Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday said that the next election may have to be postponed from the initial scheduled date of October 15.

"There have been changes in politics which oblige the government to take care of national affairs for a long period," Thaksin said in his "Prime Minister Thaksin Talks to the People" radio show.

"The election date was set on October 15, but now something has happened in politics which may cause us to wait longer," he said, without further elaboration.

An election delay has been expected following the uncertainty since the Election Commission and the Office of the Attorney-General last week recommended prosecution of the two main political parties, Thai Rak Thai and the Democrats, along with three minor parties, for election-law violations in the April 2 snap elections.

The case will be passed to the Constitution Court tomorrow for a final decision.

Thaksin resumed the radio talks yesterday for the first time in the four months since he dissolved the House on February 24 amid street protests demanding his resignation over alleged abuses of power and corruption.

During the one-hour show, Thaksin talked about the 60th anniversary of His Majesty the King's ascension of the throne, the economy and his efforts to crack down on drugs.

Thaksin said soaring oil prices, inflation and rising interest rates were putting pressure on the country's growth rate, which was expected to reach only 4 per cent this year.

He also used the programme to boast of the warm reception he had received from foreign leaders during his visits to China, France, Japan, Russia and the United Kingdom in April and May.

He said Britain's Tony Blair, France's Jacques Chirac, Japan's Junichiro Koizumi, China's Wen Jiabao and Russia's Vladamir Putin had given their precious time to have coffee with him when he popped by to say hello on his unofficial visit to world leaders.

Thaksin has been a caretaker premier since February, when he dissolved the House. He went abroad to visit those countries although he said he was taking "a break" from politics after the House dissolution.

"The French president was really nice. I asked for 15 minutes to have a coffee, and he gave me an hour," Thaksin told his listeners.

Blair also spent an hour with him. Koizumi gave him 50 minutes, and the leaders of Russia and China hosted dinners for him, Thaksin said.

He said he had used the time to assure the leaders about political developments in Thailand.

"I want you to understand that at present every country in the world places a lot of importance on Thailand," he added.