Thailand replaces envoy to WTO after comment on India programme

Thailand has replaced its ambassador to the World Trade Organization (WTO) following a strong protest lodged by India on her contentious comment on New Delhi's rice procurement programme.

Officials said Pimchanok Vonkorpon Pitfield has been asked to report back to Thailand by the Thai foreign secretary, who is attending the WTO's 13th ministerial conference (MC13) in Abu Dhabi.

Thailand is a member of the 19-nation Cairns Group, which is pushing for the free flow of agri commodities without any restrictions.


"The Thai ambassador has been replaced. She has ridiculed India's public stockholding programme," an official said, adding that the language and behaviour of the Thai ambassador were not in good taste.

India expressed strong disappointment on Pitfield's remarks during a consultation meeting on Tuesday where she said India's rice procurement programme at minimum support price (MSP) for the public distribution system was not for people but for capturing the export market, the official said.

India was the largest rice exporting country in the world from 2018 to 2022 followed by Thailand and Vietnam. Rice exports from India were 22.24 million tonnes in 2022, accounting for 40.63% of the world's rice exports.

Following Pitfield's remarks, India formally registered its protest with the Thai government and also expressed displeasure with the WTO chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, agri committee chair Kenya and the UAE authorities.

The correspondent is in Abu Dhabi at the invitation of Ministry of Commerce and Industry