Thai PM arrives tomorrow

JAKARTA (JP): Thai Prime Minister Banharn Silpa Archa is scheduled to arrive here tomorrow for a two-day visit that will include a courtesy call on President Soeharto.

"It is has become customary in ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) for new heads of state to take time to visit other neighboring states," Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono said yesterday.

Banharn was installed as prime minister in July after his Chart Thai party,in an alliance with seven other political parties won the election.

Though this is his first trip as prime minister, Soeharto and Banharn have met several times before. They worked closely during December's ASEAN Summit in Bangkok and during last month's Asia- Europe Meeting, also held in the Thai capital.

ASEAN is a socioeconomic grouping comprised of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

"The main purpose of the visit is to have an exchange of views with President Soeharto about bilateral relations, regional and international developments," Moerdiono explained.

During his visit here Banharn will be accompanied by his wife, the Thai deputy prime minister, minister of foreign affairs and minister of agriculture and cooperatives.

They are scheduled to arrive this morning in a private airplane at Halim Perdanakusuma airport.

After an official welcome at Merdeka Palace, Banharn will then lay a wreath at the Kalibata Heroes cemetery.

On Thursday the two leaders will witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding on economic cooperation and a purchase agreement by their pertinent ministers.

Banharn will then fly to Yogyakarta to visit the ancient Borobudur temple, the largest Buddhist temple in the world.

According to Moerdiono, while in Yogyakarta the Thai prime minister and his entourage will also conduct a Buddhist prayer session at Candi Mendut, a temple near Borobudur, before returning home later in the afternoon.(mds)