BANGKOK, Nov 16, 2007 (AFP) - Thailand's Election Commission has banned former executives of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra's political party from joining campaigns for next month's elections, an official said Saturday.

Thais cast their ballots on December 23 in the first polls to be held since the military overthrew Thaksin's government in a bloodless coup in September 2006.

BANGKOK, Sept 30, 2007 (AFP) - Two Thai police bomb disposal officers were wounded when a small, crudely-made explosive device blew up in a telephone booth outside the army headquarters in Bangkok late Sunday, police said.

The explosion took place in the centre of the capital, wounding one of the two officers seriously after they came to investigate a small fire at the phone booth.

BANGKOK, Sept 30, 2007 (AFP) - Two Thai police bomb disposal officers were wounded when a crudely made explosive device blew up in a telephone booth outside the army headquarters in Bangkok late Sunday, police said.

The explosion took place in the centre of the capital, seriously wounding one officer.

'The bomb went off at around 8:50 or 9:00 pm,' said a police officer. 'Two police were injured, one seriously. The bomb ripped off his fingers, so his hand had to be amputated. We are investigating.'

PARIS, Sept 30, 2007 (AFP) - Princess Sirivannavari Nariratan's grandmother Queen Sirikit of Thailand was a devoted customer of the French couturier Pierre Balmain and that relationship was celebrated with her granddaughter's first catwalk collection in Paris on Saturday night.

The 20-year-old princess, who has already presented two shows in Bangkok fashion week, said she wanted to come to Paris 'to learn how they do everything here.'

MAE SOT, Thailand, Sept 30, 2007 (AFP) - The rows of children transfixed by cartoons in a wooden shelter near the Thai-Myanmar border are probably too young to understand why they are all now wearing matching rust-red clothes.

On the wall is a map of their homeland Myanmar, where the ruling junta this week cracked down on anti-government protests and killed at least three Buddhist monks, whose deep red robes the kids are unconsciously honouring.

BANGKOK, Sept 28, 2007 (AFP) - US lawyers said Friday they had filed the first of several lawsuits against aircraft maker Boeing, seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation for victims of a recent plane crash.

Ninety people, including 54 foreigners, died when a McDonnel Douglas MD-82 jet of Thai budget carrier One-Two-Go broke up in flames after it hit an embankment while landing in heavy rain on the island of Phuket on September 16.

BANGKOK, Sept 28, 2007 (AFP) - Thailand is willing to evacuate Southeast Asian nationals from strife-torn Myanmar in the event of an emergency, the foreign ministry spokesman said Friday.

Thailand agreed to the measure at a meeting of ambassadors of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Myanmar's main city Yangon on Thursday, said spokesman Tharit Charungvat.

'They asked for our support as they considered that Thailand is the most ready and has a contingency plan,' Tharit told AFP.

LONDON, Sept 27, 2007 (AFP) - A 22-year-old British woman has died of injuries she suffered in a plane crash in Thailand nearly two weeks ago, the Foreign Office in London said Thursday.

Bethan Jones, 22, from Porth in south Wales, died in hospital in Thailand on Wednesday, bringing the death toll from the September 16 crash to 90, a spokeswoman said.

The domestic Press Association news agency said her mother Jean, father Steven, brother Dewi, uncle Tony and other family members had all flown out to be at her bedside.

LONDON, Sept 27, 2007 (AFP) - Thousands of online visitors have been drawn to an English beach by pictures of turquoise seas, golden sands and palm trees, but risk disappointment as it is only a virtual surfers' paradise.

Nearly 7,000 hits have been recorded at www.porthemmet.com, which showcases the beach in Cornwall, southwest England, an area well known internationally for powerful surfer-friendly waves and attractive beaches.

BANGKOK, Sept 27, 2007 (AFP) - Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said Thursday cooperation from China and India was crucial to ending unrest in Myanmar, saying Southeast Asian nations alone could not diffuse the situation.

Surayud said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations needed the backing of Myanmar's two key regional allies to help resolve the crisis.

'We have no power to push for change, so we need cooperation which will lead to negotiations,' he told Thai media on the sidelines of the annual UN General Assembly in New York.

