PM says tolerance will be his reply to Thaksin

"I always say that it takes two to tango. The government will not be part of a conflict. We were advised by the country's respectable seniors right from the start that under these current political circumstances, we have to exercise tolerance,'' Abhisit said.

Quizzed by reporters if he would ask Thaksin to stop attacking his administration on the international stage, Abhisit said it would depend on Thaksin's conscience if he would put his or the country's interests first.

Thaksin in a recent interview to some foreign media said Thais should not pin their hopes on the Abhisit administration to help them weather the economic crisis.

Thaksin will give a talk on "The economic crisis, political instability and the lesson from Thailand" via a video link for a seminar in Hong Kong this Thursday.

The speech was postponed from March 2, when he was supposed to take to the stage at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Hong Kong to deliver it.

The change from making a personal appearance came after a report by the Sunday Morning Post that Hong Kong and Thailand were one step closer to ratifying an extradition treaty - a move that could let the government bring Thaksin to justice.

He was convicted and sentenced to two years in jail after the Supreme Court found him guilty of corruption in the Ratchadaphisek land purchase scandal.

Government spokesman Panithan Wattanayagorn said the two countries had agreed in principle to sign the pact.

The government also has sought the cooperation of countries where Thaksin is expected to show up - regardless of whether they have an extradition agreement with Thailand - to hand the fugitive over to Thai officials.

"This could reduce the space for Thaksin to launch an attack against the government. He might be restricted to staying only in small, faraway countries that make it hard for his supporters to contact him and his tactic of phone-ins is ineffective or impossible,'' he said.

In Khon Kaen, thousands of people joined the red-shirt mobile "Truth Today" rally at provincial hall. Kwanchai Praipana, the red-shirt leader of Udon Thani, got on a pickup truck with loudspeakers to incite Khon Kaen people to join the demonstration.

More than 500 police threw a security blanket over the scene and arms checks were strictly carried out.

Veera Musigapong, Chatuporn Prompan and Nattawut Saikua, leaders

of the Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship and hosts of the "Truth Today" satellite TV show, conducted a religious rite to ensure everything went smoothly.