BY JOCELYN MONTEMAYOR

THAI Prime Minster Samak Sundaravej has given the assurance that his country is committed to providing the rice needs of members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said yesterday.

Samak, who met with President Arroyo met in Malacañang Thursday night, also gave his commitment to provide the Philippines as much rice as it needs.

"They will be very accommodating to the needs of an Asean (neighbor). the Prime Minister told the President that Thailand, as a main source of rice in the world, is open to helping out Asean member-countries especially the Philippines in accordance with our needs," Ermita said.

He said Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap was directed by the President to see to the arrangements.

He said Yap already reported that the Philippines is looking at imports to compose the buffer stock "but for the moment we have adequate supply of rice."

Yap accompanied Samak yesterday morning in checking out prices of local food items at the Guadalupe market in Makati City. Samak bought shrimps, tenderloin, chicken breast and broccoli, among others.

Samak, considered a celebrity chef in Thailand where he hosted the local cooking show "Tasting, Grumbling," said seafood in the Philippines is a lot fresher than those sold in his country but the prices of food items are almost the same.

Samak was originally scheduled to visit Manila last month after his visit to Laos but the trip was postponed after he suffered an upset stomach after sampling fermented fish in a market in Laos.

Ermita said Arroyo and Samak also discussed the two countries' plans to send medical teams to Myanmar where a cyclone left 78,000 people dead and 56,000 missing.

Ermita said Samak foresees a more positive role for Asean - "especially in line with the rising prices of oil and food" - when Thailand assumes the chairmanship in July.

Samak was also "very upbeat" about the region's tourism industry, proposing the adoption of a common visa for Asean member-countries and the putting up of tourism packages to be able to "share" tourists.