By Larry Jagan BBC Burma analyst

He has suggested to Rangoon that it needs to come up with a "road map" for democracy and national reconciliation.

He has offered Thailand's assistance in the venture, and is currently canvassing support for his idea amongst the Asian and European participants at the ASEM meeting in Bali.

Burma's military government would be left in no doubt that they must start a concrete process of national reconciliation as a matter of utmost urgency

Thailand wants the Burmese regime to be asked to come up with a series of concrete and practical steps towards democratisation.

As part of the process, Mr Surakiart told the BBC that Thailand would be prepared to host a meeting of interested parties which might be able to help the Burmese Government flesh out this road map.

It would be primarily an Asean meeting, with representatives of other interested parties - certainly China and Japan, and possibly the US and the EU.

Mr Surakiart envisaged a senior officials' meeting rather than one at ministerial level.

The participation of the military government was essential, he told the BBC. Representatives of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy and ethnic minorities would come later.

The UN envoy to Burma, Razali Ismail, would also be invited.

This meeting would look at the steps, options and obstacles on the way to democratic reform, the Thai foreign minister said.

Regional backing

He did not envisage setting a deadline for the convening of the meeting, but Burma's military government would be left in no doubt that they must start a concrete process of national reconciliation as a matter of utmost urgency.

Of the other Asean members, the Indonesian, Malaysian and Chinese foreign ministers have all been supportive of the idea, he said.

So far EU participants at the ASEM meeting have declined to comment on the idea, but are not likely to oppose it provided the meeting decides to call for Aung San Suu Kyi's immediate release and the resumption of the national reconciliation process as soon as possible.

Mr Surakiart's initiative is meant to deflect pressure on Asean to take drastic action against their recalcitrant member.

It is also a recognition that Asean has to do something significant to get the Burmese generals to release Aung San Suu Kyi, and start concrete dialogue with the opposition leader.

Asean must do it before someone else steps in and does it for us, he said.