The United States is Thailand's biggest trade partner, and the two nations had opened free trade talks that had suffered delays under former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

After the military coup against Thaksin in 2006, the US suspended the talks. Monday's meeting marked the first trade discussions since Thaksin's allies returned to power following elections late last year.

Ms Barbara Weisel, the assistant US trade representative for Southeast Asia, met with Commerce Minister Mingkwan Sangsuwan at the prime minister's offices.

'The meeting focused on three main topics, including US interest in new investments in Thailand, US exports to Thailand, and maintaining a good Thai-US trade relationship,' Mr Mingkwan told reporters after the meeting.

He said they did not discuss Thailand's generic drugs programme, which has infuriated western pharmaceutical companies.

Thailand has issued so-called compulsory licenses, suspending patent protections for expensive cutting-edge treatments for AIDS, cancer and heart disease.

The programme allows Thailand to make or import generic versions of the drugs, but pharmaceuticals complain the scheme violates their intellectual property rights.

Disagreements over pharmaceuticals were a major sticking point in earlier free trade talks between Thailand and the United States. -- AFP