Hua Hin to host Asean Summit

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday said threats by anti-government protesters to jeopardise the summit had been a key factor in deciding to move the meeting venue from Bangkok to there.

It will be easy for relevant agencies to provide security in Hua Hin, he said.

Abhisit said the Hua Hin summit would be limited to only the 10 Asean leaders, while follow-up meetings with dialogue partners, including the East Asia Summit, would be held in April.

The government decided to separate the meeting into two parts because key partner China was busy with the National People's Congress meeting late next month.

Dialogue partners from Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand will also have to wait until April to meet with Asean.

The date and venue of the summit has been changed more than once, due to internal political chaos and leaders' tight schedules.

It was originally supposed to be held about the middle of last month but postponed after People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) protesters shut down Suvarnnabhumi and Don Mueang airports in late November, to protest the previous government.

The anti-government Democratic Alliance against Dictatorship (DAAD) has threatened to use the same tactic to obstruct the Asean Summit.

Known locally as red shirts, the DAAD said they would follow the meeting to Hua Hin.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban has instructed police chief General Patcharawat Wongsuwan to take any measures necessary for safety.

Officials from Asean members have complained about the inconvenience of the summit venue being 200 kilometres from the capital. Leaders will have to travel by road, since the airfield there is not big enough to accommodate large aircraft.