BANGKOK, Sept 26, 2007 (AFP) - China's Mu Shuangshuang on Wednesday broke a world record for the total lifted in the women's 75kg category at the world weightlifting championships in Chiang Mai on Wednesday.

The 23-year-old lifted 139kg to win gold in the snatch, and hoisted 180kg in the clean and jerk to set a new world record of 319kg in total.

South Korea's Jang Mi-Ran, the previous world record holder, also lifted 319kg but only after Mu, meaning the Chinese lifter is the new record holder.

BANGKOK, Sept 26, 2007 (AFP) - Updated results from the 10th day of the World Weightlifting Championships in Chiang Mai on Wednesday (snatch, clean and jerk, aggregate, all in kilograms):

Men

105kg

1. Viktors Scerbatihs (LAT) 202, 240, 442

2. Evgeny Chigishev (Russia) 201, 240, 441

3. Jaber Saeed Salem (Qatar) 195, 240, 435

4. Velichko Cholakov (BUL) 201, 234, 435

5. Artem Udachyn (Ukraine) 195, 232, 427

BANGKOK, Sept 25, 2007 (AFP) - Russia's Natalia Zabolotnaia broke her own snatch world record in the women's 75kg category at the world weightlifting championships on Tuesday, but was denied gold in the clean and jerk.

The Athens Olympics silver medal winner lifted 131kg, winning gold in the snatch and beating her own world record of 130kg.

China's Cao Lei hoisted 128kg to win the snatch silver medal at the championships being held in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

BANGKOK, Sept 25, 2007 (AFP) - Thailand's Supreme Court said Tuesday it would postpone corruption hearings against ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra because of his prolonged absence from the kingdom.

Thaksin and his wife Pojaman, who have been living in London since a coup overthrew Thaksin's government last year, face charges of corruption and conflict of interest over a controversial real estate deal.

BANGKOK, Sept 24, 2007 (AFP) - Russia's Oxana Slivenko broke a world record for the total lifted in the women's 69kg category to win gold at the world weightlifting championships in Chiang Mai on Monday.

The 21-year-old also took gold in the clean and jerk, lifting 156kg and beating China's Liu Chunhong who hoisted 150kg.

The Russian failed to break her own world record in the snatch, but went on to set a new record lifting 276kg in aggregate, one kilo over the old world record held by Liu, who on Monday lifted 271kg to finish second.

BANGKOK, Sept 24, 2007 (AFP) - Thailand may break more patents of Western drugmakers by adding copycat versions of four cancer medicines into the nation's generic drug programs, a health official said Monday.

The National Health Security Office said it would propose the health ministry issue so-called compulsory licenses on the drugs, unless the government reaches a deal with global pharmaceutical firms to lower prices.

BANGKOK, Sept 23, 2007 (AFP) - Results from the seventh day of the World Weightlifting Championships in Chiang Mai on Sunday (snatch, clean and jerk, aggregate, all in kilograms):

Men

94kg

1. Roman Kostantinov (Russia) 177, 220, 397

2. Yohandrys Hernandez (CUB) 173, 220, 393

3. Szymon Kolecki (POL) 173, 219, 392

4. Andrei Demonov (Russia) 170, 217, 387

5. Kostantinos Papadopoulos (GRE) 170, 216, 386

6. Eduard Tiukin (KAZ) 176, 210, 386

BANGKOK, Sept 23, 2007 (AFP) - China's Liu Haixia set a new world record in the women's 63kg category at the world weightlifting championships in Chiang Mai on Sunday.

The 26-year-old lifted 115kg in the snatch and 142kg in the clean and jerk, hoisting a total of 257kg -- clinching both a new world record and the gold medal in the games.

Liu had previously lifted an aggregate of 256kg in the 69kg category, winning gold in women's weightlifting at the Asian Games in Doha in December 2006.

BANGKOK, Sept 23, 2007 (AFP) - Results from the seventh day of the World Weightlifting Championships in Chiang Mai on Sunday (snatch, clean and jerk, aggregate, all in kilograms):

Women

63kg

1. Liu Haixia (China) 115,142, 257

2. Svetlana Tsarukaeva (Russia) 115,135, 250

3. Pakistan Hyong Suk (North Korea) 105,135, 240

4. Meline Daluzyan (ARM) 102,125, 227

5. Olibia Toka (GRE) 98,126, 224

6. Kim Soo-Kyung (Korea) 95,129, 224

BANGKOK, Sept 22, 2007 (AFP) - Andrei Rybakou of Belarus broke his own world record in the men's 85kg category as he took gold at the world weightlifting championships here on Saturday.

