Khao Yai Pomelo & Khom Lychee
Brackish-Orchard Fruit of Mae Klong

🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026

Samut Songkhram's provincial motto includes the line 'town of razor clams, finest lychee' — a clear sign that fruit here is genuinely renowned, not just a souvenir afterthought. What makes it special is that the orchards around Amphawa and Mae Klong sit in brackish-water territory, where the tides push minerals — calcium, phosphorus, iron — into the groves daily. The resulting fruit carries a taste and aroma that's hard to replicate anywhere else. So we want to walk you through what to eat, what to buy, and when to drop by the orchards to get the best of it.

Why Mae Klong fruit tastes different

The key is the word 'brackish.' The orchards in Amphawa and Mae Klong sit near the river mouth, so the water in the irrigation channels is fresh water mixed with a little salt, rising and falling with the tide twice a day. The mineral-rich estuary silt keeps the trees healthy and gives the fruit a deep, distinctive flavor. This is exactly why Mae Klong's Khao Yai pomelo and Khom lychee earned GI registration (Geographical Indication) — meaning the genuine article can only come from this area.

• Tidal brackish water — carries mineral sediment into the orchards every day, keeping trees healthy and the fruit deeply flavored
• GI-certified — both Khao Yai pomelo and Khom lychee are registered, so the real thing comes only from Samut Songkhram
• Still handmade — many are old family orchards, some trees decades old, all hand-picked and hand-sorted

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Khao Yai pomelo — thin skin, big segments, year-round

Khao Yai pomelo is available almost all year, but the sweetest, most abundant stretch is roughly October to December. The standout traits: a fairly thin, easy-to-peel skin, large segments in a whitish-yellow, few seeds, and a sweet-tart balance that's spot on without any lingering bitterness. Walk through Amphawa Floating Market or Mae Klong Market and you'll see it sold whole as well as peeled and bagged ready to eat.

• Peak season — October to December: sweetest and most plentiful (it's sold at other times too, just in smaller quantities)
• What a good one looks like — thin skin, smooth surface, heavy for its size, firm whitish-yellow segments, few seeds
• Farm price — Grade A runs about ฿50–65 per kilo, or buy a set of 2–3 fruits with delivery

Khom lychee — the heaven-sent fruit, once a year

Khom lychee is a rarity that Mae Klong locals are deeply proud of. It's nicknamed the 'heaven-sent fruit' because how much it yields depends on the weather each year — some years the trees are loaded, some years there's almost nothing. The original cultivar was brought to Amphawa back in the reign of King Rama IV; it was first called 'i-khom' because the trees were short, then politely shortened to 'khom.' The marks of the real thing: standing spines, taut skin, plump flesh, a deep-red to dark-crimson shell, whitish-pink flesh that's dry rather than wet, sweet and fragrant with a faint astringency at the tip of the tongue. It measures around 19–20 Brix, which counts as very sweet.

• Very short season — around mid-April to May (the first batch usually lands around Songkran); miss it this year and you wait until next
• How to spot the real thing — standing spines, taut skin, plump flesh, dark-crimson shell, whitish-pink flesh, dry not wet
• Limited supply — some years the whole province yields only a few tons, so it costs more than ordinary lychee; pre-ordering is the surer bet

Roadside orchards you can stop at

The densest cluster of fruit orchards is around Khwae Om subdistrict in Amphawa, along a road locals call 'Fruit Orchard Road,' where old groves line up one after another. Many open for farm-gate sales, and some let you walk through or pick your own. Before you go, call ahead to check whether the fruit is ripe and which days the orchard is open, since the harvest follows the season and some days they're closed.

Buying at the market vs. at the orchard

• Amphawa Floating Market / Mae Klong Market — convenient and easy, sold peeled and bagged ready to eat; good if you just want a taste while you're out exploring
• Roadside orchard gate — fresh fruit you pick yourself, usually a better price, plus you can chat with the owner about the harvest window
• Annual fruit festival — many orchards in one place, ideal in April when Khom lychee is in season and easiest to find
• Order by post — many orchards pack boxes and ship nationwide, good if you live far away or want to send a gift