[BANGKOK] Thailand exported a record 11.48 million tonnes of rice in 2017, the commerce ministry said on Wednesday.

The amount, which surpassed the previous record of 10.96 million tonnes in 2014, was worth over US$5.1 billion, said Adul Chotinisakorn, deputy chief of the commerce ministry's department of foreign trade.

Thailand, the world's second-biggest rice exporter after India, is expected to ship out 9.5 million tonnes of rice worth US$4.7 billion this year.

A lower forecast is maintained as bad weather is affecting the crops, Adul said.

He added Thailand will be pursuing government-to-government deals this year with many countries, including Iraq, Iran and Indonesia, in addition to Bangladesh and China.

Thailand exported 9.88 million tonnes of rice in 2016.

REUTERS