Bangkok: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee arrived in Bangkok on October 8 night on a four-day visit to Thailand from the Indonesian resort of Bali after attending the second India-ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) Summit there and would sign five agreements including one leading to free trade between the two countries.

During his stay, Vajpayee would hold wide-ranging talks with his Thai counterpart Thaksin Shinawatra on a range of issues including the fight against terrorism, UN reforms and developments in Iraq, Middle East and Afghanistan.

Thailand is attaching great significance to Vajpayee's visit, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in a decade with the last being P V Narasimha Rao in 1993.

Giving a fresh boost to their bilateral relations, India and Thailand would sign five accords including those on co-operation in agricultural science, tourism, bio-technology and on exemption of Visa requirements for official passport holders.

The two sides would also ink a Framework Agreement to usher in a Free Trade Accord relating to goods, services and trade facilitation.

Vajpayee would address a special session of the Thai Parliament, the first ever by any foreign leader. The Prime Minister would return home on October 12.

PTI