Thaksin arrives for Apec meeting

PHUKET: Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra arrived in Phuket late this afternoon, direct from Brunei, to preside over tomorrow’s opening ceremonies of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Finance Ministers’ Meeting at the Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket. This evening the Prime Minister is due to meet with governors and senior police officers from the 14 southern provinces. The meeting, at the Royal Phuket City Hotel, is expected to review progress in the campaigns against illegal drugs and “influential people”. He will then head for the Dusit Laguna Resort Hotel, where he will spend the night. Meanwhile, finance ministers of the 21 Apec member-economies have been arriving, with the South Korean minister, Kim Gwang-lim, being the first to land. The meeting, which will end on Friday, is expected to discuss a wide range of topics, including financial measures to counter terrorism.