ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the growth of Siamese rice exports to Singapore, and focuses on the high quality of Siamese rice, and the development of the rice trade network between Siam and Singapore. The rice export economy of Siam developed substantially in the late nineteenth century and Siamese rice exports played an important part in the growth of “Intra-Asian Trade.” The development of the rice trade between Siam and Singapore promoted the rapid growth of the Siamese economy. However, little research has been conducted on the kind of Siam rice that was exported to Singapore and how it was regarded in the Singapore market. In the Singapore rice market, the reason why the Siam white rice No.1 “Garden rice” was sold at a much higher price than Rangoon or Saigon rice was that it suited the tastes of the Singapore people, especially the Chinese.
