Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was to start a two-day visit to Paris Sunday whose aim officials said was to deepen ties with French President Jacques Chirac, press for better bilateral trade and address the UNESCO General Conference.

Thaksin was due to fly into the French capital late Sunday to ready himself for his official itinerary, which was to start Monday. After delivering his UNESCO speech on Tuesday, he was to continue on to Brussels and then London, Helsinki and Moscow.

According to diplomats, the 56-year-old Thai prime minister was also to use the Paris leg to make preparations for Chirac's visit to Thailand next January.

A spokesman for the Thai foreign ministry in Bangkok said Thaksin had a good relationship with Chirac and wanted to develop a "strategic relationship" between his country and France through which Paris could develop opportunities in Asia and Thailand could seek to have influence in French-speaking Africa.

Thailand is notably backing Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai as a candidate to replace UN Secretary General Kofi Annan next year.