Thailand will add rail service for durian exports to China this month
The first direct shipment of Thai durians to China by train will occur on April 19, Chanthaburi Governor Monsit Paisarnthanawat said on Saturday.
Durians will be transported in refrigerated containers along with mangosteens and frozen seafood, from Map Ta Phut in Rayong province to Kunming, Chongqing, and Guangzhou in southern China.
Between 700 and 1,000 containers are expected to be shipped to China this year, according to the governor. It will take three to four days for a freight train to travel from Map Ta Phut to Kunming, four to five days to Chongqing, and five to six days to Guangzhou, he said.
The shipments on April 19 will pave the way for expansion of Thai exports via train to other areas in China as well as European countries with rail links with China, Monsit said.
Pan-Asia Silk Road Co Ltd will provide a “door to door” service linking Thai durian dealers to fruit markets in China, and it will take care of Customs paperwork, and other import-export procedures, he said.
The governor said that the plan calls for 30 refrigerated containers of durians and other food shipments to be transported by train every day from Thailand to China and the number may rise.
This year’s goal is to transport as many as 120 refrigerated containers per day, Monsit said at an event to promote exports of durians grown in eastern seaboard provinces, including Chanthaburi, which is a major producer of Thai durians.
