CHIANG MAI – A Chinese tourist left passengers on a flight feeling queasy after gorging on durian at Chiang Mai Airport, then letting out burps on board that wafted through the cabin. Passengers seated nearby reached for smelling salts and tried to cope as the odour hung in the air.
The tale features Thailand’s king of fruits, durian, adored by many Chinese visitors who travel to Chiang Mai for the taste. The flavour wins fans, but the strong smell can overwhelm those who dislike it. Scenes like this are not rare.
Singer Chatthawat Chairit, known as Typhoon Ramakian and famed for the hit Paksa, shared what happened on Facebook. He was flying from Chiang Mai to Bangkok with his girlfriend.
While waiting at the check-in area, he noticed a Chinese woman eating durian in the terminal. The scent spread across the queue.
He said he was not bothered, since he enjoys durian. Others around him did not feel the same. Several looked green, eyes watering, and some reached for inhalers. Staff were called over to intervene.
The tourist appeared to understand, passing one durian pod in a tray to be thrown away. He believed she had about three trays in total. The couple, husband and wife, tried to finish as much as possible before boarding.
He thought that was the end of it. Then, inside the gate area, he saw the same couple again near the door. Both wore masks and seemed to be chewing. He suspected they had brought more durian inside. He remembered she had given up only one tray, and two trays had gone missing.
Typhoon recounted the next part with a laugh. He took his seat, reclined, and after a short while caught a sharp, familiar scent. It was durian, a little sour, with a slight bitter edge at the back of the throat.
At first, he wondered if someone had passed gas. Then he realized the same woman sat in front of him, and the smell came from her silent burps.
He added that Thai durian is excellent, but time was tight for many travellers. People land, buy durian, then rush to their next stop and eat on the go. For anyone planning to enjoy it, he suggested eating it a day before flying.
You may not notice the smell on yourself, but in a packed space, even your breath can send that scent into other people’s noses.
Side Effects of Eating Durian
Durian, often called the king of fruits in Southeast Asia, is infamous for causing strong bad breath and sour burps. Its powerful smell, often compared to rotten onions, sulphur, and sewage, comes from volatile sulphur compounds such as methanethiol and hydrogen sulphide released during digestion.
Once eaten, these compounds enter the bloodstream and leave the body through the lungs, so the odour can cling to your breath for hours.
The fruit’s high sulphur content and complex sugars can also ferment in the gut, creating gas that leads to burps with the same harsh smell. This can catch people nearby by surprise. The creamy, custard-like flesh adds to the issue, since it can coat the mouth and throat, letting smelly particles stick to oral tissues.
Durian-related bad breath is stronger than most food odours because of its unusual mix of organic compounds. Brushing your teeth or using mouthwash may soften the smell, but it often lingers. For those not used to it, the scent can feel overwhelming and unpleasant, which can be awkward in shared spaces.
