Storm batters Chanthaburi orchard, sending 10 tonnes of durian crashing down

A powerful summer storm has caused severe damage to a durian orchard in Chanthaburi, sending more than 10 tonnes of fruit crashing to the ground and leaving the grower in tears just as harvest time approached.

The storm struck Chanthaburi at around 5.30pm on April 30, bringing heavy rain and strong gusts of wind that battered orchards in the province.

One of the hardest-hit areas was Tok Phrom subdistrict in Khlung district, where Ban Suan Benchamat, owned by Facebook user “Neeranuch Keawpung”, suffered heavy damage.

The owner posted a heartbreaking video showing her walking through the orchard as fallen durian trees lay scattered across the ground. More than 10 trees were toppled by the storm, while large quantities of fruit were left strewn across the plantation.

In the post, she wrote: “Do the tears of farmers matter to anyone?”

According to her initial update, the damage was overwhelming, with more than 10 tonnes of durian already lost. The figure did not include further damage in the hillside plot and lower plantation area, which had not yet been fully inspected.

Speaking through tears in the video, the grower said: “How am I supposed to cope with this? We were about to cut the second batch of durian. This is a natural disaster. People can’t just tell us to sell them for 100 baht each. Please look at the risks farmers have to carry.”

Her words reflected the hardship faced by growers who invest labour, money and hope throughout the year, only to see everything damaged within minutes by forces beyond their control.

After the video was shared, many netizens posted messages of support. Some wrote that they were sending encouragement, while others said the incident showed the uncertainty farmers face before their produce reaches the market.

The orchard owner has since thanked people for their support and announced that she is looking for traders or buyers interested in purchasing “storm-fallen durian” to help reduce losses and turn the damaged harvest into funds for recovery.

A powerful summer storm that tore through Chanthaburi on April 30, toppling durian trees and sending more than 10 tonnes of near-harvest fruit crashing to the ground, has prompted Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit to order urgent relief for affected growers.

In response, Suriya instructed the Department of Agricultural Extension to send provincial and district agricultural officials into the affected areas immediately to assess the damage. Their findings will be reported to the Agricultural Disaster Monitoring and Resolution Centre, which will compile the information for compensation under Finance Ministry regulations.

He also ordered the Cooperative Promotion Department to coordinate with agricultural cooperatives in Chanthaburi to set up buying points for storm-fallen durian that remains suitable for processing. Fruit that meets dry-weight standards will be channelled into processing as fried durian or durian paste, helping farmers recover part of their lost income.

The Department of Agriculture has been assigned to monitor product quality, especially to prevent immature or substandard fallen durian from entering the market.

Officials will also advise farmers on restoring damaged orchards, including pruning broken branches, supporting damaged limbs and tying fruit to prevent further losses.

Farmers can seek assistance through the Pirunraj One Stop Service centres at district agricultural offices, which will act as contact points for complaints and coordination. Suriya said the aim is to reduce procedures and deliver help to growers as quickly as possible.