The government threw its support behind Thai Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai as the region's candidate to replace outgoing United Nations chief Kofi Annan, a Thai government spokesman said.

Earlier in the year Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said it was important that the top spot in the world body be filled next by an Asian, and that foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations agreed that the 10 member countries be united in proposing a candidate.

In March, Surakiart said it was "too early to say" who would be Southeast Asia's candidate to succeed Annan, whose term expires in December 2006.

But Malaysian foreign minister Syed Hamid Albar paid a courtesy call Thursday on Thaksin and expressed his country's backing for Surakiart in the role, the spokesman said.

"Malaysia is the first country in Asean to express its position clearly in supporting the Thai candidate in the next selection for UN secretary general," Jakrapob Penkair told reporters.

He said Malaysia hoped Thailand could play a key role in international diplomacy and believed Surakiart would eventually get full backing from Asean.

Rocky relationship

Thailand has had a rocky relationship with the United Nations under the Thaksin administration.

During a controversial "war on drugs" last year Thaksin rebuffed criticism from the world body by telling reporters "the UN is not my father."

Thailand failed in a previous bid to have former foreign minister Surin Pitsuwan succeed Mary Robinson as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, a position handed to former Dutch Prime Minister Ruud Lubbers.

Before Annan signed up for a second term, Surin had also been touted as a possible successor for the secretary general's post.

Another Thai, former commerce minister Supachai Panitchpakdi, currently heads the World Trade Organisation.

Since the United Nations was formed in 1946, U Thant of Burma, then known as Burma, has been the only Asian to hold the top job.