Jasmine rice to be sold as souvenir at Thai airports

[eddie61]

Here's an idea: package it as a protein rich complete meal. Insects are the food of the future and Thailand as usual, is leading the way.

[Robby nz]

Wonder if the rice sold at the airport will be duty free?

Could get King Power to sell it then the price would double.

Does seem unlikely, were we not told recently (in the last couple of months) that there was 17million tons in storage?

Then there was the treasury report that said the financial situation would improve when Iran paid for the 250kt that they had already received, followed by, they would not buy any more for 2 years.

Then we have the situation of the US with some rejected and now requiring all Thai rice to be inspected at port of entry.

And the Ivory Coast, previously stated as the 5th biggest buyer not buying any more.

We were also told China had not taken up a MOA signed 2 years ago to buy Thai rice.

[Baerboxer]

Poopoo the idea all you want.

I envision thousands of Chinese tourists buying a few bags each for their friends, just to show they're in the high income world traveling class.

I think it's a good idea.

You really think Chinese tourists are that dumb? Why do you think the designer shops in HK always have long queues to get inside?

You think it's a good idea - really? Based on your opinion of the buying habits of Chinese tourists. Dream on.

I envision you being the only one to actually buy some!

[Tony M]

Why don't they use it to make rice wine, compete with the Chinese ? The Thai's will surely buy it if it is priced right.

[RigPig]

Good idea it's already fermenting !!!

[johnlandy]

Selling something that cannot legally be brought into the vast majority of countries is not the smartest move.......

The people who dreamt up this half assed idea don't give a shyt about that. They have sold another kilo of their rice. (at way above the price Yingluck is giving the producers)

And they are only holding 10 million tonnes in the 'go downs' so no shortage of stock.

My 5yo granddaughter back home would be in fits on learning what sort of mentality we have to deal with 24/7. Oh well! some one has gotta do it I guess.

[ginjag]

Wonder if the rice sold at the airport will be duty free?

Could get King Power to sell it then the price would double.

Does seem unlikely, were we not told recently (in the last couple of months) that there was 17million tons in storage?

Then there was the treasury report that said the financial situation would improve when Iran paid for the 250kt that they had already received, followed by, they would not buy any more for 2 years.

Then we have the situation of the US with some rejected and now requiring all Thai rice to be inspected at port of entry.

And the Ivory Coast, previously stated as the 5th biggest buyer not buying any more.

We were also told China had not taken up a MOA signed 2 years ago to buy Thai rice.

Love the "King Power " bit

[MegaRanter]

Late last year, I had to find hom Mali on the orders of the other half in Africa. Went into a swanky supermarket, saw a 10 kilo bag with long Thai sentences and english words 'Thai jasmine ice 2012 crop'.

I gallantly took it home, she took a look at the Thai script and said. Why did you buy kuniow?

Took me another 3 days to track down the real hom Mali, which looks like a mislabeled white rice.

Government should have left rice alone to the farmers, millers and consumers.

[SOTIRIOS]

...that is pathetic....

(....'souvenir....not for human consumption'.......???....)

[YeaBiGgiEs]

As you sit in quarantine in your arriving country under arrest for bringing food in or they open/inspect it suspect that drugs may be hidden inside.

Jasmine rice can be sold and many other kinds also Organic in most countries in the world.

[Chicken George]

Sell it all to the pig chicken and fish farmers and give the sea fish stocks around Thailand a break!

[SiggiCM]

realy good idear selling something what is much cheaper in most of the european countrys than in Thailand,

and carry heavy bags of rice on a long distance flight is exactly what a tourist wants if he/she is flying home

[marell]

How many small bags will it be to get rid of the governments rice mountain.

Good point. They should package it in 10 and 20 kilo units. Maybe put that touristy Siamese cat pic on the bags. It'll fly off the shelves.

[Mosha]

They should sell 4 types of rice

1- rice with mould

2- Rice with rats droppings

3- Rice with bird droppings

4- Rice with the works ... mold, rat and bird crap

...

Who came up with this idea?

You did.

[Songhua]

...that is pathetic....

(....'souvenir....not for human consumption'.......???....)

[impulse]

Poopoo the idea all you want.

I envision thousands of Chinese tourists buying a few bags each for their friends, just to show they're in the high income world traveling class.

I think it's a good idea.

You really think Chinese tourists are that dumb? Why do you think the designer shops in HK always have long queues to get inside?

You think it's a good idea - really? Based on your opinion of the buying habits of Chinese tourists. Dream on.

I envision you being the only one to actually buy some!

The Chinese GF would disagree. She always takes back 3 or 4 one Kg bags of Thai rice each trip for gifts. She'd take back more if she wouldn't get hit for excess baggage fees. It's a short leap to selling rice on the downstream side of the check in scales.

