Durian gets influencer backing as Thailand faces glut

(April 29): Top online seller Pimradaporn Benjawattanapat, or Pimrypie, led a high-energy livestream Tuesday night, pitching to her combined 31 million TikTok and Facebook followers. Known for selling everything from her own-brand fish sauce to luxury perfumes, Pimrypie priced premium Monthong at as low as 100 baht (RM12.13) per fruit, well below typical market levels. Some “jumbo” pieces went for 480 baht, compared with 700-800 baht for similar-sized durians under normal conditions. “I urge Thai people to help preserve the only remaining heart of the nation, a fruit that still generates income: durian,” she said at the beginning of the four-hour livestream, which garnered 700,000 viewers across the platforms at a peak. “Durian is our pride. Let’s not let that pride perish in the orchards.” Almost eight million people viewed Pimrypie’s livestream on Facebook alone, generating nearly two million real-time order comments. She was selling at a loss after buying up produce from farms ...