BANGKOK - THAI premier Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Tuesday he would invoke a harsh internal security act to prevent protests at a regional summit in Phuket which US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is due to attend.

The move comes after an incident in April when anti-government protesters loyal to ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra forced the chaotic cancellation of a major Asian summit in the Thai resort of Pattaya.

Mr Abhisit said the cabinet had agreed to declare the internal security act on Phuket and five kilometres (three miles) around the tourist island from July 10 to 24 for the Association of South-east Asian Nations (Asean) Regional Forum.

The declaration will allow the military to assist the police at the meeting, which groups foreign ministers from the 10 Asean members plus 16 dialogue partners including the United States, China, Japan and South Korea.

'The cabinet has endorsed in principle the invocation of the security law during the Asean ministerial meeting in Phuket and surroundings,' Mr Abhisit said after the cabinet meeting.

'We don't want a situation similar to Pattaya reoccur. This law will be used to control any incidents,' he said.

'All foreign countries wanted to see that security operations are our top priority. If the July meeting in Phuket goes smoothly it will give a positive image that the country has returned to normalcy,' Mr Abhisit said.

Pro-Thaksin 'Red Shirts' stormed the venue of the Pattaya meeting on April 12 and forced several foreign leaders to flee. Two days of deadly rioting ensued in Bangkok and a state of emergency was declared in the capital.

The leaders' summit has now been postponed until October. It was originally due to be held last December but was repeatedly delayed and moved because of ongoing political turmoil in Thailand.

The ministerial meeting in Phuket runs from July 16 to 24, although ministers will not arrive until July 19. -- AFP