The 25-year-old showed his power in the snatch when he hoisted 187kg on his third attempt to break his own world record of 186kg.

Rybakou had already easily claimed the snatch title with his first lift of 180kg, beating Russian Aslambek Ediev's 172kg.

Olympic silver medallist Rybakou swept three gold medals with a total of 393kg, with the 206kg record in the jerk.

BANGKOK, Sept 22, 2007 (AFP) - Thailand, which just ended a five-month ban on the video-sharing site YouTube, now wants to block clips that accuse a top royal adviser of masterminding last year's coup, an official said Saturday.

'The video clips pose a threat to our national security,' said Yanaphon Youngyuen, head of the justice ministry's cyber-crime department.

BANGKOK, Sept 22, 2007 (AFP) - Thai government officials and the country's airports operator will meet next week to discuss how to bolster confidence on air safety after the Phuket air crash, a minister said Saturday.

Deputy Transport Minister Sansern Wongcha-um told AFP the government would meet Thursday with Airports of Thailand.

'Our aviation safety standards were already at the international level, but we have to see what we can do to boost confidence among travellers in Thailand,' Sansern said.

BANGKOK, Sept 22, 2007 (AFP) - Yonlada Krerkkong Suanyot says she's every bit a woman, except for on her identity card which identifies her as a man.

Yonlada was born male but completed her sex change operation five years ago and has lived as woman for even longer.

Although Thailand has a worldwide reputation as a paradise for transsexuals, with gender reassignment surgery widely available and relatively cheap, the kingdom does not allow people to officially change their gender for legal purposes.

BANGKOK, Sept 21, 2007 (AFP) - The Thai technology minister who imposed a five-month ban on the popular video-sharing site YouTube said Friday he would resign amid allegations over improper stock holdings.

The announcement by Sitthichai Pookaiyaudoom came a day after a powerful anti-graft body set up by Thailand's junta said his stock ownership exceeded legal limits for cabinet officials.

'I will resign to set a good example. I am not a career politician and am not interested in politics anyway,' he said, but declined to comment on the stock deal.

BANGKOK, Sept 21, 2007 (AFP) - Thailand's junta chief said Friday that the state of martial law imposed after last year's coup would remain in force in parts of the kingdom even after elections set for December.

General Sonthi Boonyaratglin said the move was necessary to ensure national security. He is to retire as army chief at the end of September, but will remain at the helm of the junta.

BANGKOK, Sept 20, 2007 (AFP) - Thai police said Thursday that it could take two more weeks to identify 33 victims of a plane crash that killed 89 people, as they came under pressure from foreign governments to release the bodies.

Aviation officials are still trying to determine what caused the disaster, and investigators are ready to send the crucial flight data recorders to the United States for analysis.

It also emerged that the McDonnell Douglas MD-82 plane was 24 years old -- twice as old as previously stated by transport ministry officials.

BANGKOK, Sept 20, 2007 (AFP) - Thailand's new army chief General Anupong Paojinda is a career soldier who will try to strengthen the army in its barracks but will stay out of politics, analysts and the government said Thursday.

Anupong, named to succeed junta leader General Sonthi Boonyaratglin late Wednesday after the king's approval, will lead the most powerful branch of the military as the nation heads into general elections on December 23.

BANGKOK, Sept 20, 2007 (AFP) - Thailand's new army chief General Anupong Paojinda is a career soldier who will try to strengthen the army in its barracks but will stay out of politics, analysts and the government said Thursday.

Anupong, named to succeed junta leader General Sonthi Boonyaratglin late Wednesday after the king's approval, will lead the most powerful branch of the military as the nation heads into general elections on December 23.

PHUKET, Thailand, Sept 20, 2007 (AFP) - Eight Israelis died in last weekend's crash of a Thai budget airliner on the resort island of Phuket, an embassy official said Thursday.

Lior Weintraub, a spokesman for an Israeli embassy team sent to Phuket, told AFP that seven of the dead were already identified.

