Thai PM to cook dinner for visiting Burmese PM

In a show of good will, Samak has invited Thein Sein to dinner Tuesday at his residence.

Government spokesman Wichianchote Sukchotrat said, ""Prime Minister Samak said he will cook for the Myanmar prime minister by himself, but he refused to reveal the menu.

A former host of a TV cooking show, Samak is known for his fond of cooking. He enjoyed sampling the delicacies of local markets on trips around Southeast Asia since becoming prime minister in February.

Thein Sein, who arrives Bangkok today, was scheduled to hold official talks with Samak on Wednesday followed by an audience with HM the King.

They were expected to to discuss Burma's referendum, cross-border drug trafficking and illegal immigration, Thai foreign ministry said in a statement.

Also on Wednesday, the two leaders planned to sign an agreement on contract farming projects Thailand hopes to set up in Burma for rubber and palm oil plantations.

Before returning to Burma on Thursday, the visiting prime minister will tour some of the royal agricultural projects in the northern province of Chiang Rai, part of the so-called Golden Triangle that was once the world's largest opium poppy cultivating region.