No fly-zone for Thaksin's jet

Cambodian authorities arrested and charged Siwarak Chothipong, an engineer at the Cambodia Air Traffic Services, with "stealing" flight information involving fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Suthep said the flight schedule was not treated as an official secret and it was readily available. Therefore, the government had no need to use the CATS official to seek information about the schedule.

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya Friday described Cambodia's arrest of the mechanic as an act of intimidation with the intent to defame Thailand.

Siwarak was accused of stealing the information and sending it to the Thai Embassy's first secretary, Kamrob Palawatwichai, who was expelled from Cambodia on Thursday. The Cambodians accused him of having "executed work in contradiction to his position". Thailand responded by expelling the Cambodian Embassy's first secretary in the same fashion.