BANGKOK, 15 December 2005 — Thailand has organized a worldwide marketing promotion for its famous Hom Mali aromatic rice. Saudi Arabia and the Middle East in general are highly targeted in this campaign, according to Dr. Somkid Jatusripitak, Thailand’s deputy prime minister and minister of commerce.
The deputy prime minister was speaking during the official launch of the Thai Hom Mali rice brand marketing campaign, which took place earlier this month in the Thai capital city, Bangkok.
He said the Thai Ministry of Commerce has recognized the potential to create value to this special grain. The ministry has also introduced measures for quality control of the entire rice production process, from farming to post-harvest, he said.
As part of the campaign, he said, they will distribute the rice in hotels and airports around Thailand along the coming year, in order to serve some 13 million visitors who come to the country annually.
“We will also visit many countries around the world to promote this high premium rice, which only grows in Thailand,” he said.
Rachane Potjanasuntorn, director general of the Department of Foreign Trade, told the Arab News the Thai authorities are eager to increase bilateral trade between Thailand and Saudi Arabia. “The Kingdom holds a potential market for Thai rice. We will have a number of rice promotions and campaigns soon in both Saudi and Gulf markets,” he said. He said he is confident of the business future between the two countries.
“We are hoping and looking forward for more bilateral visits for both business and tourism proposes,” he said.
A report issued by the Thai Department of Foreign Trade stated that from January to November 2005, Thailand has exported 1.9 million tons of rice, accounting for 29.8 percent of the overall exports.
Thailand’s major markets for rice include Senegal, the United States, Hong Kong, China and the Ivory Coast, the report stated.
The general bilateral trade between the Kingdom and Thailand reached over $3 billion last year.
The Kingdom is classified as the second largest market for Thailand in the Middle East, after the United Arab Emirates, especially in automotive parts, which doubled this year over last.