Thailand said Monday it was seeking to buy a broadcaster that aired programmes supportive of the opposition "Red Shirts" during weeks of anti-government protests.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said talks over the proposed purchase of Thaicom Plc, part of a telecoms empire founded by fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, were under way with majority owner Temasek Holdings of Singapore.

"The purchase is reasonable when you consider the security situation," he told reporters.

Demonstrators stormed Thaicom's offices in April after authorities pulled the plug on the satellite firm's broadcasts of an anti-government channel, People Television (PTV), under emergency laws imposed to contain unrest.

Abhisit said any deal for Thaicom would be transparent and at a fair price, although he did not give details of a budget or time frame.

Temasek, a state-owned Singaporean investment giant, bought a 49.6-percent stake in Thaicom's parent Shin Corp. from the Thaksin family in 2006.

The tax-free deal triggered months of street protests demanding Thaksin's resignation over alleged abuse of power and corruption, culminating in a coup by royalist generals in September 2006 that ousted the tycoon-turned-premier.

The subsequent military regime accused Singapore of using a subsidiary of Shin Corp. to spy on the kingdom.

At the end of April, Temasek had a direct stake of 41.7 percent in Shin Corp. and was also part of a consortium that owned 54.4 percent, according to the broadcaster's website. Shin Corp. in turn owns 41 percent of Thaicom.

Thailand's two months of unrest, which left 90 people dead and nearly 1,900 injured, were brought to a bloody end with an army crackdown on May 19 on the rally of the Red Shirts, many of whom seek Thaksin's return.

The government has accused the ex-premier, who lives overseas to avoid a jail term at home for corruption, of inciting the unrest.