Thailand’s struggling government has agreed to buy 40 per cent more rice from farmers this year, a decision that could boost its popularity among rural voters as it prepares to face a national referendum aimed at ending an unprecedented siege of the prime minister’s offices.

The plan calls for the government to buy 3.5m tonnes of unprocessed paddy rice from farmers at a guaranteed price, up from an original planned 2.5m tonnes, the Thai news agency reported on Friday.