Highlight of the Week

Abhisit's visit, however, needs tighter security because the country is deeply divided and the anti-government, red-shirt protesters are preparing to humiliate him by egging him or even throwing bags of stink fermented fish - pla ra as a welcome.

From Friday to Sunday, Abhisit will pay an official visit to Britain as guest of the UK Prime Minister , ahead of the G-20 Summit meeting on April 2 to find measures to salvage the world economy.

Meanwhile Thaksin will not take to the stage to give his speech in Hong Kong on Thursday as planned. Instead he will give a talk under the title "The economic crisis, political instability and the lesson from Thailand" through a video-link system. The speech will start 2pm, Thailand time.

Surapong Towichakchaikul, Pheu Thai Party Chiang Mai MP, defended Thaksin's move to give the speech, saying the former PM did not intend to hurt the country, wanting only to express concern over the mishandling of the country's economy by Abhisit.

The Pheu Thai Party is testing its popularity by organising meetings and seminars in every province that has Pheu Thai MPs. Each MP must bring in at least 3,000 people to attend the gatherings as part of efforts to expand their political base.