ASIAN and European leaders donned colourful silk shirts lasts night for their first get together here, meaning to demonstrate the intimate atmosphere of a summit designed to create a new economic and strategic relationship.
In Thai shirts specially made for them, they met for an informal dinner on the eve of a historic 25 nation conference for which both sides have high hopes.
The leaders ate round an oval table with only translators present, a rare event at such high diplomatic gatherings.
They met apparently determined to push some deeply felt passions to the side in favour of what one Asian official called a "feel good" summit to take relations between two regions with a long history of colonialism to new levels based on sound business trust.
But while differences on issues like human rights and Asian labour conditions appeared likely to be marginalised, there could be some tension in bilateral talks in the wings.
The British Prime Minister, Mr John Major, met the Chinese Prime Minister, Mr Li Peng, after the dinner to discuss problems such as Hong Kong, due to be handed back to Beijing in mid 1997.
British sources said Mr Major possibly the last British prime minister to visit the colony when he arrives there on Sunday would tell Mr Li firmly that China must avoid damaging business confidence in the territory.
China resents what it regards as high handed lecturing from the British as they prepare to depart from the colony.
The Japanese Prime Minister, Mr Ryutaro Hashimoto, is to meet President Kim Young-sam of South Korea tomorrow. Their countries are furiously at odds over claims to islands in the Sea of Japan.
But on the main stage, in more sessions with only translators present, the leaders of the 15 EU member states and 10 Asian countries hope to clear a path to a profoundly important new relationship, officials said.
Officials on both sides said the aim was to sweep away misconceptions and start strengthening what Asian diplomats call the weak link in the North America Europe East Asia economic triangle they see as critical to a stable world.
One official said the conference was more about building confidence and respect than the expectation of any concrete results.
European trade with Asia has overtaken that with the US. Asia accounted for 23.2 per cent of EU trade in 1995, compared with 17.4 per cent in 1994, but only 1 per cent of European investment is directed towards Asia.
Non governmental organisations which held their own summit in Bangkok earlier this week called on the leaders to put people before business and address what they regard as chronic human rights and labour abuses in many Asian countries.
But many of the countries here said such issues were irrelevant to building a new relationship in a rapidly changing world where trade went hand in hand with stability.
The Asians the seven members of the Association of South east Asian Nations (ASEAN) plus Japan, China and South Korea appear to have won that point.
"I would like there to be a new approach, based on mutual recognition, due regard for each other," President Jacques Chirac of France said on his way to Bangkok. "Let us develop, in both directions, investments that create wealth and jobs."
European officials said the Portuguese Prime Minister, Mr Antonio Guterres, was expected to raise for his domestic audience the issue of human rights in Portugal's former colony, East Timor, now ruled by Indonesia. But few expected that to derail the "feel good" summit train.
"We cannot stop these issues being raised, but we want to build a relationship resilient and robust enough to withstand it," an official said.