PRESS DIGEST - Thai newspapers on June 5

BANGKOK, June 5 (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 government launched an off-season rice-pledging scheme to shore up paddy prices, an urgent move to avert a threatened blockade by farmers of four major roads (BANGKOK POST)

- Despite the promises of millions of U.S. dollars' worth of humanitarian aid for the cyclone victims in Burma, only a few small organisations are actually working at the scene (THE NATION)

- The People's Alliance for Democracy will decide tomorrow or Saturday if it should continue its rally, coordinator Suriyasai Katasila said (BANGKOK POST)

BUSINESS

- The Energy Ministry is ready to help truck operators by providing cheaper diesel and has suggested they submit their proposal to the Energy Policy and Planning Office, Energy Minister Poonpirom Liptapanlop said (THE NATION)

- The government's new E85 gasohol policy is poorly designed and could fail due to inadequate tax incentives, according to Alongkorn Ponlaboot, deputy leader of the Democrat Party (BANGKOK POST)

- Steel prices are likely to surge by 10 percent next quarter as a result of rising global demand and tight supply of billet and scrap (THE NATION)

- Commerce permanent secretary Siriphol Yodmuangcharoen will lead a delegation to Washington on June 10 to present Thailand's plans on intellectual property protection, which include a number of measures from suppression activities to compulsory licensing (THE NATION)

- The world has entered an era of permanently high oil prices, according to international experts (BANGKOK POST)

- Business leaders expect inflation to hover under 6% this year, despite a surge to 7.6% in May and 6.2% in April (BANGKOK POST) ** Looking for more information from local sources? Factiva.com has eight Thai sources including the Bangkok Post and The Nation. ($1=32.43 Baht)