PRESS DIGEST - Thai newspapers - June 2

BANGKOK, June 2 (Reuters) - These are some of the leading stories in Thai newspapers on Tuesday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

TOP STORIES

- The Thai unit of U.S.-based General Motors (GM.N) insisted it would proceed with its 15-billion-baht diesal-engine plant project despite its parent's filing for bankruptcy protection (THE NATION)

- Transport Minister Sohpon Zarum of the Bhumjaithai Party is preparing for a head-on collision with the cabinet and the Democrats if the controversial 67.9-billion-baht bus leasing project does not receive the green light (BANGKOK POST)

- The Rights and Liberties Protection Department has run short of funds to award damage and injury compensation to crime victims (BANGKOK POST)

BUSINESS

- Consumer prices contracted 3.3 percent year-on-year in May, the fifth consecutive month of decline, due to a fall in fuel and public transportation prices (BANGKOK POST)

- Brand Thailand still holds its high value even though the country has become embroiled in a series of economic and political storms, says marketing guru Philip Kotler (BANGKOK POST)

- Thai Airways International THAI.BK plans to deploy its first superjumbo on long-haul routes to London and other big cities in Europe if the A380 is delivered in 2011 as scheduled (THE NATION)

- Bangkok Aviation Fuel Services BAFS.BK (BAFs) has lowered its revenue forecast for this year as a result of the impact of the type-A (H1N1) influenza outbreak and April's political violence (THE NATION)

- As expected, more than 200 rice growers rallied at the Commerce Ministry, calling for the government to expand its guaranteed volume of rice for the second-crop harvest season and continue its pledging programme (THE NATION)

- Haad Thip, the bottler of CocaCola in the southern provinces, recently paid more than 100 million baht to install new canproducing machinery to reduce manufacturing costs (THE NATION)

- All three major cellular operators recently told TOT that they were interested in providing a retail wireless broadband service via TOT's planned nationwide 3G network, a TOT source said (THE NATION)

** Looking for more information from local sources? Factiva.com has eight Thai sources including the Bangkok Post and the Nation. (Bangkok Newsroom +66 2648 9721, e-mail: bangkok.newsroom@reuters.com)