Concerned about a possible threat to one of its richest markets, Thailand has taken the case to Washington where the agriculture ministry's Amphon Kitti-amphon is meeting this week with US agriculture officials.
The Thai government also deployed a fact-finding team this week to IRRI's headquarters in the Philippines.
A US official told reporters that Washington was "looking into the matter and trying to find out how the scientist obtained the seeds," and that it would be dealt with according to any applicable international patent laws.
Meanwhile, Thai activists have dug in, saying the US rice breeding project hurts rural farmers in Thailand who depend on the rice for their already meager livelihoods.
"They are not improving the rice variety, so they cannot ask for a patent," said Witoon Lanchamroon, director of the Bangkok-based environmental activist group BioThai.
"It is to steal the heritage of the Thai farmer," he said. "We will raise this as a political issue because jasmine rice belongs to the Thai farmer and many millions of Thai farmers grow only jasmine rice."
"This program has a negative effect not only for the rice market, but for the livelihoods of poor farmers, and we cannot accept the way a rich country is doing this to the Thai farmer."
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