Thailand promises tight security for Asia Summit

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(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-08-24 16:51

BANGKOK: An October summit of Asian leaders in Thailand will be held under stringent security to avoid chaos, the prime minister said Monday, confirming a venue change to a seaside resort near the revered king's palace.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said the October 23-25 East Asia Summit, which includes 16 nations, will be held in Cha-am, a beach resort 120 miles (200 kilometers) south of the capital Bangkok near the tightly guarded seaside palace of King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

The summit was initially scheduled to take place in Phuket, but the Foreign Ministry has said the dates coincided with the popular Phuket Vegetarian Festival when hotel rooms might be scarce.

Abhisit said stringent security will be imposed to avoid any chaos. At the last East Asia Summit in April, leaders were evacuated by helicopter and boats after anti-government protesters stormed the venue in the seaside city of Pattaya.

"We will invoke the Internal Security Act to enforce security," Abhisit told reporters. "There may be people who want to cause chaos, which would affect the image of the country."

The Internal Security Act allows security forces to impose curfews and restrict freedom of movement in situations deemed harmful to national security.

Thailand's image has taken several beatings during its rotating chairmanship of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which ends in December and has coincided with the country's worst political tumult in years.

The East Asia Summit groups the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations with Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.