Rice production in Thailand represents a significant portion of the Thai economy and labor force.
Thailand has a strong tradition of rice production. It has the fifth-largest amount of land under rice cultivation in the world and is the world's second largest exporter of rice.
Due to an ongoing drought, the USDA has forecast output will drop by more than a fifth to 15.8 million tonnes in 2016. Thailand harvests three rice crops a year, but due to the drought, the government is urging a move to less water-dependent crops.