Senior finance ministry officials from the region are to meet at an International Monetary Fund (IMF) sponsored gathering in Tokyo on Monday, when they will be asked to contribute to a rescue package for the ailing Thai economy.
The Japanese Government, which has already put a US$5 billion Export-Import Bank loan on the table, is hoping to force other Asian governments to provide funds to keep the beleaguered nation afloat.
A top bureaucrat at Japan's Finance Ministry, Takeshi Komura, said: 'We want as many Asian countries as possible to participate and, as host country, we promise our full support.' Japanese newspapers reported that Hong Kong, Malaysia and China had already signalled their intention to provide support but said other countries were reluctant to participate.
Representatives from Singapore, Indonesia, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank were due to attend the meeting, Japanese government sources said.
It is understood that Japan is willing to increase its participation to $7 billion.
The IMF has already committed $4 billion.
A group of private banks is also putting together a large syndicated loan for Thailand, according to an official at the Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi.
