PRESS DIGEST - Thai newspapers - Aug 1

BANGKOK Aug 1 (Reuters) - These are some of the leading stories in Thai newspapers on Friday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

TOP STORIES

- The wife of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was sentenced to three years' Jail after being found guilty of conspiracy to deceive in order to avoid paying 546 million baht in tax on a share transfer in 1997 (THE NATION)

- U.S. President George W Bush told The Nation he would deliver a "comprehensive" policy speech on Asia in Bangkok next week to emphasise that, because the United States has strategic interests in Asia, Washington "must stay engaged" in the Far East (THE NATION)

- The People Power Party-led government has apparently changed its strategy in its attempt to amend the 2007 charter by postponing the reconvening of the parliament to next Wednesday (BANGKOK POST)

- The conviction of deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's wife, Khunying Potjaman, who was sentenced to three years in jail for evading tax, will have negative repercussions for the ruling People Power party (PPP), said a leading member of a northeastern faction (BANGKOK POST)

BUSINESS

- PTT plc, PTT.BK, the majority state-owned energy conglomerate, is seeking to jointly develop the massive Natuna field in the South China Sea with the Indonesian national oil company PT Pertamina (Persero), the new licence holder (BANGKOK POST)

- Net capital flow posted a deficit of $3.8 billion in June for the first time in six months, primarily the result of sell-offs of local assets by foreign investors (BANGKOK POST)

- Rice traders lashed out at the government's plan to release 2.1 million tonnes of rice from its stockpiles under government-to-government contracts (THE NATION)

- Business confidence in June dropped to 40.9, the lowest in 11 months, putting more pressure on private investment, according to the Bank of Thailand (BOT) (THE NATION)

- The manufacturing production index (MPI) for 2008 is forecast to grow 11 percent due mainly to strong export growth in significant industries, according to the Office of Industrial Economics (THE NATION) ($1=33.51 Baht) ((Bangkok Newsroom 662-637-5500 ext 400, e-mail: bangkok.newsroom@reuters.com)