Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has changed his mind and will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders' forum in Chile this month, local press reported here on Saturday.

Thaksin will be in Chile for the Nov. 20-21 summit after he decided the situation in the kingdom's deep south was under control, the premier's secretary Yongyuth Tiyapairat was quoted byThe Nation newspaper as confirming.

On Thursday, Thaksin canceled his trip to Chile due to the ongoing violence in the Muslim-dominated deep south. He assigned Deputy Prime Minister to attend the summit on his behalf.

Yougyuth said the prime minister wants to honor the meeting by not sending any of his deputies to go in his place.

US president George W. Bush, Chinese President Hu Jintao and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi are among the leaders confirmed to attend the summit.

The previous APEC leaders' forum was held in Bangkok in October,2003.

Source: Xinhua