Bangkok - Thailand's Ministry of Agriculture is seeking a 100 million baht (3.1 million dollars) budget to promote Thai fruits at the Beijing Olympic Games, state media reported on Sunday.

Agriculture Minister Somsak Prissananantakul told the Thai News Agency that the Chinese government has given Thailand permission to supply complimentary fruit to athletes and officials attending the 2008 Olympics, which should prove a good marketing opportunity for the country's rather exotic items such as rambutans, mangosteens, pomelos, durians and longans.

He said his ministry will ask the cabinet on Tuesday for a 100-million-baht budget be spend on buying fruit from growers and setting up exhibits at key Chinese tourist destinations.

"If only 5 per cent of the total Chinese population, or about 70 million people, buy Thai fruits, the decline in Thai fruit prices could be solved," said Somsak. (dpa)