<P> Thailand has at times considered creating a rice cartel with Vietnam, Burma, Laos, and Cambodia . Similar to the OPEC cartel that controls production of oil, the purpose would be to control production and set prices . Thailand submitted a proposal for such an organization to the other countries, but retracted it in 2008 . Analysts believe that such an organization would not be effective, due to the lack of cooperation between the countries and their lack of control over farmers' production . Thailand is now investigating a possible, more forum - based international organization to discuss supplies and yields of rice . </P> <P> Noppadon Pattama, the foreign minister of Thailand, wanted to call the forum the "Council on Rice Trade Cooperation" and was planning, as of May 2008, to invite China, India, Pakistan, Cambodia, Burma, and Vietnam to join . Pattama has also said the new international forum would not replicate any of the work done by the International Rice Research Institute, an institute formed in 1960 to "reduce poverty and hunger, improve the health of rice farmers and consumers, and ensure environmental sustainability of rice farming ." </P> <P> At the 2017 World Rice Conference held in Macau, Thailand's hom mali 105 (jasmine) rice was declared the world's best rice, beating 21 competitors . Thailand had entered three rice varieties in the competition . This marks the fifth time in the last nine years that Thai jasmine rice has won the honour . The judges of the competition were chefs from Macau restaurants . Criteria were taste and the shape of the rice grains . Cambodia finished second, Vietnam third . </P>

A country which exports a lot of rice is called