PRESS DIGEST - Thai newspapers April 11

BANGKOK, April 11 (Reuters) - These are some of the leading stories in Thai newspapers on Friday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

TOP STORIES

- The suffocation of illegal Burmese migrant workers in a cold storage delivery truck heading for Phuket has highlighted the magnitude of the human trafficking network which the government must stop, human rights advocates said (BANGKOK POST)

- Vietnam is expected to offer a large quantity of 25-percent white rice to the Philippines next week at a record price of more than US$900 (Bt29,500) per tonne, up more than 20 percent from the last bidding (THE NATION)

- PTT (PTT.BK) President Prasert Bunsumpun said the government must spend Bt15 billion to subsidise up to 1 million tonnes of liquefied-petroleum-gas (LPG) imports (THE NATION)

- Former national police cheif Sereepisut Taemeeyaves says he will sue Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej for abusing his authority by discharging him from the police force (BANGKOK POST)

- Chart Thai and Matchimathipataya are bracing for the moment of truth with their futures in the hands of the party registar who has sole authority to decide on whether to disband them (BANGKOK POST)

BUSINESS

- The Bank of Thailand (BOT) predicted a stimulus package introduced by the government last month will boost the economy by at least 0.1-0.2 percent this year and next (THE NATION)

- Rising rice prices have taken a heavy toll on exporters, as banks inquire about their liquidity for fear that high prices might affect their financial status (BANGKOK POST)

- Consumer confidence rose for the fifth consecutive month in March, driven by the government's tax cuts and funding programmes to spur growth (BANGKOK POST)

- Tata Steel (Thailand) TSTH.BK shares briefly hit a three-year high at Bt2.36, thanks to a sharp increase in domestic steel prices (THE NATION)

- Thailand hopes to attract up to three trillion baht in foreign investment from 2008 to 2011 under a new campaign aimed at eliminating red-tape and steamlining licensing procedures for overseas investors (BANGKOK POST) ** Looking for more information from local sources? Factiva.com has eight Thai sources including the Bangkok Post and the Nation.