And if they're lining up in HK to spend $20,000 USD on a Gucci bag, (or stocking up at the duty free shops- 'cause we all know how cheap they are) you've answered your own question about their spending habits. You and I don't understand them- they make absolutely no sense to us. But folks that do understand them (or just got lucky) are getting rich selling them crap I wouldn't buy on a dare.

[hellodolly]

Wonder what the mark up will be for a 1kg bag of rice for tourists at the airport will be?

Does it matter, If it is a mark up from the International price it will still be a money loser. Now if it is a mark up from the price Thailand paid it is what we back in North America call (extreme) usury.

[Bluespunk]

". In addition to promoting Thai rice around the world, it is also hoped that sales will go towards reducing the quantity of rice in government stockpiles."

Stupid, stupid, stupid. Like everything this govt does when dealing with rice, they just do not have a clue.

[KIWIBATCH]

Thailand...the HUB of daftness

New Zealand Customs/Agriculture inspectors at NZ airports would have an absolute fit if you turned up with a 1kg bag of Thai rice...confiscated on the spot and you would probably be fined as well

Thailand ...hub of stupidity

[Sayonarax]

Who comes up with these ideas ?

[bigbamboo]

I love the bit about describing the story of how the rice is produced. You can just imagine......

"First the rice seed is planted by farmers in the shadow of the foothills of the Himalayas and lovingly cared for day after day. Soon it will develop the delicate flavour loved the world over and when it reaches it's optimum condition it is ready for harvesting.

Then it is time for the next stage of it's long journey to your table as in the dead of night it is smuggled across the border over the majestic Mekong river and stuffed into bags marked 'Thai Hom Mali Rice' ..........

cont'd p 94

[btwretail]

What a great idea!!

Who would not just love, to get a bag of rice as a gift? Beats a good bottle of whiskey anytime!

[Litlos]

Maybe labelled "Novelty only - Not for consumption". I could buy a few bags for the grandkids, look not an ant farm, but a real bugfest, you can watch it decompose and the bugs take over. Yep can just imagine standing in the "To declare" line in Aust as they take it off me and seal it inside heavy duty plastic bags normally reserved for biohazard waste and make a note on my passport to be subject to full baggage searches and/or body cavity inspections in future.

When it first started out with the rice pricing I advised the GF's family to plant as much rice for sale as possible and minimise the sticky rice for home consumption, and do not take out any loans based on the new income. Strange looks at this advice from someone who knows nothing about rice farming. Anyway they have done pretty much that and now have a nice chunk of change in the bank. The rest of the village has new pickups and scooters. Last time up in the village a bit of understanding, so what next. Easy, wait until it all comes crashing down and look to buy land and maybe a cheap 2nd hand, nearly new scooter. At the last count is now about 70 days for the rice payments, some people are hurting already, though the loan sharks are doing well.

Cheers

[Anon999]

Selling something that cannot legally be brought into the vast majority of countries is not the smartest move.......

Certainly from what I have seen the Thais usually take back to England a suitcase full of various foods, including dried fish but never rice. Why anyone would want to hump a 2kg bag of rice that will probably cost more at the airport than it can be bought for in a Thai supermarket beats me.

[Emdog]

This harebrained idea is a good example of what happens in a culture where an underling dare not question the plans and schemes of a superior, no matter how daft they may be. Truth will set you free.... to go look for a new job.

[EyesWideOpen]

I try not to bash Thailand , but stories like this make it so hard.....sigh...... Is this official even aware you cannot take food stuff

into most developed countries?? The mind absolutely boggles, as these are the same people that are supposed to be leading

Thailand forward.....

[BudRight]

How many small bags will it be to get rid of the governments rice mountain.

In the other thread it says there are ten million tons left. So if each attractive souvenir package weighs a kilo, then only 10,000,000,000 (ten billion) tourists need to purchase a package on the way out of Thailand.

[MaiChai]

Not only can you lug your heavy luggage around the airport, you can also add a couple of kilos of rice as well!

[Ricardo]

Makes sense to use the better-quality fragrant-rice, for these gift-packs, rather than the ordinary-quality out of the government's long-term-storage warehouses. That will help enhance the reputation of lesser-grades of Thai rice, which are grown in much greater quantities, than hom-mali.

But what if there are any bugs at all in it, to multiply in the special-packs after a few months, what will that do for the reputation of even the best Thai rice ?

And shouldn't Thailand always have been promoting this sort of thing, whatever happened to OTOP, were souvenir-packs of rice not already on-sale to departing tourists at Swampy ?

[Thaddeus]

Some of this rice has been in storage so long that it could qualify as being fossilised, therefore, souvenir.