Thai rice varieties will no longer enter world’s best rice competition

Thailand did not participate in the World’s Best Rice 2023 competition, held during the International World Rice Commission in Philippines, and will not do so in the coming years, Chukiat Opaswongse, honorary president of Thai Rice Exporters Association (TREA), said yesterday.

His announcement came one day after Vietnam’s rice variety, ST25, was voted the best rice variety of the 30 varieties submitted for competition. Only three varieties from Vietnam, India and Cambodia reached the final round. The best variety was unanimously selected by a group of chefs in a blind tasting.

Chukiat explained that if the Thai Hom Mali variety does not win first prize, people will question why Thailand did not win or what rice varieties were entered for competition.

Out of 14 competitions, he said that Thai rice varieties were voted the world’s best rice for seven years, including in 2020 and…