He invited them to his home on Sunday, cooking for them and apologising for having released the names of his Cabinet ministers to Japanese correspondents first and not to local reporters.

Mr Samak often makes headlines because of his acerbic tongue.

But on Sunday he showed a softer side, cracking jokes and sharing cooking tips and his experiences from his younger days.

He said his life had changed since being chosen for the nation's top job.

'I had never worn a hat but this morning I had to wear one and stood at attention with soldiers. I used to wake up with freedom, but now I have to check my schedule to see what's ahead for me in the day,' he said.

Mr Samak, an accomplished chef who had his own cooking show Tasting, Grumbling on television for seven years, said his love of cooking started at the age of seven when his mother asked him to do the shopping for ingredients.

As his family moved from house to house in Bangkok, he had the chance to explore about 20 different markets.

Mr Samak, a family man who neither smokes nor drinks, said his wife did not share his passion for cooking.

He has said he intends to make room in his busy life for food.

'The Constitution does not restrict a Prime Minister from talking about food,' he was quoted as saying by the the Thai News Agency recently. 'I think I'll have a one-hour programme on Sundays.

'Even the prime minister of New Zealand can be a tour guide to promote the country's tourism. I may host a similar tourism programme in the future,' he added.

THE NATION/ASIA NEWS NETWORK