BANGKOK: Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun is set to join online influencer and live-commerce seller Pimrypie for a major livestream 7pm to sell one million Monthong durians at a promotional price of THB100 (RM12) per fruit.
The campaign has drawn attention online, prompting the Commerce Ministry to clarify that the THB100 offer is a promotion aimed at distributing lower-grade Monthong to help farmers manage a 2026 crop expected to rise by more than 33%.
Pimrypie has promoted the campaign on social media, saying she is ready to offer Monthong durians direct from orchards, while stressing that “Thai people should be able to eat good produce at the best possible price”.
Amid public debate over product “grade”, Koranit Nonjui, deputy spokesperson for the Commerce Ministry, said the THB100 promotion involves secondary-grade durians intended for the domestic market, not export-grade fruit (Grade D).
He said the fruit may be relatively ripe, with less attractive shape, but with good flesh and taste—suited to smaller households—and designed to give lower-grade produce a reliable outlet and a fair price.
Officials said recent checks found durian prices at around THB140-150 per kilogramme, broadly in line with market conditions and seasonal quality. - The Nation/ANN
