BANGKOK (AFP) - Some 100 Thai students rallied outside Singapore's embassy in Bangkok on Monday, protesting against the city-state's decision to allow a visit by ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

Holding a banner that read "Stop Raiding Thailand", the students denounced Singapore's decision to allow Thaksin to hold an unofficial meeting with its Deputy Prime Minister S. Jayakumar on January 14.

Thailand's military-installed government has criticised the meeting, and canceled an invitation for Singapore foreign minister George Yeo to visit Thailand. A working meeting among civil servants was also scrapped because of the spat.

Singapore said it had no intention of harming bilateral ties, but that its policy is to extend "normal courtesies" to former leaders.

Thailand's ongoing political turmoil has strained relations with Singapore.

The crisis began nearly a year ago, after Singapore's state-linked Temasek Holdings bought a 96-percent stake in Thailand's telecom giant Shin Corp for 3.8 billion dollars -- half of which went to Thaksin's family.

Thaksin founded Shin Corp before he entered politics, but was accused of using his political office to enrich his business empire.

The Thai government has open a raft of investigations into the deal. The commerce ministry has found the deal illegal and handed the case to prosecutors, who will decide whether to take the case to court.

Thai students