Thai delegation requests new treatment for mangoes and access for pomelo, longan and green papaya
Representatives from Thailand’s Department of Agriculture have visited and met with Park Kyung-hee, acting director-general of the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA) in Korea, as part of efforts to expand market access and boost exports.
According to a report from The Nation, a delegation led by Rapibhat Chandarasrivongs, director-general of the Department of Agriculture, and Tanee Sangrat, Thai ambassador to Seoul, met with their Korean counterparts to address trade barriers, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, alongside increasing export volumes.
Thailand has submitted a request to open the pomelo market in Korea, while Korea requested market access for fresh paprika to Thailand. Thailand also requested that Korea consider opening its market to longans and green papayas.
In 2025, Thailand exported over 31,832 tonnes of fresh pomelos, 514,000 tonnes of longans, and 372 tonnes of fresh papaya, the report said.
In addition to access for new products, the Chandarasrivongs also proposed new SPS measures for mango exports to Korea. Thai mangoes currently undergo vapour heat treatment, and water tmmersion treatment (HWIT) was put forward as an alternative.
The director-general explained that Thailand has used hot water immersion for exporting fresh mangoes to the EU for over five years, without reports of pest contamination in Thai products. This method also significantly reduces costs for operators compared to steam treatment.
