Thailand’s Department of Intellectual Property, a unit under the Ministry of Commerce, announced that Thung Kula Rong-Hai Hom Mali Rice and Sangyod Muang Phatthalung Rice have recently been approved geographical indication (GI) registration for products of Thailand by the Malaysian Intellectual Property Office (MyIPO). There are currently eight Thai products with GI registration in more than 30 countries:
(1) Thung Kula Rong-Hai Thai Hom Mali Rice in Europe Union, China, Malaysia, and Indonesia,
(2) Sangyod Muang Phatthalung Rice in the European Union, Malaysia, and Indonesia,
(3) Doi Chaang Coffee in the European Union and Japan,
(4) Doi Tung Coffee in the European Union, Japan, and Cambodia,
(5) Isan Indigenous Thai Silk Yarn in Vietnam,
(6) brocade silk flowers from Lamphun in India and Indonesia,
(7) Phetchabun sweet tamarind in China and Vietnam, and
(8 ) Golden Dried Longan in Vietnam. Grapefruit Ruby of Siam is another Thai GI product that Malaysia is considering.
Thung Kula Rong-Hai, which is a major area for the cultivation of Hom Mali rice, covers five northeastern provinces in Thailand, including Roi Et, Maha Sarakham, Yasothon, Si Saket, and Surin. The texture is transparent, shiny, and silky smooth. The cooked rice smells liked pandanus leaf and tastes velvety, spongy, and slightly sweet.
The Sangyod Muang Phatthalung Rice cultivation area covers all of Phatthalung province. It is characterized by its red pericarp, its soft texture when cooked, and light fragrance. (PRD)
