PRESS DIGEST - Thai newspapers April 9

BANGKOK, April 9 (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

- Embattled Public Health Minister Chaiya Sasomsab's future is hanging in the balance after Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said his fate was now in the hands of the National Counter Corruption Commission (BANGKOK POST)

- The retail price of will be reduced by 3-10 percent in superstores next week (BANGKOK POST)

- A Bangladeshi man forced a plane to make an emergency landing at Don Mueang airport after producing a pocket knife and causing panic in the cockpit (BANGKOK POST)

- More Thais are choosing to spend time abroad during this year's Songkran holiday due to a stronger baht, acocording to a recent survey (THE NATION)

BUSINESS

- Bookings at the Bangkok International Motor Show were 20 percent higher than target, organiser Grandprix International Co said. The 10-day event at Bitec Bang Na drew 1.6 million visitors, who placed 18,098 orders worth more than 40 billion baht ($1.26 billion) (BANGKOK POST)

- Padaeng Industry PDI.BK will aim to be a regional leader in zinc production, with expansion plans to Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, according to Andre Van der Heyden, the company's new managing director (BANGKOK POST)

- TT&T TTNT.BK, the provincial fixed-line operator, has won an arbitration award totalling 23.79 billion baht in a dispute with the state telecom enterprise TOT, which owns TT&T's concession (BANGKOK POST)

- Restrictions on the use of mobile phones in airplanes could be eased as studies indicate their signals may not interfere with aircraft navigation (BANGKOK POST)

- Kasikornbank KBAN.BK and Bank of Ayudhya BAY.BK are favoured banking stocks as the overall sector is expected to report a 12.8 percent year-on-year rise in first quarter profit (THE NATION)

- Foreign investors are expected to invest up to 70 billion baht in the Thai property sector this year, following the lifting of the Bank of Thailand's 30 percent capital reserve requirement (THE NATION) ($1=31.70 Baht) ** Looking for more information from local sources? Factiva.com has eight Thai sources including the Bangkok Post and the Nation.