The Government of Thailand has continued with its campaign to drastically reduce excessive stocks of rice, selling a further 430 000 tonnes in August. The August auction, which offered 660 000 tonnes for sale, was the fifth of its kind this year and raised about 6.3 billion baht (USD 178 million). The full amount up for auction was not sold due to lack of demand for the type of rice being offered. The Government still holds about 14 million tonnes of rice in stocks, which it plans to release during the remainder of 2015 and in 2016.