BANGKOK, April 21 (Xinhua) -- A "fruit train" carrying 23 containers of durian and mangosteen arrived in Kunming on Wednesday, as Thai exporters increasingly turn to the China-Laos Railway for quick access to the Chinese market.
The train left Laem Chabang, Thailand's major port, and was transshipped by the China-Laos Railway.
Orathai Euatrakool, a 67-year-old former plant import and export expert for Thailand's Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, has observed the growth of durian exports in Thailand over the years.
"Previously, large numbers of durians were delivered to China mostly by road and sea, but these routes were highly unpredictable due to factors such as bad weather, sometimes taking more than 20 days to arrive," Orathai told Xinhua as she saw off the departure of the train.
Currently, goods can reach Kunming in three days after being hauled by the China-Laos Railway from Thailand, where more mature durians will be exported. The more mature the durian, the better the taste.
"Through the cold chain transportation on the China-Laos Railway, we hope that more Chinese consumers can enjoy the fresh and delicious Thai durians just like Thai people," said Orathai.
Natee Chuansanit, executive director of the Thailand Institute of Business Economics Research and Development, said, "China is currently Thailand's most important durian export market."
"We hope that more Chinese consumers will be able to sample better-tasting durians, thereby expanding the market for Thai durians," she said.
According to data from the Ministry of Commerce of Thailand, China was the largest export market for Thai durians in 2022, accounting for more than 96 percent of the total export volume, valued at 3.09 billion U.S. dollars.
The China-Laos Railway has opened up a new route for Thai durian exports and has alleviated prior issues of insufficient transportation capacity and the uncertainty of road and sea transport.
Kanokwan Suwankanit, director of freight service department of Thailand's State Railway, said that the opening of the China-Laos Railway has promoted the development of Thailand's railway freight, in which freight volumes have grown from 500-600 TEUs (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) in 2019 to 2,000 TEUs in 2022, with further expansion expected to reach more than 3,000 TEUs in 2023.
Produced by Xinhua Global Service
