Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram said yesterday that he had personally warn-ed his Singaporean counterpart that there would be "reactions" from Thailand if former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was received by Singapore Deputy Prime Minister S Jayakumar during his visit to the island state earlier this week.

Nitya said that after having been informed of Thaksin's pending visit to Singapore, the Thai Foreign Ministry notified Singapore "at least three times" that the treatment to be accorded Thaksin was "unacceptable" to the Thai Government.

Speaking to a group of senior editors during their lunch meeting with Prime Minister General Sura-yud Chulanont at Baan Phitsanu-loke, Nitya said his warning to Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo during the Asean summit meeting in Cebu, the Philip-pines, had been unmistakable.

"I told him: 'We cannot accept the fact that Thaksin is going to be received by Singapore's deputy prime minister'," Nitya said. "I emphasised that it was something unacceptable." The foreign minister said he also warned Yeo "there would be reactions" from Thailand if Jayakumar received Thaksin.

Nitya was apparently trying to counter media reports that the  Foreign Ministry had not been forceful enough in impressing on the Singaporeans how serious the consequences of such meeting would be.

Despite Thailand's protest, the Singaporean government went ahead and arranged a meeting between Thaksin and Jayakumar which subsequently prompted the Thai Foreign Ministry to retaliate by suspending all high-level meetings with Singapore, including a ministerial dialogue scheduled later this month. The invitation to the Singaporean foreign minister to attend the dialogue was also rescinded.

Nitya said that while other countries were sensitive to the Thai Government's stand on Thaksin, Singapore had made itself an exception.

"It was a slap in the face to Thailand and tantamount to recognising the former government," Nitya said.

Nitya said that during his conversation with Yeo he had also reminded his Singaporean counterpart of President SR Nathan's recent pledge to Surayud that Singapore would not do anything to "betray" the trust and understanding between the two countries.

"I looked Yeo in the eyes and reminded him that he had been there when President Nathan said that," Nitya said.

Asked how the two countries would repair the damage from the row, Nitya said the Foreign Ministry would assess the situation "on a daily basis" before deciding what to do next. "But if you are asking me if I am going to fly to Singapore tomorrow, the answer is no," he added.

An informed source close to Surayud said that during their meeting in Cebu Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing had told the Thai leader that China was very uneasy about Thaksin's presence and activities in Beijing, where he spent most of his time after London following his ouster from power in the September 19 coup.

Li also assured Surayud and Nitya that Beijing would not allow the former Thai leader to engage in any activities that would displease the Thai government.

"Li also assured Surayud and Nitya that no Chinese official had met Thaksin during his stay in China," said the source.

The source said the Chinese understood the situation very well.

"When Khun Nitya tried to explain at length to Li what Thaksin shouldn't be allowed to do while in China, the Chinese foreign minister even helped him to get straight to the point, asking him: 'So you want him to do nothing damaging to his own country, is that right'?" the source said.

Meanwhile, Surayud said that former prime minister Thaksin was welcome to return to Thailand but only when the "terms" had been worked out. "He can return, but first we have to talk about certain conditions," he said, without elaborating.

Surayud earlier said that Thaksin should only return to Thailand after a new government came to power following a general election.

He also insisted that the Thai Foreign Ministry's decision to suspend all high-level contacts with Singapore in retaliation for Thaksin's recent visit to the island state during which he met Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister Jayakumar was appropriate and necessary "to let Singapore know how Thai people feel".

But when asked for comment on the claim by General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, chairman of the Council for National Security, that Singapore had been eavesdropping on Thailand's communication channels, Surayud said it was only a "technical matter".

"If you ask them, they will of course deny it," he said.

On Thaksin's ongoing tour of the region and media interviews, the prime minister said his government had no objection as long as he was not accorded recognition by host governments the way he had been in Singapore.

In a related development, Singaporean Ambassador to Thailand Peter Chan met Interior Minister Aree Wongsearaya but played down the meeting as "a normal courtesy call".

"Mr Chan said Singapore would continue to work with Thailand to strengthen their longstanding good relations and looked forward to an improvement in relations," said a statement from the Singaporean Embassy in Bangkok.

Meanwhile, Thaksin arrived in Japan late on Thursday on a private jet from Beijing. He is expected to continue with his attack on the government in Bangkok and reportedly will meet business leaders.

Thaksin played down the trip, telling waiting reporters there was no pressing reason for his visit.

"Now is a time for me to relax, get together with my family and see my old friends,'' Thaksin was quoted by the Associated Press as saying upon arrival at Narita International Airport outside Tokyo.

Japanese officials reportedly said they were aware of Thaksin's visit but had no plans to meet the former leader.

"There are no meetings scheduled between Mr Thaksin and Japanese government officials," AP quoted Japan's Foreign Ministry official Masahiro Yoshida as saying.

"We have our relations with the current Thai government to consider … We are aware that the government is very sensitive about this issue," he said.

Tokyo University spokeswoman Kayoko Hayashi dismissed media reports that Thaksin was planning to deliver a speech at the university and receive an honorary degree.