BANGKOK, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwan is scheduled to attend an ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) in Singapore later this week.

Defense Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Kongcheep Tantrawanich said on Monday Prawit will join the 12th ADMM and the fifth ADMM-Plus in the island republic from Thursday until Saturday.

The ADMM and ADMM-Plus meetings are designed to discuss ways to promote defense cooperation among ASEAN member states, followed by an informal meeting with their counterparts from eight countries, including China, Japan, and the United States, among others.

Besides, the Thai defense minister is scheduled to hold talks with U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis, New Zealand's Defense Minister Ron Mark and Singapore's Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen on topics of strengthening military cooperation, the spokesman said.

On behalf of Thailand, Prawit will attend the ceremony for the handing over of ADMM chairmanship from Singapore to Thailand, which is taking its turn as the ASEAN chair next year, he said.?