PRESS DIGEST - Thai newspapers - March 17

BANGKOK, March 17 (Reuters) - These are some of the leading stories in Thai newspapers on Wednesday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

TOP STORIES

- Red shirt protesters have spattered the entrance of Government House and the Democrat Party headquarters with blood extracted from fellow demonstrators (BANGKOK POST)

- Both the stock market and the baht rose on Tuesday to their highest levels since mid-2008 on foreign investors' confidence the red-shirt protests would not escalate into violence (THE NATION)

- Residents of Bangkok are being warned to be vigilant even through the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship mass rally appears to be running out of steam (THE NATION)

BUSINESS

- Ebeling Heffernan Investment Management, a New York fund manager, plans to create an ASEAN fund to invest in local privately held firms, listed companies and U.S.-based firms relocating to Thailand (THE NATION)

- Advanced Info Service ADVA.BK and Thaicom THCOM.BK stand to benefit the most from a government decision not to file civli compensation claims against telecom companies for losses to the state caused by past concession amendments, a securities house said (THE NATION)

- Central Pattana Pcl CPN.BK, the SET-listed property developer under the Central Group of Companies, has set its sight on becoming a regional regional property developer by 2015 (BANGKOK POST)

- Most foreign movie productions in Bangkok have yet to be affected by the anti-government rallies (BANGKOK POST)

- Indonesia stands ready to import more sugar from Thailand following signing of a memorandum of understanding with Thai Sugar Millers (THE NATION) ($1 = 32.35 baht) (Bangkok Newsroom +66 2648 9721, e-mail: bangkok.newsroom@reuters.com)