"I intend to reconcile conflict and forge understanding by way of discussion, making friends, hearing them out and sincerely trying to address grievances," he said.

Surayud met with 58 representatives of ex-insurgents living in the North while he was in Lampang province to take part in a Kathin ceremony in which robes are presented to new monks to mark the end of the Buddhist lent.

The meeting took place at the headquarters of the Thirty Second Army Circle in Muang district.

It was a second time Surayud has held talks with ex-communists. The first was during an inspection trip to the Northeast last Friday.

His reaching out to the former fighters is seen as an attempt to boost his popularity among villagers. Surayud urged ex-communists to act as his eyes and ears and report the plight of the people to enable him to solve their problems.

"I am willing to heed your advice. And I hope you will help me to relay the message that the government needs the people's cooperation and understanding in order to build a just society," he said.

In an effort to bond with his audience, Surayud introduced himself as the son of a communist. His late father, Payom Chulanont, was a ranking member of the Communist Party of Thailand and was known as Comrade Kamtan.

Surayud said he wanted to mend fences rather than risk having social divisions plunge the country into a civil war.

Among the people who lined up to welcome the Prime Minister at the Kathin ceremony was Prapat Panyachatraksa, former minister for natural resources and environment in the first government of Thaksin Shinawatra.

Reporters heard Prapat thanking Surayud for bringing an end to the political turmoil that had plagued the Thaksin administration.