The Thai government website quoted Dr Muhammad Sayid Tantawy as saying his university has allocated about 80 scholarships for Thai students to study at Al Azhar each year.

He would like to see stronger ties with universities in the country.

The Sheikh of Al Azhar was visiting Thailand at the government's invitation. He lunched with Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont and met  with army chief General Sonthi Boonyaratglin.

He was granted an audience with HM the King afterwards.

The sheikh leaves Bangkok for the deep south later on Mondy.

He will be conferred with an honorary doctorate on Islamic Studies from the Prince of Songkhla University in Pattani.

The honorary degree is in recognition of his role in promoting peace and moderate Muslim ideology, PSU's president Assoc Prof Boonsom Siribumrungsukha, was quoted as saying.

Boonsom said Muhammad was an "internationally recognised religious leader who takes part in peace building in the region and the world".

Former prime minister and vice chairman of the university council Chuan Leekpai will preside at the campus ceremony here.

Separately, Surayud met with Abdullah Bin Ahdulmohsin Al Turkei, secretary general of the Muslim World League, who paid him a courtesy call at the Government House in the afternoon.

The visits of the two of the Islamic world's leading figures come at a time when the government has been struggling to contain the violence in the Muslimmajority south where an ongoing insurgency have claimed more than 2,300 have been killed since January 2004.

The Nation