BANGKOK, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej will fly to Myanmar on Sunday to persuade Myanmar leaders to green light relief supplies from the United States after the country was hit by Cyclone Nargis, media here reported Friday.

    Samak said he will meet with Myanmar leaders to persuade them to accept aid by the U.S., according to a report by Bangkok Post website. "I have already contacted them," he was quoted as telling reporters on Friday.

    Samak's move followed a meeting with U.S. Ambassador to Thailand Eric John on Thursday during which the U.S. ambassador asked for help from the Thai government to persuade Myanmar leaders to facilitate the U.S. aid delivery to the neighbor country in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis.

    John told a press conference in Bangkok Thursday that the American military C-130 aircraft assigned to deliver the first installment of President George Bush's earlier proffered assistance was now not permitted to fly to Yangon, the former Myanmar capital and one of the hardest hit area as Nargis wrecked through the country last Saturday and claimed at least 22,980 lives and left another 49,119 missing.

    The U.S. ambassador said he got "assurance" from the Thai premier that Thai government would continue its efforts to facilitate the aid delivery and help the U.S. aid team to get visas to Myanmar.

    According to the U.S. embassy, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has apportioned 3.25 million U.S. dollars in initial relief supply to Myanmar. This assistance will be allocated by the USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART),which is currently pre-positioned in Bangkok awaiting permission to enter Myanmar.