Rice exports totalled 9.18 million tonnes in the first 11 months and the Commerce Ministry is confident of attaining its target of 9.5 million tonnes this year.
Duangporn Rodphaya, director-general of the ministry's Foreign Trade Department, said as of Nov 28, the approved amount for export was up 8.7% on the same period last year. The export value for the period was US$4.159 billion, up 3.55% year-on-year.
She said the department was confident that rice exports would reach the target of 9.5 million tonnes in 2016.
In addition to the increased volume, prices had also risen for white rice, fragrant rice and glutinous rice.
The top 10 buyers of Thai rice are Benin, Ivory Coast, Japan, China, Angola, Cameroon, Indonesia, Malaysia, Congo and Mozambique.
Ms Duangporn said Thai rice could compete better at these prices on the world market because it was known for its quality by foreign importers and consumers.
She said the rise in exports in the final quarter of the year was fuelled by buyers stocking up on rice for sale during the New Year and Chinese New Year, particularly in China, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Earlier in mid-November, Thai Hom Mali was named the world’s best rice at the annual World Rice Conference held in Chiang Mai, which was attended by at least 600 international traders. More than 50 samples from many countries were considered during the judging. Second-place went to Cambodia’s fragrant rice, and third to Japonica rice from the US.