This is the advice of Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Frederick Ma Si-hang.

Ma was speaking yesterday after obtaining an assurance from the Thai Consul-General for Hong Kong and Macau, Vichai Varasirikul, that Thailand's rice supply to Hong Kong "will definitely not be a problem."

Ma said: "He told me that starting in May, there will be 6.5 million tonnes [of rice] entering the market, which is more than normal."

Hong Kong, he said, consumes about 30,000 tonnes of rice per year.

Emerging from a meeting with about 20 representatives of rice importers, supermarket chains and restaurants, Ma said the Thai consul- general guaranteed there will be no export quotas on rice to Hong Kong.

He pointed out that although mainland rice is actually about 15 percent cheaper, Thai rice has 90 percent of the local market.

"We hope consumers can be wise [consumers] and make their [own] choices on the types and sources of rice," Ma said.

The Thai government, according to Ma, has no plans to use its 2.1 million tonnes of rice reserves to supply the market.

It has also asked officials to look into possible cases of hoarding that sent rice prices soaring.

Trade and Industry director-general Joseph Lai Yee-tak said Hong Kong and Macau currently have a quota of five tonnes of rice from the mainland.

The Ministry of Commerce, he said, has assured rice supplies to Hong Kong will not be a problem, as pledged by Premier Wen Jiabao in Laos a week ago.

Rice trader Lee Fung-lin said wholesale prices of Thai rice have suddenly risen by 30 percent.

But Lee said he has no plans to import mainland rice because Hong Kongers prefer the more fragrant and softer Thai rice.

A spokeswoman for supermarket chain Wellcome said she could not say if there would be another price hike.

"But it is a global trend as raw material prices continue to surge," she said, adding that the supermarket's supply remained stable. The cost of an 8 kilogram bag of rice at the supermarket ranges from HK$52 to HK$68, while a 5kg bag costs from HK$32 to HK$60.

A spokeswoman from supermarket chain ParknShop said import prices have been "tense" and the chain has been under pressure to raise prices.

She could not say how much prices would rise if this occurred.