This study aimed to determine the nutritional, physicochemical and bioactive characteristics of brown rice from the Noui Khuea (NK) cultivar, a non‐pigmented short grain from Southern Thailand, in comparison with commercial non‐pigmented long‐grain Hom Mali (HM) and pigmented long‐grain Sung Yod (SY) cultivars. The A‐type XRD pattern was found in all samples of flour. All starch granules had a spherical shape with variable diameters (3.1‐3.9 μm). The discrepancies in pasting properties across rice flours were explained by variances in compositions, particularly the amylose level. NK was classified as a high amylose rice, whereas SY and HM were classed as intermediate and low amylose types, respectively. Protein, minerals (phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, manganese, zinc and iron) and α‐tocopherol were all higher in NK. SY showed the highest total phenolic content (29.38 mg GAE/g), largely in bound form. Several phenolic compounds (e.g. phenolic acids, esters and glucosides) were discovered. NK extract had the highest ACE‐inhibitory activity (72.12%), but SY extract showed the strongest DPPH^•/ABTS^•+ inhibitions, FRAP and α‐amylase/α‐glucosidase inhibitions. Thus, the rice variety had a significant impact on its quality and bioactivity, and NK could be a viable alternative for both domestic and industrial use as a functional food ingredient.