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Published on September 15, 2007

Boyce said he had been a friend of Banharn for 20 years and, as he wanted to follow the political situation, he had asked the Chat Thai leader to explain recent events.

"Politics has been changing - it is like an interesting drama," he said with a smile.

The envoy said, however, that the US had no plan to ask the government to monitor the Thai election like the European Union.

Banharn said the US ambassador wanted his analysis of Thai politics in order to report it back to Washington.

The Chat Thai leader said Boyce wondered about the merger of several political groups, because Thai politics had never seen the phenomenon of so many mergers.

"I explained to him that the mergers have no hidden agenda - it is just a new political era," he said.

"He also asked who the next prime minister would be, but I couldn't reply as I have to wait for the election result," Banharn said.

The US ambassador spent an hour in discussion with Banharn.

The Nation