Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday returned to work at his office in Government House for the first time since the red shirts began their anti-government protests on March 12.
The discussion also involved the prime minister's scheduled trips later this month - to Vietnam to attend the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and to the United States to take part in a world nuclear summit.
More than 100 police and soldiers guarded each of the Government House gates and fire engines were parked nearby.
Abhisit had avoided Government House during the lengthy protests by the red shirts who had gathered near its compound. After the Internal Security Act was imposed on March 11, he spent most of his office hours at the Peacekeeping Operations Centre inside the 11th Infantry Regiment.
Acting government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said yesterday the prime minister returned to work at Government House to restore public confidence that the government could resume its work normally.
"The demonstrators announced they would not besiege government buildings and the political environment is easing after the talks between the government and the [red-shirt] leaders," he said.
The premier arrived at Government House at short notice and pleasantly surprised many officials, according to the spokesman.
Panitan said the prime minister would return to work at Government House this morning. Abhisit is scheduled to meet Bahrain's chief parliamentarian at 8.30am and later in the day with the secretary-general of the National Economic and Social Development Board.
The spokesman said it was not that the government was trying to get an upper hand over the red shirts whose street rally appeared to be waning. "Nobody is going to lose or win in this situation. It's the country that will get more confidence," he said.
Meanwhile, police and soldiers have been dispatched to high buildings near the prime minister's house in the Sukhumvit area that could present a security threat, Metropolitan Police Region 5 commander Maj-General Anuchai Lekbumrung said yesterday.
The buildings have a clear view of the PM's house from their upper floors, according to Anuchai. He said security forces are keeping a round-the-clock scrutiny on residents and visitors to those buildings. But he declined to discuss the measures in detail.
