The United States is attempting to keep free-trade talks with Thailand alive, but the lengthy political vacuum in the kingdom is jeopardising the process, a senior US official said today.

"We've been in discussions with the Thais about keeping the momentum going on in these negotiations while the government is in this caretaker mode," said US assistant trade representative for the Asia-Pacific Barbara Weisel.

Weisel, the head of the US delegation for trade talks with both Thailand and neighbouring Malaysia, said that only non-sensitive aspects of the negotiations could be advanced in the interim.

"The more time that goes by the more difficult it will be to conclude the negotiations," she said in a phone interview from Penang where the US-Malaysia trade talks began today.

"We're hoping we can get the negotiations resumed as soon as possible but obviously for any of the more sensitive issues it's going to be difficult for the Thais to negotiate until they have a government in place."

Mass protest

Deputy US Trade Representative Karan Bhatia admitted in May that the pact "is not likely to happen this year", and so may have to wait indefinitely given that the US administration will lose its "fast-track" trade authority next year.

Before the Thai government put the US talks on ice earlier this year, they had already become mired in controversy amid mass protests from Thais worried that a deal would hurt Thai farmers and make vital drugs more expensive.

Thailand suspended the dialogue as the government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra slipped into a political crisis that culminated in snap polls in April.

A sweeping victory for Thaksin's party was undermined by an opposition boycott, and the courts have since invalidated the results. New polls are scheduled to be held on October 15.