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Arin Jira, chairman of the Asean Business Advisory Council which hosts the side event, said if the government was so concerned with security in Bangkok, it should postpone the summit instead.

"Changing the venue would disrupt the Asean-Bis, which has been prepared for about eight months. The event cannot be moved to Chiang Mai as it involves the relocation of 400-500 participants.

"And it's not working to have leaders at the event, only to see them leave for Chiang Mai the next day for the Summit," Arin complained.

The annual Asean-Bis has coincided with the Asean Summit. This year's event, the 6th in a row, is scheduled to take place in Bangkok from December 13 to 15, while the Summit will be held from December 15 to 18. In the programme is a meeting of delegates with policy makers and speeches by ministers.

The venue change is believed to avoid possible disruption by anti-government demonstrators in Bangkok who had seized the Government House.

According to Arin, if the demonstrators are indeed the reason for the change, moving the event to Chiang Mai would not help. He noted that though the province is the stronghold of the People Power Party, which is the key target of the People's Alliance for Democracy's supporters, it does not guarantee the absence of demonstrators in the city.

"If the government is afraid that ugly scenes would be spread to the world if the meeting is hosted in Bangkok, does it mean that Chiang Mai is not Thailand? Can't the protesters go there?" he asked. "Instead, a change would send a bad impression to participants."

Those leaders and their entourage have already booked hotels, and if these were to change, leaders of some countries could opt out and send only vice presidents to attend the Summit.

"It's better to postpone the Summit to January if we're not ready," he said.

The Summit was once postponed in 2006 when the Philippines was the host country due to storms and a rumoured terrorist plot.