Prime Minister to visit Brunei, Singapore Thursday

BANGKOK, Nov 8 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont will make an official visit to Brunei and Singapore on Thursday to explain the political situation in the kingdom and the facts about the bloodless coup on September 19, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

The prime minister will fly to Brunei's capital of Bandar Seri Begawan early Thursday and is scheduled to meet with Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah before leaving for Singapore later the same day, the statement said.

He will hold talks with his Singaporean counterpart, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and Singapore's Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew before returning to Bangkok late Thursday.

Gen. Surayud will also pay a courtesy call on Singaporean President S. R. Nathan.

The Thai leader last month made a whirlwind diplomatic tour, visiting Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines to reassure them that it is "business as usual" in Thailand despite the recent coup.

Prime Minister Surayud also visited China last month to mark the 15th anniversary of ties between Beijing and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

During his China visit, Gen. Surayud met the Brunei and Singaporean leaders seperately and discussed informally Thailand's plan to peacefully end the violence in the southern border provinces of Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala.

The Thai prime minister will go to Hanoi next week for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, the statement said.

TNA