AgricultureSilver report

Published April 2026Insight Research13 min read2026 Edition12 sources, 12 primary-gradeStrong source depth

Thailand Rice Paddy, Millers Export Deep Dive

Thailand world #2 rice exporter ~7-9M tonne, USD 4-5B FY2024. Asia Rice, KMC, Capital, TREA. Jasmine, Hom Mali GI premium. Africa+ASEAN+ME+China destinations.

Key takeaways

1
Thailand world #2 rice exporter (after India); ~7- tonne FY2024, ~ export value.
2
Destination: Africa+Iraq+Iran ~, ASEAN ~, Middle East+GCC ~, China+HK+Japan+Korea ~, US+EU ~, Latin America+others ~.
3
Paddy production ~30- tonne, milled ~20- tonne; Northeast jasmine, Hom Mali specialty, Central white commodity.
4
Millers: ~5,000+ mills, Asia Rice Group, KMC International, Capital Rice, Patum Rice, TREA Thai Rice Exporters Association.
5
Hom Mali Thung Kula Rong-Hai jasmine GI-protected premium positioning, India export ban 2023-2024 supportive cycle.

Executive summary

Thailand is world's #2 rice exporter (after India, before Vietnam, Pakistan); ~7- tonne export volume FY2024, ~ export value. Paddy production ~30- tonne paddy, ~20- tonne milled rice equivalent; cultivation across Northeast (jasmine, Hom Mali Thung Kula Rong-Hai GI specialty, sticky/glutinous, commodity white), North (jasmine, niche specialty), Central (white parboiled commodity, irrigated double-crop), South (smaller). ~3- rai farmer-household; smallholder-driven cultivation pattern, farm consolidation slow. Variety mix: Hom Mali jasmine specialty fragrant, Khao Dawk Mali 105 anchor variety, Pathum Thani 1, Suphan Buri varieties, sticky/glutinous, brown, organic, niche.^{[, , , , ]}

Destination mix: Africa, Iraq, Iran ~ (Senegal, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, South Africa, Nigeria, Iraq, Iran government, private buyer commodity white); ASEAN, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia ~ (region, Indonesia variable, Philippines staple, Malaysia premium); Middle East, GCC (Saudi, UAE, Yemen, Qatar, Kuwait) ~ (premium jasmine, Hom Mali, commodity); China, HK, Japan, Korea ~ (jasmine specialty, Asian preference, premium); US, EU, UK ~ (jasmine premium, Aroma, Asian-American diaspora); Latin America, others ~. India export ban 2023-2024 (white parboiled rice export ban), lift cycle disrupts global market, supports Thai, Vietnamese export pricing. Rice millers: ~5,000+ small-medium-large mills nationwide; export-trader concentration top-20 capture ~ of export volume.^{[, , , , ]}

Major Thai rice exporters: Asia Rice Group (private, top-3 Thai exporter), KMC International (private, top-5, multi-variety), Patum Rice Mill (private), Capital Rice (private, private-label, export), Thai Hua Rice (private), Singha Rice (Boon Rawd Brewery group selective), Royal Project Foundation (royal project niche), CP Group (CPF) selective rice involvement. TREA Thai Rice Exporters Association coordinates industry advocacy, price-index, variety, quality standards, government engagement. MoC DIP Geographical Indication Hom Mali Thung Kula Rong-Hai jasmine rice origin protection — premium pricing, export marketing positioning vs Vietnamese, Cambodian, Pakistani basmati commodity. Government rice-mortgage scheme, price-guarantee, crop-insurance, BAAC farmer credit historical policy; Thailand-China, Thailand-Japan rice government-to-government contracts periodic.^{[, , , , ]}

OAE, TREA, Asia Rice, KMC, DOAE, MoF, MoC, BAAC, Customs, UN FAO, IFPRI, UN Comtrade, SCB EIC

Data as of: FY2024-Q1 2026

Thai rice export destination mix (% of FY2024 ~7-9M tonne, USD 4-5B)

Africa, Iraq, Iran

Share %

32%

Variety, buyer

Senegal, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Nigeria, Iraq, Iran commodity white parboiled

