Thailand expects to export more than 11 million tonnes of rice in 2017, the country's rice export association said on Wednesday, a record high for the world's second-biggest exporter of the grain. "This year it should be 11.2 million tonnes because right now the commerce ministry's figures for January to November are at 10.4 million tonnes already and for December it will definitely be around 700,000 to 800,000 tonnes," Chookiat Ophaswongse, honorary president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, told Reuters on Wednesday.

Thai rice prices were also in line with that of competitors, he said, which helped exports in 2017. "This year will be a record high. We have never reached 11 million tonnes," he said. "But still, we exported less than India." Thailand also sold "old rice" from government warehouses at competitive prices this year, Chookiat said.

The military government has managed to sell most of the about 18 million tonnes of rice accumulated during a rice scheme introduced by the previous, civilian government that it ousted in a 2014 coup.

Copyright Reuters, 2017