Thaksin to give soccer match a miss

He said each team would consist of players from both countries, with Hun Sen as captain of Cambodia and Somchai Wongsawas leading the Thai team. There will be a party after the match.

Pheu Thai MP Jatuporn Promphan, who is also a red-shirt leader, said he anticipated thousands of reds, together with their leaders and Pheu Thai MPs, would turn up to cheer the game in Phnom Penh this Saturday.

He said the most important factor in the contest would be friendship not victory, so each team would include players from both countries.

Kwanchai Praipana, another red-shirt leader, said he won't attend the game because he would be helping Udon Thani people affected by the floods.

As a pro-government red shirt, he wanted to ease the workload on the prime minister in tackling flood problems. He will help by collecting donations and sending them to the victims.

"Even if ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra was attending the match, I wouldn't go to Phnom Penh again because I have already met him last week and talked with him for 20 minutes," Kwanchai said.

He said he and Udon Thani red shirts would meet Thaksin next month in Laos.