Lunchbreakjan18mcc: Students enjoy fresh oranges under the durian trees in the orchard before having lunch. (McCandless)

Suntareepalmfactoryjan18mcc: Dr. Suntaree Yingjajaval, professor of biotechnology at Kasetsart University, explains the difference between filtered and cloudy palm oil, and the nutritional differences of each to a skeptical group of students. (McCandless)

Thindurianjan18kayser: This worker is thinning durian fruit in Mr. Yong’s orchard so that the harvested crop will be of sufficient size to command a good price in the marketplace. (Kayser)

Mangrovejan18mcc: Dr. Ronnie Coffman (left) explains a mangrove reforestation project to
some of the Indian students. (McCandless)

January 18
A few early morning swimmers catch the notice of the local fisherman, and breakfast is had on the beach as the waters from the Gulf of Thailand gently kiss the shore. No one wants to leave, but there are still three stops to make before we arrive in Bangkok. The pace seems to quicken even more as the trip is coming to a close.

First, we tour the mangrove forest at the Kung Krabaen Bay Royal Development Study Centre in Chanthaburi on Thailand’s east coast—a reforestation project initiated by the Thai king. Replanting the mangroves has helped restore the ecological balance of the area, enabling farmers to increase self-sufficiency in the long run. It also improves the standard of living through aquaculture and the development of intensive shrimp farming which is environmentally friendly. The Centre depends on development-oriented tourism; 200,000 visitors walk the 1.5 km teak-planked trail that winds through the mangrove trees every year.

Next, we stop at the durian orchard of Mr. Yong where again we meet up with Dr. Poovarodom, who is our tour guide and interpreter. The “king of fruit” has a distinctive aroma and taste particularly enjoyed by the Japanese, and is widely exported. Workers are high in the trees thinning this year’s crop. They will thin it twice. The thorny-fruited durian requires a lot of labor. The 76-year-old farmer and his daughter provide us with lunch and durian chips and freeze-dried durian as the fruit is not yet in season.

Saving the stinkiest for last, we stop at the Suksomboon Oil Palm Company where we get a tour best remembered for the noise, the heat, and the smell of burning palm. Divided into four groups, we wind our way through the production facilities, following the path of the bunches of fruits which can weigh as much as 40 kilograms each. Each fruit is about the size of a hard plum and contains a palm kernel surrounded by an oily pulp, both of which are the source of palm oil. Oil is used as a source of vegetable oil, and will likely be used for biodiesel in the future. Thailand is the world’s third largest producer of palm oil. In addition to explaining some of the more technical aspects of oil palm production, Dr. Suntaree also gives us a tour of an oil palm and Para rubber plantation where we stop on our way out.

Then it is back to the Rama Gardens Hotel, where students scatter in small groups to eat, shop, and enjoy one of their last nights in Bangkok.

Linda McCandless