Thais summon Singapore envoy over Thaksin visit

Bangkok, Jan 16: Thailand summoned Singapore's ambassadortoday after ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, now living inexile, was reported to have met two Singapore cabinet ministers overthe weekend.

A Singaporean diplomat told Reuters the meeting betweentop Foreign Ministry official Krit Garnjana-goonchorn and AmbassadorPeter Chan was scheduled for 0930 hrs (0800 IST), but declined to giveother details.

Thai newspapers reported that Thaksin met Singapore Deputy PrimeMinisters S Jayakumar and Wong Kan Seng over the weekend. The SingaporeForeign Ministry said the meeting between Thaksin and Jayakumar was''private''.

Coming less than a week after Bangkok cancelled Thaksin'sdiplomatic passport, the meeting upset army-appointed Prime MinisterSurayud Chulanont, who said the Foreign Ministry would have to takesome ''diplomatic actions'' on the matter.

Reuters>