"We are ready. With the previous government we came to an agreement. We don't expect any re-negotiations," a Japanese government official told Agence France Presse said late Tuesday.

Speaking in Hanoi on the sidelines of the week-long Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, he said Tokyo was ready to sign the free trade agreement (FTA) in September when Thaksin was unexpectedly ousted in a coup.

"He was expected to come (to Japan) and sign but the coup d'etat changed the situation," the official said.

Before the putsch, Thailand was negotiating FTAs with the United States and Japan, the kingdom's biggest economic partners, but Washington has made it clear it will not resume trade talks until Bangkok has an elected government.

Thai Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram previously said the Japanese were also reluctant to negotiate with a non-elected government, but the Japanese official said this was not an issue and the decision was now up to the Thais.

"We hope the new Thai government will accept what we agreed," he said of the pact hammered out in 2005. "We are waiting for an indication from the new Thai government."

Thailand's new finance minister said earlier this month that Bangkok would review the FTA with Japan and hold public hearings on the pact, criticising the previous government for not consulting the public before drawing up FTAs.

Surayud is due to arrive in Vietnam on Friday for the APEC summit, while Nitya arrived late Tuesday. The Japanese official said no bilateral meetings were planned between the countries.

Agence France Presse