Business · Economy · 1 hr ago
Worker shortages leave fruit unpicked in eastern Thailand
Fruit growers in eastern Thailand are struggling to find enough workers to harvest their crops.
In Chanthaburi province, grower Jomsak Putirattana lost five Cambodian workers after a border dispute disrupted crossings.
Mangosteens and rambutans are among the ripe fruits being left on trees.
Daily wages have risen from about 350 to 400 baht to as much as 800 to 1,000 baht in some cases.
Those higher costs make it uneconomical to pick some lower-value crops.
Growers are having to choose which fruit is worth harvesting and which may be left to rot.
The available information does not say what steps will follow.
A shortage of migrant workers in eastern Thailand is leaving ripe mangosteen and rambutan unpicked.
Growers are choosing which crops are valuable enough to harvest and leaving others to rot.
Jomsak Putirattana, a grower in Chanthaburi province, lost five Cambodian workers after a border dispute disrupted crossings.
Daily wages have more than doubled in some cases, making some lower-value crops too costly to harvest.
- Who
- Fruit growers in eastern Thailand, including Jomsak Putirattana, are affected by the shortage of migrant workers.
- What
- Ripe fruit is being left unpicked as growers face competition for workers and higher wages.
- When
- Not stated
- Where
- Eastern Thailand, including Chanthaburi province.
- Why
- A shortage of migrant workers has intensified competition for labour; a border dispute disrupted crossings and led Jomsak’s five Cambodian workers to leave.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Crossings were disrupted and Jomsak Putirattana’s five Cambodian workers left.
Daily wages rose from about 350–400 baht to as much as 800–1,000 baht in some cases.
- Affected fruit
- Mangosteen and rambutan
- Grower
- Jomsak Putirattana
- Province
- Chanthaburi
- Workers who left
- Five Cambodian workers
- Daily wages
- About 350–400 baht before; as much as 800–1,000 baht in some cases
Sources
Related news
Singapore startup opens lithium recovery plant and raises US$7.6 million
Thailand considers $30 departure tax for tourists
Singapore draws climate tech startups with green energy ambitions
Bounty begins technical review of Liberia’s deepwater Block LB-32
Malaysia’s King Buys Stake in Miner Expanding Into Rare Earths
VW’s Bratislava factory faces uncertainty but may gain new models
Mutua expects to take full control of Colombian insurer by the end of 2026
Singapore Bank Selloff Puts City-State’s Safe Haven Status to the Test
Talonx appoints Botswana copper veteran to help guide Kihabe exploration
Singapore’s central bank likely to tighten policy again
Gulf Air tops Middle East and Africa for on-time arrivals in September
