[Thai] Cabinet seeking to help release Thai detained in Cambodia on spy charges

BANGKOK, Nov 17 (TNA) – Thailand’s Cabinet is considering options to help speed the release of a Thai national, an engineer detained in Cambodia on spy charges, and the government is seeking permission from Cambodian authorities to meet the detainee in jail.

Acting Thai government spokesman Panitan Watanayagorn said the Cabinet will also evaluate Thailand’s economic cooperation projects with Cambodia at its weekly meeting Tuesday, as proposed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs because the country may now be at a disadvantage as ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra in now economic adviser to the Cambodian government.

The 31-year-old Siwarak Chothipong, an employee at the Cambodia Air Traffic Service (CATS), who was arrested last week after being accused of giving Mr Thaksin’s flight schedule to the first secretary at the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva earlier urged his Cambodian counterpart Prime Minister Hun Sen to apply international practice in dealing with the Thai engineer.

He said Cambodia has not given permission to Thai officials to visit Mr Siwarak and there was no clear information that what specific charges have been made.

He added that the flight schedule should not be considered secret information.

The diplomatic falling out between the Thai and Cambodian governments flared up after the Cambodian government appointed Mr Thaksin as its economic adviser. The two kingdoms recalled their respective ambassadors in retaliatory actions.

The Cambodian government also invited Mr Thaksin to Phnom Penh to lecture over 300 Cambodian businessmen and economists as his first assignment, at the same time rejecting Thailand's request to extradite the fugitive former premier.

As the diplomatic row continues, Mr Thaksin's interview with Britain’s Timesonline website continued to rankle Thais.

In the article, Mr Thaksin commented about the Thai monarch and his successor, with remarks considered offensive to the monarchy. The ousted premier, however, reportedly defended himself by saying his interview was ‘distorted’ by the reporter.