BANGKOK, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Thailand, the world's top rice exporter, said it had signed contracts to sell 7.3 million tonnes of the stockpiled grain to foreign governments in exports from now until late next year, but top importers Indonesia and Philippines denied any deals.

Thailand is desperate to reduce its record 10 million tonnes of rice stocks to make room for the new crop that will start arriving in October.

The sales would have amounted to almost a quarter of global rice trade -- a bearish signal for benchmark Thai prices that have risen 3 percent this month after two straight months of losses.

"They are all contracts committed to by other governments, not just MOUs," Thailand's commerce minister, Boonsong Teriyapirom, told reporters, adding that rice exports could reach 8.5 million tonnes this year.

He said the contracts had been signed with governments including China, Indonesia and the Philippines. But the two southeast Asian nations flatly denied the remarks, while China has not made any comment.

Philippine state grains agency National Food Authority said the country had not signed any new rice supply deal with Thailand.

"We have not signed any government-to-government deal with Thailand," NFA Administrator Angelito Banayo told Reuters.

"What we have is a supply arrangement with them for 1 million tonnes, which they have committed to sell to us if we need additional supply."

In Jakarta, state procurement agency Bulog said it had not signed any rice deal with any country.

"There is no G-to-G rice import contract or deal between the Indonesian government with any country so far, including Thailand," said Chief Executive Sutarto Alimoeso.

"Our rice stock is still high enough now at 2.2 million tonnes. So, there is no need for us to import rice."

Private exporters were also sceptical about the latest deals as Thailand's commerce minister has made similar comments in recent weeks, but none of the deals have been confirmed.

Memorandums of understanding (MOUs) can be signed but they do not necessarily imply any commitment to buy.

BULGING STOCKPILES

Thailand has accumulated rice stocks following the government's intervention since October 2011, which involves paying higher-than-market prices to farmers -- a move that has also pushed up Thai rice prices to uncompetitively high levels.

Undeterred by the unsold stocks, Thailand will renew its intervention policy in October after the current scheme expires, aiming to buy up to 25 million tonnes of paddy to shore up prices, a senior government official said last week.

Boonsong said the government had also sold rice from stocks to private exporters. It recently offered 753,000 tonnes to exporters, but sold only a third.

After these sales, government rice stocks would drop sharply to 4.17 million tonnes from the record high levels, the minister said, without giving any details of the estimate.

"It's hard to believe the government has sold these big lots of rice at a time when demand is thin and most buyers are well-stocked," said Chookiat Ophaswongse, honorary president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association.

Rice prices, however, were little changed after the news of the sale of Thai stocks, with benchmark 100 percent B grade Thai white rice  being offered steady at $600 per tonne.

Source: Reuters