Defending champ Thailand gets support from Thaksin<\/p>\n
KUALA LUMPUR (Agencies): Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra will
\ngive his nation's Southeast Asian (SEA) Games squad a boost by
\nflying in to attend the regional games' opening ceremony on
\nSaturday.<\/p>\n
Thaksin will fly to Kuala Lumpur on his private jet Saturday
\nafternoon and hold talks with Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad
\nbefore attending the launch of the SEA Games that evening, the
\nMalaysian foreign ministry announced.<\/p>\n
His visit, at the invitation of Mahathir, was to 'lend moral
\nsupport' to the Thai contingent and to Malaysia as the host, it
\nsaid in a statement released by Bernama news agency.<\/p>\n
Thaksin last visited Kuala Lumpur in April.<\/p>\n
His second trip was expected to further strengthen 'strong
\nties of friendship and cooperation' between the two neighbors,
\nthe ministry said. He is due to return to Bangkok on Sunday
\nmorning.<\/p>\n
Thailand, which has strength in soccer, track and field and
\nsepak takraw among other sports, is strongly favored to top the
\nmedals at the Games again this year, as it did at the 1999 SEA
\nGames in Brunei.<\/p>\n
Some 4,500 athletes from the 10 member countries of the
\nAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will compete for a
\ntotal of 391 gold medals.<\/p>\n
ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
\nMyanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.<\/p>\n
Poor hygiene<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, health inspectors have shut down the food court at
\nthe shooting venue for the Southeast Asian Games because of poor
\nhygiene, irritating organizers.<\/p>\n
\"How could they seal the food court without prior advice or
\nwarning notice?\" venue manager Chu Pu Yam was cited by Bernama as
\nsaying Thursday. \"Their acts are totally unacceptable and can
\naffect Malaysia's image as the host country.\"<\/p>\n
A notice posted on the food court, which will serve 500
\ncompetitors and officials from the 10 nations once the games get
\nunder way Saturday, said it would be closed for 14 days for
\nviolating public health codes.<\/p>\n
Among the 12 reasons given in the notice were that food
\noperators need to be vaccinated and wear shoes and caps; walls,
\nfloors and drains need to be clean; there must be pest control;
\nexpired food must be thrown away and food must be served with
\nstainless steel ware.<\/p>\n
Pu Yam said that no one had complained so far of stomach pains
\nor vomiting, but he pledged that everything would be done to get
\nthe court reopened, starting with cleaning, painting and tiling.<\/p>",
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