"We have made up the list of who should be present at the November 8 meeting," Ladda Tangsuphachai, who heads the ministry's Cultural Monitoring Centre, said yesterday.

According to Ladda, the invitations will be sent to the Interior, Commerce, Information and Communications Technology, Education, Public Health, Social Development and Human Security, and Tourism and Sports ministries.

Representatives of the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the police will also be asked to attend.

"We will also invite representatives from 10 department stores, eight automobile companies, five motorcycle companies and 52 organisers," Ladda said.

The scantily clad dancing girls have become a hot issue after Her Majesty the Queen expressed concerns that some females danced inappropriately at a Buddhist charity event in Nong Khai province.

After Her Majesty's concern was relayed via the Culture Ministry, several authorities proposed measures to ban such dancing shows.

It has been reported that the Culture Ministry has suggested that girls should be barred from working as scantily clad product presenters and dancers at public events, while police will enforce public-obscenity laws to discourage such shows.

The Supreme Sangha Council also reportedly threatened to sack senior monks if they allow inappropriate shows at their temples.

The National Buddhism Bureau's acting director Chularat Boonyakorn said she would oversee a project to develop a booklet on activities local organisations should hold on important Buddhist days.

"I am going to check on the dos and don'ts list. Then, the content will be submitted to the Supreme Sangha Council for recommendations," she said in response to PM's Office Minister Dhipavadee Meksawan's idea that a campaign to encourage local people to protect Buddhism should be launched.

In a related development, Culture Minister Khunying Khaisri Sri-aroon explained that her ministry did not specifically intend to ban girls under 20 years old from working as scantily-clad dancers.

"We just want to find some relevant laws. For example, there are laws banning youths under 20 years old from entering night-time entertainment venues," she said.

She added her ministry was in fact focused on inappropriate shows in public places.

Khaisri said she had already instructed provincial cultural offices across the country to work closely with local administrative bodies in ensuring that no damage was done to the Kingdom's culture.

She said her ministry did not have any law to directly prevent the inappropriate shows and would ask relevant authorities to explore available laws. Khaisri expressed confidence that this issue could find a place on the national agenda because it was in line with the government's policy to promote morality and knowledge.

However, Srinakharinwirot University's president Wiroon Tungcharoen said there were many larger issues that deserved national-agenda status.

"Every relevant party should play a role in preventing the inappropriate dance shows but this is just a small problem reflective of bigger problems about morality, education, employment and quality of life. What are the values cherished by the younger generation?" he said.