Thaksin to lead 10,000 Thais to 'Open House': report

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Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and several cabinet ministers are expected to lead about 10,000 Thai nationals to Malaysia's national Hari Raya 'Open House' celebration this weekend, a report said today.

Special posters in Thai inviting anyone and everyone to the Saturday night party in Malaysia's northern Kedah state near the border have been given to Thai officials to be put up across southern Thailand, the New Straits Times said.

The posters read: "Hari Raya Open House celebrations at Jitra, Kedah beginning at seven pm Thai time (eight pm Malaysian). All are welcome."

A Thai foreign affairs ministry spokesman said "plans are being finalised for the Thai PM and his entourage to attend the function while the invitation has been aired over radio and television stations here."

He said many Thais living in the southern provinces bordering Malaysia would take advantage of the invitation.

Joint cabinet meeting

The border checkpoint will be open for 24 hours on Dec 21 for the arrival and return of Thai nationals.

Thailand and Malaysia are scheduled to hold their first joint cabinet meeting the following day in southern Thailand.

The "open house" is a uniquely Malaysian event in which the various races — Malay, Chinese and Indian — throw open their homes during their major annual festivals. Tens of thousands of people turned up at Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's open house earlier this month.



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