Thai PM Samak hangs up TV apron

Mr Samak said a group was making an effort to remove him from office

Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej has announced he is taking a break from his parallel career as a TV chef.

Opponents had complained to the country's electoral commission that as prime minister, Mr Samak should not be employed by a private company.

He disputed the interpretation, but said he preferred to err on the side of caution until the commission ruled before resuming his culinary career.

The 72-year-old regularly presented two local cookery shows on Thai television.

Mr Samak started the role when he lost his Senate seat following the military coup in 2006, which ousted his predecessor and political ally, Thaksin Shinawatra.

He later formed the People Power Party (PPP) from the ruins of Mr Thaksin's dissolved Thai Rak Thai party, and led it to victory in nationwide polls in December 2007.

Since becoming prime minister, Mr Samak has continued to appear on television, whipping up Thai delicacies such as pigs' legs in Coca Cola or heading to restaurants and local markets to advise viewers on how to choose quality produce.

This group is making an effort to remove me from office, so I will suspend my appearance on the programmes and send a letter of explanation to the [election commission] Samak Sundaravej Thai Prime Minister Profile: Samak Sundaravej

But in his weekly televised address to the nation, Talking Samak Style, he said two unnamed opponents had complained he might be breaching electoral laws in continuing his TV career.

"I have discussed with legal experts who said I am not a company employee," he explained.

"This group is making an effort to remove me from office, so I will suspend my appearance on the programmes and send a letter of explanation to the [election commission]."

Mr Samak recently cancelled his twice-weekly press briefings because he said he was worried he would utter "rude words" in public.