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The US-Asean dialogue will follow the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Summit, which starts today.

As chairman of the 10-country grouping, the Thai premier will have to put the ongoing Thai-Cambodian conflict on the sidelines for the time being.

After all, both Thailand and Cambodia are Asean members.

Upholding Thailand's image and credibility at this crucial forum is undoubtedly the premier's top priority, even though Thaksin Shinawatra in collaboration with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, has managed to upset Thailand both politically and diplomatically in the past few days.

Abhisit will have to tell the world that Thailand is playing by the rule of law and international treaties, and neighbouring countries like Cambodia ought to respect the country's sovereignty as far as administrative, legislative and judicial systems are concerned.

Cambodia's rejection of Thailand's official request for the extradition of Thaksin, a fugitive from justice, was simply a bad precedent as far as the Thai-Cambodian extradition treaty is concerned.

For Thaksin, his risky adventure into Cambodia appears to have served the purpose of an explicit challenge to the Thai state in the hope of destabilising Abhisit's government.

The ousted premier also held a meeting with about 50 Pheu Thai MPs across the Thai-Cambodian border, bringing him closest ever physically to his supporters since he fled his two-year jail term in 2008.

For Hun Sen, there seems to be no love lost between his country and Thailand's government.

The Cambodian PM has explicitly bet on a Thaksin ally returning to power after the next general election, which is expected to take place some time next year.

In fact, he has offered Thaksin, now his economic adviser, carte blanche to visit Cambodia as often as he wants, allowing the fugitive to run his politics across the Thai-Cambodia border.

In addition, the Cambodian leader appears to be taking revenge on the Preah Vihear issue because the Abhisit government has consistently opposed Cambodia's unilateral registration of the ancient temple complex, which sits on the Thai-Cambodian border, with Unesco.

As for Abhisit, it would be imprudent to play the cards that Hun Sen and Thaksin are playing, because they are aimed at destabilising his government just ahead of the weekend Apec Summit and US-Asean meeting.

On Thursday, Cambodia also expelled a senior Thai diplomat from its capital in connection with the arrest of Siwarat Chotipong, a Thai national, who worked for the Cambodia Air Traffic Service.

Siwarat was charged with spying on Thaksin's flight schedule.

The Thai foreign ministry dismissed the charge as groundless and responded by expelling a Cambodian diplomat.

Yet, it's in Thailand's interest to exercise maximum caution and be cool as has been exemplified by Abhisit's policy that at this stage there will be no border shutdowns, closure of the Thai Embassy nor the evacuation of Thai nationals in Cambodia.

In the end, Thailand's international image and credibility as a larger country than Cambodia will be intact if the government tackles the bilateral issues as diplomatically as it can without resorting to any violent or military means.