PM to visit Thai Northeast Feb 2

BANGKOK, January 31 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha is scheduled to visit people and chair a rice meeting in the northeastern Nakhon Ratchasima next Monday, while the provincial governor is optimistic that a protest opposing his visit should not reoccur like the incident he encountered last November. Interior Minister General Anupong Paochinda told journalists on Saturday that the prime minister will chair the rice meeting, organised by the Ministry of Commerce in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Phimai District, meet local people and attend an exhibition on local farm produce and community-based products. General Anupong said the provincial governor has reported that so far the situation has remained normal with no unusual movements, assessing that opposition, like the one staged by students in the northeastern province last November against the prime minister, should not re-occur. For recent visits and talks between a high-ranking US Embassy official with leaders of the red-clad United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) in the Thai Northeast, General Anupong revealed he was informed by provincial governors where their meetings took place that the situation remained quiet. The interior minister stated that the US Embassy official could gather information, but he should realise that the interim Thai government is accelerating on solving problems confronting the country, as well as creating reconciliation among people. The interior minister insisted that the interim Thai government has no intention to exercise power in an improper way and urged Thai people not be too emotional on the meetings between the US Embassy official and UDD leading members, stressing that foreign relations must be treated in a constructive way because people in the world must live together. The interior minister pointed out that the general atmosphere in Thailand now is considered positive with an improvement in the national economy and the recovering domestic tourism; so, chaos should not take place again. (TNA)