Once the world's top rice exporter, Thailand has lost its edge. But there are still hopes for Thai farmers to regain and even level up their competitiveness in the global rice industry and above all improve farmers' quality of life.
Until a decade ago, Thailand had been the world's No.1 rice exporter for 30 years. Since 2011, however, other countries have overtaken Thailand's market share in all types of rice grains. Vietnam, in particular, has become Thailand's top competitor. The reason is simple; unlike Vietnam, Thailand could not offer what the market wanted at the right price.
