PANIC buyers have cleaned out rice from the shelves at some stores on Phuket amid concerns about future supplies.
Tesco Lotus has not had rice to sell for a week, spokesman Nikom Chaipong said today. But a delivery of 480 five kilo bags was due tomorrow, he said.
Big C had sold out of some grades, and was down to 240 five-kilo bags, a spokesman told Phuketwan today.
The price of five kilos of Grade A rice rice had risen from 160 baht to 180 baht in the past week, the spokesman said.
At another store, the price of the staple food has jumped in a week from 160 baht for five kilos of Grade A rice to 190 baht.
Some stores are anxious to play down fears of a shortage. Nevertheless, some shoppers are stockpiling rice anyway, just in case.
A delivery of rice was due at Makro, opposite Central Festival, today. But it failed to arrive.
A spokeswoman said the non-delivery was not due to the national shortage, but that the delivery had simply been delayed until April 12.
Some types of rice have already disappeared from the shelves at Makro. Customers are currently being rationed to 20 five-kilo bags each.
Grocery Superstore Phuket has a large supply of rice, enough for three or four months of normal sales.
The store spokesman said a large 100 kilo bag of Grade A rice that cost 860 baht last week was fetching 1360 baht this week.
A spokeswoman at the Department of Internal Trade on Phuket said there was enough rice on the island for everyone's needs because large stocks were being held in the government store.
She urged people not to panic-buy, even though prices had risen and might rise still further.
Tesco Lotus has not had rice to sell for a week, spokesman Nikom Chaipong said today. But a delivery of 480 five kilo bags was due tomorrow, he said.
Big C had sold out of some grades, and was down to 240 five-kilo bags, a spokesman told Phuketwan today.
The price of five kilos of Grade A rice rice had risen from 160 baht to 180 baht in the past week, the spokesman said.
At another store, the price of the staple food has jumped in a week from 160 baht for five kilos of Grade A rice to 190 baht.
Some stores are anxious to play down fears of a shortage. Nevertheless, some shoppers are stockpiling rice anyway, just in case.
A delivery of rice was due at Makro, opposite Central Festival, today. But it failed to arrive.
A spokeswoman said the non-delivery was not due to the national shortage, but that the delivery had simply been delayed until April 12.
Some types of rice have already disappeared from the shelves at Makro. Customers are currently being rationed to 20 five-kilo bags each.
Grocery Superstore Phuket has a large supply of rice, enough for three or four months of normal sales.
The store spokesman said a large 100 kilo bag of Grade A rice that cost 860 baht last week was fetching 1360 baht this week.
A spokeswoman at the Department of Internal Trade on Phuket said there was enough rice on the island for everyone's needs because large stocks were being held in the government store.
She urged people not to panic-buy, even though prices had risen and might rise still further.
