Key Takeways
- Thailand is enhancing its fruit market in South Korea by collaborating with Lotte Department Store to promote premium varieties like mangoes, durians, and mangosteens through a sales campaign from April 11 to 27, 2025. The initiative aims for total sales of 70 tons, valued at around 20 million baht.
- The focus is particularly on “Thai mangoes,” which are favored by South Korean consumers in both fresh and processed forms, featuring in popular dishes like mango sticky rice. South Korea is currently Thailand’s leading mango export market, with exports reaching 2.931 billion baht in 2024.
- The Thai government is negotiating to open more markets for high-quality agricultural products. They are implementing strict standards to ensure the quality of exports, such as avoiding unripe shipments and regulating pesticide levels, thereby boosting consumer confidence.
Thailand is actively expanding its fruit market in South Korea by partnering with Lotte Department Store to promote premium Thai fruits—mangoes, durians, and mangosteens. The sales campaign runs across seven major branches in Seoul and nearby areas from April 11 to 27, 2025, targeting total sales of 70 tons, valued at approximately 20 million baht.
This initiative aims to position Thai fruits as a form of agricultural soft power through upscale retail channels, especially focusing on “Thai mangoes,” which are highly popular among South Korean consumers both as fresh fruit and processed gift items, as well as in beloved dishes like mango sticky rice and various desserts.
Currently, South Korea is Thailand’s top export market for mangoes. In 2024, exports reached 2.931 billion baht, accounting for over 62% of Thailand’s total mango exports, marking a 132.7% increase from the previous year and underscoring the global strength of Thai fruits.
Meanwhile, the Thai government is pushing negotiations to open additional markets for high-quality agricultural products, emphasizing strict production and export standards such as avoiding shipments of unripe fruit and controlling pesticide residues. These efforts aim to maintain consumer confidence in Thai fruit quality and sustainably expand opportunities in the South Korean market.
