PRESS DIGEST - Thai newspapers Aug 11

Sun Aug 10, 2008 9:23pm EDT

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

TOP STORIES

- Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has not returned to Thailand as scheduled and will hold a press conference in London today to explain why he did not come back to fight the court cases against him, his close associates confirmed last night (BANGKOK POST)

- The sky was cloudy and heavy rain fell in Beijing yesterday, but it was a bright day for Thailand as weight lifter Papawadee Jaroenrattanatarakoon overpowered her opponents to win a gold medal (BANGKOK POST)

- Three men, including a policeman, accused of abducting five school children and killing one of them were arrested yesterday, and the father of one of the students was found dead (BANGKOK POST)

- The Public Health Ministry targets two million foreign patients and annual medical receipts of 80 billion baht ($2.38 billion) from abroad by 2010 (THE NATION)

BUSINESS

- For most people, the gyrations in global financial markets this year have been felt only in the abstract. After all, less than 1 percent of the population invests directly in the stock market, with a much smaller group active in the more esoteric bond market (BANGKOK POST)

- Thailand's biggest steelmaker, Sahaviriya Steel SSI.BK, is looking for ways to better integrate its operations in a bid to strengthen negotiating power with global steel giants who are hunting smaller firms to acquire (BANGKOK POST)

- Advanced Info Service ADVA.BK is eager to share part of Thai Mobile's 1900 Megahertz bandwidth to upgrade third-generation (3G) mobile phone service under a concession agreement with TOT Plc (BANGKOK POST)

- The government's economic stimulus package has not helped improve living conditions, most people questioned told a survey (THE NATION) ($1=33.66 Baht) ** Looking for more information from local sources? Factiva.com has eight Thai sources including the Bangkok Post and Business Day.