Tragedy in northern Thailand as durian picker loses life in perilous hillside fall

An incident in northern Thailand left locals in a state of shock, highlighting the dangers endured by durian pickers navigating treacherous terrain. Tragedy struck a community when a woman lost her life and her devastated son could do nothing but grieve.

The disaster unfolded within a durian orchard in Laplae district, situated on the challenging hillside terrains of the northern Uttaradit province. Durian pickers face a considerably demanding task, frequently operating in dangerous conditions as the sites can only be reached via twisting hillside paths inaccessible to trucks. An unfortunate 66 year old woman, Wongduan, found herself in one of these sites, a mere 7 metres deep into the hilly area.

Her companion for the day was her son, Montri. Having fulfilled her task of picking durians, Wongduan was attempting to traverse the challenging terrain on…