Voluntary Report - public distribution

**Date:** 2/28/2006

**GAIN Report Number:** TH6023

TH6021

**Thailand**

**Grain and Feed**

**Weekly Rice Price Update**

**2006**

**Approved by:**

Russ Nicely, Agricultural ![](media/image1.wmf)Attaché

U.S. Embassy, Bangkok

**Prepared by:**

Sakchai Preechajarn, Agricultural Specialist

**Report Highlights:**

The pattern of export price fluctuations for this week is mixed.

Includes PSD Changes: No

Includes Trade Matrix: No

Unscheduled Report

Bangkok \[TH1\]

\[TH\]

**Indicative Prices (Week Ending Feb. 27):**

  ------------ -------------- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ -------- -------
  Thailand:                                                                      
  Export (FOB)                                                                   
  Prices for                                                                     
  various                                                                        
  grades of                                                                      
  rice                                                                           
  (USD/M.T.)                                                                     

               Exporter                                                 Period   
               Observations                                             Avg.     

               #1             #2     #3     #4     #5     #6     #7     CUR.     PRV.

  F WR 100 B   455            435    445    446    460    440    \-     447      444

  WR 100 B     309            310    310    305    305    307    303    307      308

  PB 5%        290            295    303    297    294    293    300    296      298

  WR 5%        304            305    303    300    300    300    298    301      303

  WR 10%       298            305    300    297    297    296    293    298      298

  WR 15%       286            297    286    295    294    282    288    290      291

  WR 25%       268            280    275    281    276    264    283    275      275

  WR 35%       266            \-     \-     278    274    262    280    272      273

  A 1 SUP      216            222    220    218    218    212    214    217      217

  A 1 SPEC     214            220    218    216    216    \-     212    216      215

  Source:                                                                        
  Average                                                                        
  actual                                                                         
  prices                                                                         
  received                                                                       
  from                                                                           
  exporters                                                                      
  ------------ -------------- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ -------- -------

**Market Tone**

The pattern of export price fluctuations for this week is mixed. Prices
for most grades of white rice slightly declined due mainly to inactive
demand from overseas buyers. Trade sources reported that several regular
buyers of Thai rice are currently switching to less expensive rice from
Vietnam. However, fragrant rice prices firmed because many exporters
adjust their quotations to reflect recently higher domestic prices.
Continuance in the Government's intervention program has led domestic
prices for all grades of rice to remain high.

The following are the reported rice exports (as is basis)**:**

  ------------ -------------- -------------- ------------- ---------------
  WEEK ENDING  QUANTITY       4-WK AVG       YEAR TO DATE  YEAR AGO

               (MT)           (MT)           (TMT)         (TMT)

  JAN 8        69,443         \-             69            119

  JAN 15       105,420        \-             175           275

  JAN 22       82,797         \-             258           408

  JAN 29       106,161        90,955         364           545

  FEB 5        66,774         90,288         431           681

  FEB 12       120,706        94,109         551           778

  FEB 19       86,753         95,098         638           893

  FEB 26       99,974         93,552         738           977
  ------------ -------------- -------------- ------------- ---------------

Note on data: Export figures since March 22, 2002, do not include
fragrant rice. The authority to report fragrant rice exports was moved
from the Thai Board of Trade to the Ministry of Commerce's Office of
Commodity Standards, which does not release official fragrant rice
export data. FAS/BKK will report only official export numbers from the
Board of Trade for non-fragrant and from the Office of Commodity
Standards for fragrant rice when available, but the reader should bear
in mind the difference between the data.

Unofficial exports (excluding fragrant rice) for Feb. 20-26 totaled
99,974 tons, up 13,221 tons from the previous week's total, and down
1,546 tons from the four-week moving average of 93,552 tons. Exports
during Jan. 1 -- Feb. 26, 2006 totaled 738,027 tons, as compared with
977,264 tons in the previous year.

According to the Department of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Commerce,
total rice exports (including fragrant rice) during Jan. 1 -- Feb. 8,
2006, amounted to 700,569 tons, down 27 percent from 956,855 tons in the
previous year.

**Weekly Rice Sales**

Private registered rice export sales for the period of Feb. 6-10, Feb.
13-17, and Feb. 20-24, 2006 are as follows:

  ------------------- ----------------- ----------------- -----------------
  Movement (MT)       Feb. 6-10         Feb. 13-17        Feb. 20-24

  weekly sales        133,717           105,273           149,627

  4 week sum          441,617           445,975           443,768

  4 week mov. avg.    110,404           111,494           110,942

  Total weekly sales  654,430           759,703           909,330
  ------------------- ----------------- ----------------- -----------------

End of Report.