durian than any other Thai province and a very large share of the national crop, alongside mangosteen, rambutan, longkong and salak, and its economy has been transformed by Chinese demand - the export trade to China now drives prices, packing houses run through the season, and orchards that once sold locally now grade for shipment. From roughly April into June the province is in harvest, roadside stalls line the highways, and a number of orchards run buffet tours: a set price for as much fruit as you can eat in the orchard, usually with a walk through the trees and an explanation of the varieties. Mon Thong and Chanee are the common durian cultivars; Kan Yao is the expensive one. Two practical points: durian is banned in most hotels and on public transport across Thailand, and outside the April to June window the orchards are simply trees.

What you actually see

• The harvest - roadside stalls and packing houses through April to June.
• The buffet tours - set-price eating in the orchard with a walk through the trees.
• The varieties - Mon Thong, Chanee and the expensive Kan Yao.
• The export trade - Chinese demand reshaping the province's fruit economy.

When to go

April to June, which is the season - outside it there is no fruit and no tours. Book buffet tours ahead in peak weeks; they fill.

Honest expectations

A strict season; nothing to see outside it. Durian is banned in almost all hotels and on public transport - you cannot carry it back. Buffets are all-you-can-eat and most people badly overestimate their capacity.

Nearby

Chanthaburi town and the gem market are central; Namtok Phlio is south.