Sonthi will travel to Saudi Arabia on Thursday as a government representative in the pilgrimage tour to holy city of Mecca. However details of the letter is still not clear.

Sonthi Wednesday met Surayud at the Government House for 20 minutes. After the meeting, the prime minister told reporters that they discussed about Sonthi's trip to Mecca.

"I already asked him to convey my letter to the Saudi King," he said without giving further elaboration.

Thai and Saudi relationship have been on the rock for more than a decade after Thai police failed to bring to justice killers of Saudi diplomat and senior businessmen who were separately gunned down in daylight in Bangkok.

Saudi Arabia has downgraded diplomatic relations with Thailand by not appointing ambassador to Bangkok.

Meanwhile Foreign Ministry's spokesman Kitti Wasinondh said that Sonthi, a Muslim, will play an important role in reconciling the bilateral relations.

He would also create better understanding with Muslim countries and people as a bid to solve the series of violence in the southern countries. é

He is tentatively scheduled to meet senior members of Organisation of Islamic Conference during his visit to Saudi Arabia.

He will then travel to Egypt from January 3-6 during which he would meet Thai students.

The Nation