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Army chief General Anuphong Paochinda said further reduction of troops from the disputed Preah Vihear Temple will hinge on the outcome of the upcoming meeting between the Thai and Cambodian foreign ministers.

Anupong was speaking to reporters while touring Ta Muen Thom Temple in Surin's Phnom Dong Rak district with Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej.

Like Preah Vihear, Thai and Cambodian soldiers engaged in a stand-off in the vicinity of Ta Muen Thom about a week ago. Fortunately, the situation was brought under control as Thai soldiers quickly sealed the area to prevent Cambodian troops from advancing into Thai territory.

Foreign Minister Tej Bunnag and his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong are due to meet at the resort town of Cha-am to sort out the two countries' differences. However, the issue of Ta Muen Thom, over which Phnom Penh claims ownership, will not be discussed at the Cha-am meeting.

 Both Hor Namhong and Tej were quoted yesterday as saying that they were optimistic the meeting would result in a lasting solution to the long-running dispute over Preah Vihear.

"Hopefully, the situation will improve and result in a reduction of troops," Tej told reporters, adding the meeting would only focus on issues left unresolved at the Siem Reap summit last month.

Apart from military deployment, problems include Cambodia's construction of a road, temple and community in the overlapping area claimed by both sides. Thailand wants the area to be cleared, enabling a clear demarcation of the boundary.

Tej said issues such as the dispute over the second Hindu temple of Ta Muen Thom would not be discussed at the meeting as suggested earlier by his Cambodian counterpart. "This meeting is for the problem of Preah Vihear," he insisted.

Cambodia has accused Thailand of encroaching on Ta Muen Thom and hopes to raise the issue at the Cha-am meeting.

Over the weekend, up to 1,000 Cambodian and Thai troops pulled back from a small patch of disputed land near the historic temple, suggesting the month-long military stand-off could come to an end.

However, 20 troops from both sides remain stationed at a small pagoda in the contentious border area, while 40 Cambodian and Thai solders remain nearby.

"The meeting will prove successful in resolving the problem step by step," Hor Namhong told reporters before leaving Phnom Penh for Thailand. He was referring to the issue of Ta Muen Thom

"I think at the meeting today [yesterday] and tomorrow, we will achieve a total withdrawal of troops at and around the pagoda. So the problem will be settled."

Anupong and Samak's trip around the border area was aimed at assuring soldiers at the frontline and the international community that the situation was under control.

"Everything is fine. Both sides understand each other and there will be no confrontation," Anupong said.

Relations between the neighbours flared up last month after Preah Vihear was given the World Heritage Site status by Unesco, angering nationalists in Thailand who still claim ownership of the ancient Khmer temple.

On July 15, Cambodia arrested three Thai protesters for illegally crossing the border to get to the temple, sparking the deployment of troops from both sides on the tiny patch of disputed land near Preah Vihear.

The International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that the temple belongs to Cambodia, but the surrounding land remains in dispute.