ASEAN, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia

Share %

22%

Variety, buyer

Indonesia variable G2G, Philippines staple, Malaysia premium

Middle East, GCC

Share %

16%

Variety, buyer

Saudi, UAE, Yemen, Qatar, Kuwait premium jasmine, commodity

China, HK, Japan, Korea

Share %

14%

Variety, buyer

Jasmine specialty, Asian preference, premium

US, EU, UK

Share %

10%

Variety, buyer

Jasmine premium, Asian-American diaspora, Western retail

Latin America, others

Share %

Variety, buyer

Mexico, Brazil, Cuba, niche specialty

Destination	Share %	Variety, buyer
Africa, Iraq, Iran	32%	Senegal, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Nigeria, Iraq, Iran commodity white parboiled
ASEAN, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia	22%	Indonesia variable G2G, Philippines staple, Malaysia premium
Middle East, GCC	16%	Saudi, UAE, Yemen, Qatar, Kuwait premium jasmine, commodity
China, HK, Japan, Korea	14%	Jasmine specialty, Asian preference, premium
US, EU, UK	10%	Jasmine premium, Asian-American diaspora, Western retail
Latin America, others	6%	Mexico, Brazil, Cuba, niche specialty

Customs, TREA, UN Comtrade, UN FAO, SCB EIC triangulation

Data as of: FY2024

Analyst framing

Why this report

Thai rice export is world-#2-anchored, Asia-Rice/KMC/Capital/TREA-led, Africa-32%/ASEAN-22%/ME-16%-destination, Hom-Mali-jasmine-GI-premium, India-export-ban-cycle-supportive.

Asia Rice, Hom Mali GI, India ban, climate, farmer playbooks

Major Thai rice exporters: Asia Rice Group (private, top-3 Thai exporter, ~1.5M+ tonne export volume) — multi-variety jasmine, commodity, premium, own-brand, private-label, global distribution. KMC International (private, top-5 Thai exporter, ~700-1M tonne) — multi-variety, private-label, commodity, premium. Patum Rice Mill (private, iconic Thai brand). Capital Rice (private, private-label, export). Thai Hua Rice (private). Singha Rice (Boon Rawd Brewery selective premium). Royal Project Foundation niche royal-project. CP Group (CPF) selective rice involvement. ~5,000+ small-medium mills nationwide; top-20 capture ~70% of export volume, multinational supply chain, private-label, own-brand, commodity bulk export.

Hom Mali jasmine, GI premium: MoC DIP (Department of Intellectual Property) Geographical Indication Thai Hom Mali Thung Kula Rong-Hai jasmine rice — origin-protected branded marker; premium pricing, export marketing positioning vs Vietnamese, Cambodian basmati, Pakistani basmati commodity. Hom Mali jasmine = Khao Dawk Mali 105, Pathum Thani 1, variant; aromatic, soft, slightly sticky cooked grain; premium retail USD 1,200-1,800/tonne vs commodity white parboiled USD 500-700/tonne; Thailand premium share growing in China, Japan, Korea, US, EU, Asian-American, GCC. Variety, climate-resilient, flood-tolerant, drought-tolerant breeding programmes via Department of Rice Research, Kasetsart, Khon Kaen University, IRRI International Rice Research Institute partnership.

India export ban, climate, farmer, government policy: India white parboiled rice export ban 2023-2024 (rice-stockpile, food-security, monsoon variability), selective lift, ban-cycle disrupts global market, supports Thai, Vietnamese, Pakistani export pricing temporarily; competitor, premium positioning, market-share opportunity. Climate ENSO, La Niña, drought, flood, monsoon variability, climate-change all impact paddy yield, export volume; 2024 mixed Thai monsoon, selective drought. Government rice policy: Rice-Pledging Scheme historical (Yingluck government 2011-2014 ~THB 600B losses, reform); current price-guarantee, farmer income support via BAAC Bank for Agriculture, crop-insurance, co-operative, smallholder financing. Thailand-China rice government-to-government contracts (selective, opaque); Thailand-Indonesia, Thailand-Philippines, Iraq, Iran G2G periodic. Smallholder farmer ageing, younger-farmer pipeline, mechanisation, drone, smart-farming, climate-smart variety, replanting cycle structural reform priorities.

Scenarios to 2031

Bull: India ban prolonged, Hom Mali premium, climate-resilient

Export ~USD 7-8B

India white parboiled rice export ban, selective allows prolonged; Thai jasmine, Hom Mali premium positioning scales China, ASEAN, ME; climate-resilient variety, mechanisation, smallholder yield improves.

Base case

Export ~USD 5-6B

Steady volume, premium gradual; India ban-cycle moderate; Thai farmer income stable; competing supply Vietnam, Pakistan modest.

Bear: India lifts ban, climate adverse, competing supply

Export ~USD 3.5-4.5B

India lifts export ban; commodity price compressed; climate ENSO, drought, flood adverse; Vietnam, Pakistan, Cambodia compete; Thai farmer income strained.

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