The first durian fruits of the year have started to appear in Thailand.

Drone footage shows a local variety of durian, called Chanee, growing on trees in Trat province on February 10.

Chanee is one of the most sought-after varieties in Thailand as it is softer, more buttery, and has a slight bitter taste to compliment the flavours.

Somphot Tassakorn, a local farmer who has grown the popular variety for 23 years, said he used to work as a fisherman before finding the delicious fruit to be more profitable.

He said: ‘I did a lot of jobs before my father told me to grow durians instead. I learned by myself how to care for them. I didn’t know anything about fruit trees when I started.’

The farmer added that tourists now come to their island to have a taste of Chanee because they are ‘better than the other varieties.’

He said: ‘Chanee durians are more delicious, have a nice colour, and the texture is chewier. It’s a fruit that you should taste at least once in your life.’

Somphot claimed that the island’s mountain soil is what’s giving their produce a distinctive taste and higher iodine content than the other varieties.

The popular Chanee sells for a wholesale price of around 200 Baht (6.7USD) per kilogram with a harvest season starting in spring.