October 27, 2025
BANGKOK – ‘Khao Banthat Mon Thong’ durian is crowned Thailand’s highest-earning geographical indication product, valued at 11 billion baht.
Durian has cemented its position as Thailand’s hero export, with the “Khao Banthat Mon Thong Durian” becoming the country’s highest-earning Geographical Indication (GI) product, generating over 11 billion baht in revenue in the first nine months of 2025.
According to Auramon Supthaweethum, Director-General of the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP), the success of Thai GI goods reflects their outstanding quality and unique regional characteristics, driving high demand both domestically and abroad.
Agricultural and food products dominated the top 10 list of Thai GI earners between January and September 2025, collectively contributing over 46 billion baht to the national economy.
Durian products claimed the top three spots, showcasing the global appetite for the prized fruit:
“Khao Banthat Mon Thong Durian” (Trat): 11.047 billion baht
Key Feature: Known for its unique sweet and creamy flavour and light yellow flesh. It is grown in the fertile Khao Banthat mountain range, where strong sea winds cause the trees stress, stimulating early flowering and an earlier harvest than other regions.
“Saded Nam Durian” (Yala): 6.661 billion baht
Key Feature: Distinguished by its dry, non-soggy flesh with minimal fibre and a sweet, creamy taste, cultivated on high ground (100 metres above sea level).
“Mon Thong Durian” (Rayong): 4.886 billion baht
Key Feature: Praised for its thin shell, thick, dry, and sticky flesh, with a subtle aroma and rich, well-rounded flavour.
All three varieties are heavily exported, primarily to China, underscoring strong international demand for premium Thai durian.
Boosting Local Products
Other significant GI earners in the top 10 included Buriram Volcano Hom Mali Rice (4.812 billion baht) and Thap Sakae Coconut (3.776 billion baht).
Notably, Laopae Liquor from Phrae, a newly registered GI product in July 2025, quickly climbed to sixth place, generating 3.632 billion baht in just a few months.
Auramon attributed the overall success to a multi-pronged strategy:
Protection and Quality: The GI certification assures consumers of the product’s origin and quality, with strict control systems ensuring traceability. This protection mechanism has led to an average price increase of 2 to 5 times for registered goods.
Market Access: Promoting premium goods to high-purchasing-power markets like China, Malaysia, and Japan.
Value Creation: Elevating GI products through initiatives such as inclusion in fine-dining menus, advanced processing, linking production sites with cultural tourism, and developing modern packaging. The department’s “Art of Durian” concept for Rayong Mon Thong Durian, for example, used vivid cartoon illustrations to enhance its premium image.
The DIP is committed to leveraging GI as a key mechanism to strengthen local economies under the Commerce Minister’s “Quick Big Win” policy, ultimately aiming to make the GI mark a national symbol of quality that secures the livelihoods of local farmers and entrepreneurs.