Thailand's Banpu sees 2007 sales down 7 pct

BANGKOK, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Banpu PCL (BANP.BK), Thailand's top coal miner, said on Friday it expected 2007 sales to have fallen 7 percent from 33 billion baht ($986 million) in 2006 due to the strong baht.

But the company maintained its forecast that 2008 sales would rise more than 12 percent due to higher coal prices, Chief Executive Chanin Vongkusolkit told reporters. ($1 = 33.47 Baht) (Reporting by Khettiya Jittapong, editing by Michael Battye)