PRESS DIGEST - Thai newspapers - April 2

BANGKOK, April 2 (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

- The government agreed to set aside rice for its low priced rice scheme to ease the burden on consumers from soaring rice prices (BANGKOK POST)

- The Cabinet approved a multibillion baht loan and debt moratorium package for grassroots communities as well as small businesses (THE NATION)

- The Supreme Court vindicated Democrat Party secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban and 16 others in a defamation case brought against them by former minister Pokin Polakul over the baht float on July 2, 1997 (BANGKOK POST)

- Eight industrial projects involving combined investment of 63.67 billion baht will receive approval for Board of Investment tax incentives (THE NATION)

BUSINESS

- The Commerce Ministry admitted it felt uneasy about rising oil prices, which threaten to increase inflation. But the government has yet to revise the inflation target of 3-3.5 percent in 2008 (BANGKOK POST)

- Esso (Thailand), a Thai unit of Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N), has set an indicative range of 9-13 baht for its initial public offering of up to 1.18 billion shares from April 21-22 (THE NATION)

- Advanced Info Service ADVA.BK responded to an allegation by Hutchison CAT Wireless that it was blocking its network, saying the latter's dropped call problem stemmed solely from its own heavy call promotions (BANGKOK POST)

- Thai Oil TOP.BK is making a comeback as a top pick by brokerage houses, buoyed by the recovery of gross refining margins from $5 (157.50 Baht) per barrel in February to $8-9 now and the group's capacity expansion (THE NATION) ** Looking for more information from local sources? Factiva.com has eight Thai sources including the Bangkok Post and The Nation.