PATTAYA TO HOST EAST ASIAN SUMMIT

By D. Arul Rajoo

BANGKOK, March 12 (Bernama) -- Thailand's famous resort city of Pattaya will
host the 16-country East Asian Summit from April 10 to 12, Foreign Minister
Kasit Piromya announced Thursday.

He said Pattaya was picked over initial host Phuket as the latter could not
accomodate thousands of delegates, media and local officials expected to attend
the Summit.

The event coincides with the long Songkran holiday period where most of the
hotels and flight tickets are usually fully booked throughout the country.

"We have to change the venue as it will be high season in Phuket for
tourists. Most of the hotels are fully booked," he told reporters here Thursday.

Kasit said the summit, which consist of the Asean+3 (China, Japan and South
Korea) and Asean+6 (Australia, India and New Zealand), would be held at the
Royal Cliff Resort which boasts the sprawling Pattaya Exhibition And Convention
Hall (Peach).

He said Asean secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan had contacted the
International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organisation and the United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) to attend the summit, as well.

Thai authorities left out Bangkok as they feared protests from supporters of
ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The recent 14th Asean Summit was
moved to Hua Hin to avoid confrontation with his Red Shirts supporters.

The +3 and +6 meetings were supposed to be held along with the 14th Asean
Summit but was delayed as Chinese leaders were busy with their domestic
programmes.
-- BERNAMA