PM Declares Thailand Ready To Host ASEAN Summit

BANGKOK (AFP)--Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat on Wednesday declared Thailand ready to host next month's Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Chiang Mai, despite ongoing political rallies in the capital.

The government has been forced to change the summit venue from Bangkok to the northern city as antigovernment protesters refuse to leave the prime minister's offices, which they have occupied since August.

"Many leaders asked me whether Thailand is ready to host the meeting... I have reassured them that Thailand is ready," Somchai said.

"We will hold the meeting in Chiang Mai as many leaders have requested it and because of the significance of the Chiang Mai initiatives," Somchai added, referring to the regional financial rescue plan drawn up there in the wake of the 1997 Asian financial crisis.

Chiang Mai is also a stronghold of government support as the home town of ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who maintains close ties with the incumbent administration.

The exiled politician's ongoing links with government continue to divide Thai society, with Thaksin's critics accusing him of corruption and nepotism.

Throughout their rallies since May across the capital, antigovernment protesters have worn yellow shirts to signal their stance, while pro-government supporters wear red.

"No matter whether you wear a red shirt or yellow shirt, this is the time to show your patriotism for the sake of the country - to show our readiness as the host country as the whole world keeps a close watch on us," Somchai told reporters.

He said Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak would pay official visits to Thailand at the conclusion of the summit.

All attending leaders will be granted an audience with King Bhumibol Adulyadej in Bangkok on December 17.

The Thai government has declared public holidays for Chiang Mai throughout the December 15-18 summit, to facilitate traffic and security measures.

The ten ASEAN member states are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. It has a combined population of nearly 600 million and GDP of around $1 trillion.