Bangkok: Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani arrived in Bangkok on January 30 night on a three-day visit to hold wide-ranging talks with Thai leadership including the fight against terrorism and ways to further enhance the over $ 1 billion trade between the two countries.

Advani was received at the airport by his Thai counterpart and Law Minister Wissanu Krea-Ngam and India's Ambassador Leela K Ponnappa.

Advani, who would meet Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and Krea-Ngam, would focus on security-related issues including the campaign against terror and steps to strengthen economic co-operation between India and Thailand.

The issue of creating a free trade zone and those relating to ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) would also figure in the talks, official sources said.

New Delhi has also been discussing with Bangkok a treaty for mutual legal assistance and transfer of convicted offenders besides ways to combat drug trafficking and smuggling of arms.

As part of India's "Look East" policy, Advani would also pay a three-day visit to Singapore in the second leg of his two-nation tour.

The sources, however, said no agreements would be signed during the Deputy Prime Minister's visits to Thailand and Singapore.

Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had visited Singapore in April last year and had met Thai leaders during a brief stopover at Bangkok in November while returning from Laos.

PTI