Somchai heads to Beijing for Asem meeting

He is tasked with hammering out differences with his Cambodian counterpart, Hun Sen, and explaining to Asem members about the political crisis at home.

"We're hoping the meeting will create greater understanding," said Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat. "Already the situation has improved, and we're hoping we can return to the track we were following all along, that this issue should be settled by bilateral talks."

Meanwhile, in the tourist hub of Siem Reap, Cambodia's defence minister teed off with Thai military officials yesterday in a round of golf diplomacy ahead of talks aimed at resolving the fierce border dispute.

"The discussion [on Thursday] has resolved a lot of problems," Tea Banh told Agence FrancePresse on his way to the links.

"[Today's] meeting will clearly ease the situation more, because we will discuss ways to make it better."

Somchai yesterday told reporters he wanted peace restored between the neighbours "as soon as possible".

"My meeting with Hun Sen will be based on our being neighbouring countries that can never separate," Somchai said. "We'll have a good and amicable relationship with each other. If there is a problem, we'll solve it with peaceful measures ... If something needs to be done, we must do it to restore peace and order as soon as possible."

Governors of four Cambodian and four Thai provinces affected by the border dispute also met yesterday in Siem Reap, to discuss how to help local interests during the military standoff.

Since being named prime minister last month, Somchai has been under constant pressure to resign and dissolve his Cabinet by the People's Alliance for Democracy, a loose coalition of activists fanatically opposed to ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his political allies.

Somchai's People Power Party is considered a proxy for Thaksin, who now lives in selfexile in London with his family.

Although Asean has a tradition of noninterference, the crisis has become a point of concern for members of the regional grouping. Thailand is the present chairman of the Asean Standing Committee, and the Kingdom will host the regional grouping's annual summit in midDecember.