Bangkok  - The value of Thailand's exports tumbled 26.5 per cent in January from the same month a year ago while imports dropped 37.6 per cent, reflecting a sharp downturn in the global economy, the Commerce Ministry said Thursday.

Thai exports for January amounted to 10.5 billion dollars while imports fell to 9.1 billion dollars.

"Exports fell in every sector," Commerce Ministry Permanent Secretary Siripol Yodmuangcharoen said.

Bangkok  - Thailand's gold prices hit an historic high of 16,500 baht (465.40 dollars) per 15.2 grams Thursday, in tandem with rising prices for the precious metal on the world market.

"This is the highest gold price in the history of our market," Gold Traders Association chairman Jitti Tangsithpakdi said.

Thursday was the fourth consecutive day for local gold prices to rise to historic highs, starting at 15,950 baht per one baht weight (15.2 grams) on Monday.

Gold is commonly sold in jewelry form in Thailand, mostly at gold shops in Bangkok's Chinatown district, at prices slightly below the world market's as the gold content is not 100 per cent.

Bangkok  - The establishment of a human rights body for the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) this year will be of little worth if it has no mandate to conduct independent fact-finding missions in the region, a leading civil rights group warned Thursday.

"The body should be able to conduct country visits where there are severe human rights violations and conduct fact-finding missions," said Yap Swee Seng, executive-director of the human rights group FORUM-Asia.

Bangkok - The Thai government Wednesday entered a partnership with the online marketplace giant eBay to promote the kingdom's e-commerce, which already amounted to an estimated 1 billion dollars last year.

Thailand's Department of Industrial Promotion signed an agreement under which eBay specialists will provide workshops for small to medium sized Thai companies on how to leverage e-commerce safely and sell online successfully.

The arrangement includes waivers of 25 per cent discounts for the companies' first 100 transactions on eBay.

Bangkok  - Failing US automotive giant General Motors laid off 790 of its 3,000 labour force in Thailand, where orders for its vehicles plummeted 56 per cent last month, media reports said Wednesday.

The axing of 790 jobs followed GM Thailand's closure of its local assembly plant for two months to avoid an inventory buildup as export orders fell off.

GM is one of 15 international automobile makers with assembly and manufacturing plants in Thailand to supply the domestic and export markets.