Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha met for bilateral talks with his Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe, on the sidelines of the Asia-Europe Meeting (Asem) in Milan Thursday after being greeted in Italy by protests against the military takeover he orchestrated.
The family of slain Italian photographer Fabio Polenghi visited Bangkok last year. Left to right, the late Elisabetta, who pressed continuously for accountability for the killing, mother Laura Chiorri and elder sister Arianna Polenghi - who on Thursday called Gen Prayut "an assassin" who ordered Fabio's "execution". (Reuters photo)
During their meeting, Mr Abe congratulated Gen Prayut for assuming the premiership and promised to strengthen ties with Thailand at all levels, according to a Thai News Agency report, which differed from Japanese versions of the same meeting. Mr Abe also invited Gen Prayut to visit Japan.
Gen Prayut urged Japan to invest in technology, including high-speed rail, satellite and water-management projects in Thailand, and raised the issue of a possible seaport and industrial zone at Dawei, Myanmar.
The prime minister arrived in Milan on Wednesday for his first outing on the world stage and was greeted by democracy activists Thursday. They urged the European Union to increase pressure on the regime that has stifled dissent since seizing power on May 22.
While the small anti-Prayut demonstration was only a minor bump for the premier, Italian protesters took a tack that went largely unreported in local media - and was not mentioned by Gen Prayut's spokesman.
Italian demonstrators were there to demand justice for Italian photo-journalist Fabio Polenghi, a Milan native who was shot dead by the Thai army during the crackdown on red shirt street protests in May, 2010.
The soldier who fired the shot has never been identified.
Polenghi's sister Arianna had harsh words. She described Gen Prayut as "an assassin who, along with others, ordered the execution of my beloved brother Fabio".
"Now he is being welcomed to Italy as a legitimate head of state... incredible," Arianna Polenghi said in a statement posted on her brother's memorial website.
Arianna's sister Elisabetta Polenghi visited Thailand many times and became popular among Thai people. She pressed unsuccessfully for government action to be taken against the army and any soldiers responsible for Fabio's death. She died last April at 50 after a battle of several months against pancreatic cancer.
Human Rights Watch said it would submit a letter to Asem leaders to pressure Thailand into returning to democracy.
"Gen Prayut should leave Milan with a clear message that Europe's leaders don't accept continued military rule in Thailand," said Brad Adams, the organisation's Asia director.
"The Thai junta should understand that there will be no return to business as usual until Thailand returns to democratic civilian rule through free and fair elections."
Gen Prayut, Mr Abe: After meeting in Milan, two versions of what transpired. (Photo by Government House)
Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman, Sek Wannamethee, responded by saying rights activists had the right to propose issues of concern to the Asem Summit.
But he insisted the government has operated in line with the national reform roadmap.
Meanwhile, there were significant differences between Japanese reports of the Prayut-Abe meeting and the government's version of what occurred.
Thai officials çlaimed the Japanese premier praised Thailand for its efforts to push for national reform and said Japan had no intention of pressuring the kingdom.
He said the reforms were challenging and hoped for the success of Thailand's reform and national reconciliation roadmap.
Mr Abe praised Gen Prayut for his leadership and his swift action to try and solve the country's problems, the foreign ministry version of the meeting claimed.
It said that Mr Abe promised to send specialists in research and development to Thailand through diplomatic channels and would introduce the safest high-speed rail technology in Thailand.
He also hoped to receive cooperation from Thailand in national security.
According to the Thai side's version of the meeting, Gen Prayut told Mr Abe that Thailand was moving toward national reforms, and hoped to develop on par with Japan.
Thailand is implementing the second phase of its reform plan, which the governing junta has said would culminate in democratic elections next year, according to the Thai side.
The Japanese version of the meeting, and the points emphasised, were different, according to the Kyodo news agency.
"Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe urged his Thai counterpart Prayuth Chan-ocha on Thursday to step up efforts to restore democracy in the Southeast Asian country," Kyodo reported Thursday evening.
Japan was an early and strong critic of the May 22 coup. The Kyodo report from a correspondent in Milan made no mention of Mr Abe's "praise" for reform, as claimed by the Thai spokesman.
It also said Gen Prayut promised Thailand would "soon" end a ban on Japanese products put in during fears in 2011 of escaped radiation from the Fukushima reactor.
Gen Prayut said the government was stimulating the economy, investment, developing infrastructure and inviting Japan to jointly invest in rail systems, satellites and water-management schemes. He praised Japanese investors for not abandoning Thailand during the political crisis.
The general said he would consider finding a suitable time to visit Japan. The government was willing to receive advice from Japan and the international community. He also promised to ease conditions on imports from Japan.
He told Mr Abe that he had discussed the Dawei special economic zone project with Myanmar authorities during his recent visit to that country and welcomed Japan's involvement in the project as an investment in the strength of Asean's economy.
Gen Prayut also held talks with his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang.
Government spokesman Yongyuth Maiyalap said the Chinese premier pledged to cooperate with Thailand in developing roads and basic infrastructure in the region.
Dr Yongyuth said more details will be discussed by a joint panel on trade and investment of the two countries next month in China.
He said the Chinese premier invited Gen Prayut to visit China.
Earlier, Gen Prayut and his delegation joined Thai businessmen and diplomats at a dinner party hosted by the Thai ambassador to Italy, Surapit Kirtiputra.
During the dinner party, Gen Prayut explained the necessity for the National Council for Peace and Order to invoke martial law to control the political situation in the country in a bid to ease conflicts.
"I have no happiness," Gen Prayut told them, according to Bloomberg News. "But I have to stay for the return of happiness to the Thai people. So I have to suffer."
Gen Prayut has said he had no choice other than to topple Thailand's democratically elected government.
He assured that he would not stay on as prime minister beyond the time frame. He said he did not want to take control of the administration, but had to do it as the previous caretaker government could not function.
Gen Prayut said the military was duty-bound to protect the monarchy and would not intervene if the royal institution was not offended.
On pledged rice under the previous government's rice-pledging scheme, Gen Prayut said some 20 million tonnes of rice in the stockpile could not be sold and the country would suffer a huge loss of 400-700 billion baht.
The country would have gone bankrupt if the scheme continued for another three years, he said.