Thai flag, Cambodian name: mystery rice in China sparks confusion

The Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) has denied any involvement in a case concerning bags of rice, found for sale in China and labelled as “Cambodia Hom Mali”, containing Cambodian rice, but displaying the Thai national flag on the packaging.

The package features a label in both Chinese and Thai that reads: “Cambodia Hom Mali Rice.”

The issue came to light after a Thai TikTok user posted about it, expressing concern that it could cause misunderstanding and confusion over the rice’s origin.

In an official statement, posted on its Facebook page, the CRF explained that it has conducted a thorough investigation, in cooperation with its members and the China Certification & Inspection Group (CCIC Cambodia) Co., Ltd., the authorised export quality control body.

The federation confirmed that none of its registered exporters were connected to the 5kg bags in question, which were being sold in the Chinese market.

“The Cambodia Rice Federation would like to inform the general public that rice bags bearing labels written in Thai, marked with a design resembling the Thai national flag and stating the origin as Cambodia, were not printed in Cambodia,” the statement read.

The CRF further noted that Cambodian rice exports to China are almost exclusively in 25kg and 50kg bags, not the 5kg packaging seen in the online posts.

As a result, the federation officially rejected any association with the misbranded packaging, emphasising that “Cambodia strictly adheres to trademark laws and fair competition regulations, which prohibit the use of flags or symbols that resemble or imitate the national emblems of any country,” the CRF stated.

The discovery has caused concern among Thai rice industry stakeholders, particularly regarding the unauthorised use of the “Hom Mali” designation and the Thai national flag, both of which are protected and closely associated with Thailand’s premium rice exports.

On the back of the bag in question, it was indicated that the rice originated from a company in China’s Hunan province, with distribution managed by a firm based in Changsha city.