The Thai government is confident that it will be able to win a Philippine tender to sell about 200-300 thousand tons of rice, despite the presence of its strong contender, Vietnam.

Permanent Secretary for Commerce Chutima Boonyaprapatsorn said the auction is due in 2 weeks, and Thailand still has an edge over its competitors as Thai rice price remains relatively the same as those of other countries.

Apart from the rice deal with the Philippines, she said that Minister of Commerce Gen. Chatchai Sarikalya and his entourage would visit China this week to discuss details of the railway construction project and sign an MoU framework for a two-million-ton rice deal with China. If all goes as planned, Thailand is obligated to deliver the rice to China within 2 years.

The Minister would also talk with the Chinese authorities regarding the delivery of the remaining 600,000 tons of rice under the existing deal. Thailand will seek to speed up the delivery process as a way to improve local rice prices.

Source: National News Bureau & Public Relations