Thai PM holds talks with Singapore leaders

SINGAPORE, March 19 (TNA) – Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej on Wednesday met his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong and President S.R. Nathan during his three-day official visit to the island state.

Mr. Samak said the Thai government had thanked Singapore for hiring 47,000 Thai labourers to work in Singapore, which was enhancing Thai labour force skills.

He said Singapore understood the political situation in Thailand, including an ongoing probe by the Election Commission into the People Power Party (PPP), for allegedly acting as a nominee of the now defunct Thai Rak Thai (TRT) party.

Mr. Samak is the PPP leader while the TRT, dissolved after the September 2006 coup, was headed by then premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

"Singapore is confident to invest in Thailand. Our tourism potential will also draw Singaporeans to Thailand," he added.

The premier's visit to Singapore is the fourth leg of his tour of Southeast Asian countries to introduce himself and to strengthen relations with the neighbouring countries after he took the post as Prime Minister following the December 2007 general election.

He visited Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar earlier this month. (TNA) -E004

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