Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said Sunday after meeting with President George Bush he expects Burma to release opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi soon.
Mr. Thaksin's comments came on the eve of Monday's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Bangkok.
The United States has been a leading critic of Burma's military government and its handling of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Thailand has taken a softer line toward Burma, a fellow member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. A week ago, Mr. Thaksin praised the Burmese government, saying it has shown concrete progress toward political reform by presenting a seven-point road map to democratization.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has been under detention and then house arrest since a bloody May 30 clash between her supporters and pro-government mobs.
Information for this report is provided by AFP.