PM to visit Thailand

In his first foreign visit after assuming office, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will travel to Thailand next month for the summit meeting of the BIMST-EC, an economic grouping comprising Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Thailand was looking forward to the Prime Minister's visit for the two-day summit from July 30, Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra told External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh, when he called on him in the east Chinese coastal city of Qingdao on Monday.

Both sides expressed happiness at the cordial state of bilateral affairs and looked forward to further strengthening of ties in areas of mutual interest, an external affairs ministry spokesman told reporters here.

Preparations are also underway for Manmohan Singh's visit to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly session in September.