Thai rice exports to face stiffer competition from India

Thailand’s rice exports are expected to face stiffer competition as India has removed export restrictions and taxes, allowing unlimited rice exports, according to Charoen Laothammatas, President of the Thai Rice Exporters Association.

A rice store in Pekan Mundok town of Thailand (Photo: AFP/VNA)
A rice store in Pekan Mundok town of Thailand (Photo: AFP/VNA)

Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand’s rice exports are expected to face stiffer competition as India has removed export restrictions and taxes, allowing unlimited rice exports, according to Charoen Laothammatas, President of the Thai Rice Exporters Association.

Even with the restrictions in place, he said that India was the world’s largest rice exporter during the first nine months of this year, shipping a record 12.2 million tonnes, down 19.6% year-on-year, while Thailand remained in second place, with 7.45 million tonnes, an increase of 22% year-on-year. Vietnam came third, with 6.96 million tonnes, up 8.4%, followed by Pakistan, with 4.45 million tonnes, up 74.4% and the US, with 2.5 million tonnes, up 56.3%.

The largest importer of Thai rice this year was Indonesia, with about 1 million tonnes, followed by Iraq 907,715 tonnes, the US 609,430 tonnes, South Africa 580,288 tonnes, and the Philippines 399,493 tonnes.

Thai rice exports in the first nine months were worth about 172 billion THB (5.04 billion USD), up 45.8% from last year’s 117.9 billion THB.

Exports of white and Hom Mali fragrant rice remained strong, with 507,795 tonnes in September, mainly to Iraq, the Philippines, Togo, Cameroon, Kenya, Mozambique, Benin and Japan, but shipments of parboiled dropped 30% compared to the same period last year./.

VNA

See more

The forum on ASEAN's role in the Indo-Pacific region and prospects for cooperation with Argentina takes place on September 10 (Photo: VNA)

ASEAN highlights its central role in Indo-Pacific

The Ambassador of Indonesia, the country holding the rotating chairmanship of ASEAN in Argentina, stressed that maintaining peace and stability, along with an open, transparent regional environment based on mutual respect, are fundamental conditions for a peaceful, inclusive, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

A street in Bangkok, Thailand. (Illustrative photo: Xinhua/VNA)

Thailand’s business activity shows signs of gradual recovery

As of August 31, Thailand had more than 1 million active legal entities with total registered capital of 24.13 trillion THB. The service sector accounted for the largest share, with 552,830 entities, or 54.48%, followed by wholesale and retail with 332,791 entities (32.79%) and manufacturing with 129,215 (12.73%).

Prime Minister Hun Manet (front row, centre) and Labour and Vocational Training Minister Heng Sour (front row, right) visit a garment factory in Preah Sihanouk province. MLVT (Photo: khmertimeskh.com)

Cambodia records 7,458 more enterprises in three years

A Cambodian official said that the growth should not be assessed solely by the number of newly established enterprises and facilities, but also by their contributions to investment, production, job creation and household incomes.

The ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) convenes in Manila, the Philippines, on September 9. The Vietnamese delegation is led by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dang Hoang Giang (fifth, left), head of the ASEAN-Vietnam SOM.(Photo: asean.org)

Vietnam calls for stronger ASEAN unity, resilience

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dang Hoang Giang urged ASEAN to make full use of existing mechanisms to enhance dialogue, build trust and prevent risks and conflicts, particularly by strengthening the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (SEANWFZ), and cooperation based on international law.

Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta (Photo: VNA)

Timor-Leste diversifies economy, seeks to attract investment

The President noted Timor-Leste is pursuing sustainable development, stronger regional connectivity and expanded international cooperation while seeking investment opportunities in energy, tourism and emerging economic sectors to reduce its dependence on oil and gas revenues.

Minister Counsellor Nguyen Hai Luu, Deputy Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN (Photo published by VNA)

Vietnam cooperates with UN to advance gender equality

Minister Counsellor Nguyen Hai Luu highlighted Vietnam’s positive achievements in promoting gender equality, noting that 13 of the 20 targets under the national strategy on gender equality had been met or exceeded by 2025.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on September 9, 2026. (Photo: VNA)

Russian public, experts praise top Vietnamese leader’s visit

Positive reactions to General Secretary and President To Lam’s visit have reaffirmed Vietnam’s steady foreign policy amid global changes, while highlighting the enduring trust and friendship between Vietnam and Russia, which are working together to create new breakthroughs in bilateral cooperation.

Thailand eases rules for foreign enterprises

Thailand eases rules for foreign enterprises

The regulatory adjustment is part of Thailand's efforts to simplify regulations governing foreign business operations and clarify licensing requirements, while simultaneously fostering economic development and enhancing the country's international competitiveness.