Durian orchard farmers in Trat province are in tears after a seasonal storm battered their area, breaking durian trees and causing nearly 10,000 durians near harvest to fall. The damage is estimated at over one million baht. Village headmen are urgently surveying the damage to provide assistance.
On 6 March 2026 GMT+7, reporters reported that a severe seasonal storm hit durian orchards in Khao Saming subdistrict, Trat province. This caused about 10,000 nearly ripe durians to fall and many durian trees to topple. Although farmers had tied fruit and propped up trees to prevent damage, the wind’s strength was overwhelming. Initial damage estimates exceed one million baht, while village headmen are quickly assessing the damage to coordinate aid.
Mr. Cherdchai Chaemchoi, 46, a local farmer, said the storm came in two waves. The first was not very strong, but the second was so powerful that trees nearly fell. He said he had never experienced such a fierce storm before and felt helpless.
Mr. Cherdchai shared his feelings: “When I saw the fallen durians, my legs went weak, and I was still shocked and trembling. I roughly estimated nearly 1,000 durians were damaged—torn or fallen—including the Kradum variety I planned to harvest on 20 March. The Monthong variety also suffered heavy losses. Although I tried tying some fruit with strings, the strong wind swung the trees too much to hold.”
Mr. Boonyong Yucharoen, 72, another farmer whose orchard suffered heavy damage with six durian trees toppled, said his daughter called to inform him, so he hurried to check. He said the damage was immeasurable as the durians were nearly fully grown and scheduled for harvest in late April.
Mr. Boonyong added that the fallen durians must be discarded because the flesh was not yet ripe. They cannot be used to make ice cream or fried products, so they have no value. The toppled trees will be cut and sold as timber. He said this was the biggest loss since he started farming, likely due to changing environmental and weather conditions. Despite using metal supports and wires to brace trees, the wind was too strong to withstand.
Ms. Ampa Hongngern, 60, said the storm arrived around 2 p.m. in two waves, with the second being much stronger. She had tried to tie durian fruit since the morning but only managed half before the storm hit, leaving her unprepared. About 500 Monthong durians fell, weighing over a ton, with damage estimated between 100,000 and 200,000 baht. This batch was the first harvest they aimed to pick before the Songkran festival.
Mr. Apichat Rattanawong, village head of Village 2, Thung Nonsri subdistrict, summarized the overall damage: seven homes had roof damage, including carports and vehicles. Over 10 durian orchards were damaged, with about 10 durian trees toppled. The total fallen durians were estimated between 5,000 and nearly 10,000, with preliminary damage valued at not less than one million baht.
The Village 2 head added that this year’s storms were very strong, coming in three consecutive waves with intermittent winds. He urged farmers not yet affected to prepare by firmly supporting trunks, tying branches, and securing durian fruit to reduce risks from future storms.