PRESS DIGEST - Thai newspapers - Aug 28

BANGKOK Aug 28 (Reuters) - These are some of the leading stories in Thai newspapers on Thursday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

TOP STORIES

- The Civil Court ordered protesters led by the People's Alliance For Democracy (PAD) to move out of Government House and its grounds. Nine PAD leaders also face arrest warrants on four charges, including treason (BANGKOK POST)

- Army commander General Anupong Paojinda has put 1,000 soldiers trained in riot control on standby to back up police if the demonstration gets out of control (BANGKOK POST)

- The Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce in Thailand and the Japan External Trade Organisation said political unrest threatened foreign investment in Thailand (THE NATION)

- The Bank of Thailand signalled a further policy tightening on concerns that core inflation could exceed the upper target range of 3.5 percent (THE NATION)

BUSINESS

- The government pledged to help consumers, boost export growth, ease liquidity constraints for small and medium sized companies and ensure a stable currency to spur economic growth in the second half (BANGKOK POST))

- Bangchak Petroleum BCP.BK, the majority state-owned oil refiner, plans to invest 10 billion baht ($294 million) to develop a fully integrated alternative fuels complex in order to diversify risk from the oil refining business (BANGKOK POST)

- Despite rising fuel prices and inflation, retailers plan to invest 90 billion baht by 2011 on one million square metres of new retail space, property consultant Colliers International Thailand said (BANGKOK POST)

- Ascon Construction ASCO.BK is close to winning its first overseas project by clinching a 16-billion-baht deal to build 12-storey residential towers in Dubai (BANGKOK POST)

- TT&T TTNT.BK plans to introduce its broadband internet Maxnet service in Bangkok by the fourth quarter in hopes of raising its subscriber numbers to 100,000 in the Thai capital (THE NATION) ** Looking for more information from local sources? Factiva.com has eight Thai sources including the Bangkok Post and The Nation. ($1=34.04 Baht)