BANGKOK, THAILAND - THAI Finance Minister Surapong Suebwonglee said on Thursday that he might discuss the nation's economic problems with ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, now that he has ended his self-imposed exile.

Mr Surapong said that Mr Thaksin's experiences as a self-made billionaire made him an economics expert whose knowledge could help the kingdom now that he has returned nearly a year and a half after the military toppled his government.

He said he might consult the former premier on contentious issues such as Thailand's stiff currency controls, which were imposed by the previous military regime in a bid to rein in the soaring baht.

After the coup against Thaksin in 2006, a military-appointed tribunal barred him from politics for five years.

Mr Surapong, a close ally of Mr Thaksin, said any discussions with the deposed premier should be considered casual conversations and not a violation of the ban.

The minister said he was studying proposals to lift the currency controls, and was waiting for further information from the Bank of Thailand.

'I think I will be able to make my decision soon,' Mr Surapong said.

The baht has been trading at 10-year highs against the dollar, closing on Wednesday at 32.12-14 against the greenback.

A rising baht hurts exporters as its raises the foreign currency price of their products and lowers repatriated profits.

Exports are a key engine of the Thai economy, accounting for more than 60 per cent of the kingdom's gross domestic product.

The capital controls required 30 per cent of all incoming investment to be held by financial institutions for up to one year.

But the controls spooked foreign investors, who saw the rules as a steep tax on equity investments. The regulations caused the biggest one-day drop in the Thai stock market in late 2006, involving losses worth 23 billion dollars ($32.14 billion).

Many exemptions have since been made to the currency rules, including some just this week, but the general 30-per cent requirement remains in place. -- AFP