Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is scheduled to pay an official visit to the Philippines on Thursday, January 19, government spokeswoman Thitima Chaisaeng said on Tuesday.

During the visit, the prime minister would mainly discuss the issue of rice trade with her counterpart in the Philippines, said the spokeswoman.

The Philippines has earlier signed a contract to buy 1.5 million tonnes of rice from Vietnam, Thailand's most important rival, but the country's domestic demand for rice is approximately 2.4 million tonnes annually, so Thailand needs to assure the Philippines about its export capacity, according to Thitima.

Prime Minister Yingluck would raise the topic to demonstrate that Thailand could always fulfill its needs in order to get a deal, added the spokeswoman.