THAI FRUIT FESTIVAL
May – July 2011
Throughout Thailand, a vast selection of fresh fruits are available all year round. However for a taste of the very best of Thai fruits, the height of the summer in May and June is the peak season. During this time of the year, a delightful assortment of exotic Thai fruits come into season.
Crispy and crunchy raw mango or ripe mangos juicy and full of flavour; sweet and fragrant bananas and custard apples; succulent fragrant longkong and zalacca; tangy thirst-quenching langsat and mangosteens; sweet rambutans, longans and jackfruit with thick, fleshy pulp; and rich, creamy durians. Refreshing and nutritious choices abound.
As succulent fruits ripen on the trees and are ready for harvest, fruit orchards in many of the eastern provinces of Thailand such as Chanthaburi, Rayong and Trat are open to visitors, presenting wonderful opportunities for private tours of the orchards and plantations, and agrotourism. Several offer fresh fruit buffets and ‘all-you can eat and pick’ at irresistible prices.
With a ready supply of freshly-picked fruits from the nearby orchards throughout the summer months from May to July, the annual ‘Fruit Festivals’ feature a vast array of quality local produce considered to be the provinces’ “best” and are the perfect place to savour the very best of a great variety of fresh Thai fruits, as well as locally processed fruit.
The annual fruit festival is extremely popular and attracts visitors from miles around because it provides a welcome opportunity to shop for products of exceptional quality, at truly bargain prices.
Colourful entertainment presents an added plus. In addition to contests such as the Fruit Festival Parade featuring a procession of floats decorated with fruit, the “Best Float”, creatively decorated with fruit, fruit contests including quality product contests such as “Best Fruits” (durian, rambutan, mangosteen and longkong), “Best Processed Fruits”. Other highlights include demonstrations of food-processing, fruit-eating contests, and the ever-popular beauty contest.
As the various types of fruits come into season at different intervals throughout the year, many other fruit fairs are held around the kingdom.
In addition to the sales of freshly-picked fruit, fruit contests, displays of agricultural and horticultural produce and sales of local handicrafts and products from each of the villages promoted under the OTOP – One Tambon One Product theme, the procession of colourful floats decorated with fruit and flowers paraded through the streets, beauty pageants, cultural performances and folk entertainment add to the festive ambience of the events.
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