Paradise, Blood, and Durian Blooms: Symbolism and Thai Culture in Paradise of Thorns (Part 2)

Paradise, Blood, and Durian Blooms: Symbolism and Thai Culture in Paradise of Thorns

While the first half of Paradise of Thorns focuses on legal invisibility and grief, the second half descends into psychological tragedy, symbolism, and the destructive power of greed.

But this is only the first half of the movie. The second half takes an even darker and bloodier turn, revolving entirely around greed, betrayal, and property rights, while slowly revealing the true nature of the characters Mo and Jingna.

Image credits : IMDb

At first, Jingna appears irresponsible and troublesome, but as the story progresses, the audience realizes that he is one of the few genuinely kind characters in the film. Eventually, both Thongkam and Jingna develop feelings for each other and decide to leave the durian farm after harvesting to sell the durians, hoping to finally escape the pain attached to the place.

Meanwhile, Mo’s character becomes increasingly disturbing. Desperate to gain ownership of the property, she manipulates Saeng and eventually kills her after convincing her to sign over the property rights. After Saeng’s death, Mo burns her photograph along with its frame, symbolizing how she is destroying the small and suffocating life she had been trapped in for years.

One of the biggest twists in the movie is revealed later: Mo is not actually Saeng’s adopted daughter. Instead, she is Saeng’s daughter-in-law and was originally supposed to marry Sek. Sek had promised her that he would marry her after the installments for the farm were fully paid. He stayed with Thongkam partly because Thongkam financially helped him pay for the farm, knowing very well that Thongkam would have no legal rights to the property. However, Mo later reveals to Thongkam that Sek eventually asked her to leave because he truly loved him. She also confesses that she intentionally delayed bringing Saeng to the hospital because she wanted Sek to die.

All these events reveal how greed and money can slowly corrupt human relationships. Love, family, and trust begin to disappear when property and inheritance become more important than people themselves.

After Saeng’s death, Mo quickly marries a government official who was previously introduced during the Bun Bang Fai, or Rocket Festival, celebrated to pray for rain. Ironically, the festival does not symbolize hope for the durian farm because excessive rain is actually harmful for growing durians. The ending then descends into complete tragedy. A violent fight breaks out after the marriage, during which Jingna is killed by the government official, who later escapes with all the money from the house.

In the end, only Mo and Thongkam remain alive. Having lost both Sek and Jingna in the same durian farm, Thongkam finally decides to leave the place behind and move on from the memories, grief, and suffering attached to it.

Looking into the title of Paradise of Thorns, the “paradise” refers to the durian farm, which becomes the central reason behind all the tragic events that slowly unravel throughout the story. The movie constantly uses the durian farm and the growth of the fruit as a form of foreshadowing. The blooming of the durian flowers at night during the beginning of the movie symbolizes how dark chapters are about to bloom in the lives of the characters as well.

The durian farm also reflects Thongkam’s love and care towards Sek. He protects the orchard with dedication and affection, just as he loved Sek with sincerity and sacrifice. However, despite his efforts, the law rejects both his love and his rights, treating him as an outsider once the property legally passes to Sek’s mother.

*Durians tied carefully with ropes to prevent them from falling during heavy rain

The durian itself can also be interpreted as a symbol of the relationships between the characters and the overall storyline of the movie. Durian is famously known for its strong smell, which some people dislike while others deeply enjoy. Similarly, the relationships in the movie are complex, intense, and difficult for society to fully accept or understand. Beneath the rough and thorny exterior of the fruit lies softness and sweetness, just as beneath the pain, conflict, and tragedy in the film lies genuine love and emotional vulnerability.

Another symbolic moment appears when Jingna cuts off the small sprouts from the durian trees, believing they are only unnecessary branches. This scene highlights his innocence and lack of understanding, showing how his actions are influenced by both Saeng and Mo. Symbolically, it also represents how the orchard Thongkam loved, along with the life and rights he built there, is slowly being damaged and invaded by others.

*The chopped off sprouts 

Another important scene occurs when Thongkam gets ordained as a monk and temporarily leaves the orchard behind. During his absence, the responsibility of taking care of the durian farm is given to Jingna. However, Mo secretly orders Jingna to water the durian trees irregularly so that the fruits will not grow properly. Her intention is to disappoint Mother Saeng and prevent Thongkam from gaining ownership of the orchard, despite her earlier promise. According to their agreement, Thongkam would receive the orchard only if he successfully reached the target profit of two million baht from the harvest.

This moment clearly shows how greed slowly destroys humanity, trust, and love between the characters. Mo’s actions do not simply damage the orchard physically, but also symbolically ruin the emotional connection between Thongkam and the durian farm, which itself represents Sek and the life they once built together. The destruction of the orchard therefore becomes a reflection of the destruction of love, belonging, and hope within the story.

*Death of Jingna 

The durians continue to play an important role later in the movie when Mo angrily kicks the harvested fruits into the water, even though water damages them. This moment foreshadows another tragic chain of events. The fight between Thongkam and Mo later becomes violent, with durians themselves being used as weapons and smashed against each other’s heads. The fruit that once symbolized growth, love, and hard work eventually becomes associated with bloodshed, greed, and death, ultimately leading to Jingna’s death. In the final scenes, a durian stained with blood is shown, symbolizing how the paradise they once dreamed of has completely turned into thorns.

Before the ending, there is also a symbolic scene where the characters write their names on a durian seed. The seed represents the beginning of relationships, growth, and hope, symbolizing how their love and connections slowly started to grow just like a newly planted seed. However, by the end of the movie, these relationships are destroyed before they can truly flourish, turning the seed into a symbol of love and dreams that never fully blossomed.

Another emotional moment occurs when the characters pray together and write wishes, hoping that everyone will continue living happily together. The scene initially creates a sense of warmth, unity, and hope. However, the tragic ending completely contrasts this moment, making the earlier scene feel painfully ironic. The wishes written by the characters ultimately become impossible dreams rather than reality.

Lastly, during the police investigation, Thongkam is asked the same painful question once again:

“How are you related to this family?”

“What is your relationship with them?”

This question becomes one of the most heartbreaking recurring motifs in the movie. Although Thongkam emotionally belonged to that place, the law never truly considered him part of the family. In the end, however, a new durian bud is shown blooming during the daytime, symbolizing that the cycle of tragedy has finally come to an end and that there is still hope for a new beginning after all the suffering.

Though the movie Paradise of Thorns portrays a series of traumatic events involving property rights, greed, love, and human emotions, it also focuses deeply on Thai cultural traditions, including the Bun Bang Fai Festival, ordination ceremonies, and traditional marriage customs which we can see in Part 3.