'The last dead body, the 23-year-old woman from Jerusalem, is likely to be identified today,' Weintraub said.

BANGKOK, Sept 20, 2007 (AFP) - A Thai man angry at his noisy neighbours shot three of them dead before gunning down his former mother-in-law, police said Thursday.

They said Chakrit Siwapornrangsan, a 40-year-old motorcycle repairman, took out the gun because of the noise and drinking of neighbours in a district of Chantaburi province, 245 kilometers (150 miles) from Bangkok.

He then went looking for his former wife and when her parents tried to stop him, gunned down his former mother-in-law, local television reported.

BANGKOK, Sept 20, 2007 (AFP) - Thai police said Thursday that it could take up to two more weeks formally to identify 33 badly burnt victims of the Phuket plane crash that killed nearly 90 people.

Aviation officials are still trying to determine what caused the disaster, and investigators are to send the crucial flight data recorders to the United States for analysis.

It also emerged that the McDonnell Douglas MD-82 plane was 24 years old -- twice as old as previously stated by transport ministry officials.

BANGKOK, Sept 19, 2007 (AFP) - On the first anniversary Wednesday of a coup that overthrew Thailand's longest-serving elected prime minister, activists and politicians warned the country's return to full democracy is under threat.

Deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra led the charge, accusing the international community of ignoring the junta's 'departures from democratic norms.'

BANGKOK, Sept 19, 2007 (AFP) - General Anupong Paojinda, a key player in a coup exactly a year ago, will replace junta leader General Sonthi Boonyaratglin as Thai army chief, the government said Wednesday.

'General Anupong Paojinda, assistant army commander, will become army commander,' a statement from Government House read.

Anupong, a former classmate of ousted Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was seen by analysts as a moderate choice to succeed Sonthi, who faces mandatory retirement as army chief at the end of September.

PHUKET, Thailand, Sept 19, 2007 (AFP) - Thai officials pored over evidence Wednesday trying to determine what led to a plane crash that killed 89 people, as more details emerged of the jet's last moments and acts of heroism inside.

Forensic police worked to identify the dead, more than 50 of whom were foreigners, while officials studied whether human error, foul weather, ground system malfunctions -- or a combination -- caused Sunday's crash in Phuket.

PHUKET, Thailand, Sept 19, 2007 (AFP) - Briton Ashley Scott Harrow told Wednesday how he helped wrench open an emergency exit on a Thai passenger jet that crashed and burst into flames, but brushed off claims that he was a hero.

The 27-year-old engineer said he was asleep for most of the flight from Bangkok to Phuket on Sunday, but woke moments before the plane slammed onto the runway in a heavy storm and broke apart, killing 89 of the 130 people on board.

BANGKOK, Sept 19, 2007 (AFP) - Results from the third day of the World Weightlifting Championships in Chiang Mai on Wednesday (snatch, clean and jerk, aggregate, all in kilogrammes):

Men

62kg

1. Yang Fan (China) 142, 173, 315

2. Im Yong Su (North Korea) 142, 173, 315

3. Ivaylo Filev (BUL) 138, 163, 301

4. Oscar Figueroa (Colombia) 135, 160, 295

5. Umurbek Bazarbayev (TKM) 132, 162, 294

6. Diego Salazar (Colombia) 133, 160, 293

7. Triyatno (INA) 131, 160, 291

BANGKOK, Sept 19, 2007 (AFP) - Relatives of each of the 89 people who died when a Thai passenger jet crashed in Phuket will receive at least 130,000 dollars in compensation, the transport ministry said Wednesday.

One-Two-Go, operators of the jet which crashed in bad weather Sunday, has insurance worth 300 million dollars with Lloyd's of London, the airline and the transport ministry said.

BANGKOK, Sept 19, 2007 (AFP) - Thai budget airline One-Two-Go on Wednesday released an updated list of the numbers of foreign nationals it believes were killed when its jet crashed on the southern Thai island of Phuket.

An airline official said 54 foreigners and 35 Thais died Sunday after the aircraft careered off the runway in bad weather.

The airline said 42 foreigners had been identified so far while 12 bodies were still awaiting conclusive identification. All Thai victims have been identified, One-Two-Go officials said.