The Foreign Ministry will meet with diplomats from African countries to address concerns following reports that Thailand plans to sell 15,000 tonnes of questionable-quality rice left from the Yingluck Shinawatra administration's rice-pledging scheme to their countries.
Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said the planned auctioning of the old stockpiles has become controversial because government critics raised suspicions about their quality and safety despite lab tests confirming they are safe for consumption.
He said he is aware of concerns being raised by the African envoys in Thailand, and the Foreign Ministry is preparing to meet them to clarify facts and answer their questions.
Mr Phumtham also said shipments of Thai rice to foreign markets are inspected to ensure they meet Department of Foreign Trade standards and that the ministry conducts stringent inspections of rice exports.
The African diplomats' concerns come as the Public Warehouse Organisation (PWO) is preparing to auction off the old rice stocks.
According to the PWO, 15,000 tonnes of rice will be auctioned off from two warehouses: 11,656 tonnes from the Kittichai warehouse and 3,356 tonnes from the Phoonpol Trading warehouse.
The PWO was scheduled to announce the terms of reference for the rice auction on Monday and explain them in detail to potential bidders on Wednesday. Potential bidders will be allowed to inspect the rice at the warehouses from May 31 to June 7. Potential bidders can apply to participate in the auction on June 10 for a qualification examination. Those eligible to take part will be announced on June 13. The auction will be held on June 17.
African diplomats' concerns about the controversial rice were reported by www.isranews.org, which quoted a report from the Kenya-based Nation news website.
According to Isra news centre, African diplomats in Bangkok conveyed their concerns to the Foreign Ministry and demanded authorities explain the plan to sell the 10-year-old rice to Africa rather than at home.
