Bangkok  - Thailand's coalition government on Saturday survived a no-confidence motion in parliament that delivered few solid punches against five ministers in the four-month-old cabinet.

The lower house voted 246 to 176 in favour of Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, Finance Minister Korn Chatikanaij and two other ministers.

But the vote of confidence for Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya was only 237 to 184.

Bangkok - Thai authorities arrested three alleged drug dealers linked to the late Khun Sa, one-time kingpin of the infamous Golden Triangle, and seized 117 million baht (3.25 million dollars) of their assets, officials said Friday.

Thai Justice Minister Pirapan Salirathavibhaga told a press conference that the three suspects, identified as Peerayuth Patsakon, Charnnarong Muser and Vicharn Suthipan, had been arrested by Department of Special Investigation (DSI) officers on Thursday.

Bangkok
(Thailand), Mar. 19 : Even as the fighting between Sri Lankan troops
and the LTTE continues in northeast Sri Lanka, an international debate
is raging over how far to push Colombo on toning down its aggression
vis-a-vis the rebels.

The Red Cross, which normally prefers quiet persuasion to arm-twisting,
has raised the alarm over a humanitarian crisis in the remaining pocket
of rebel-held territory, where makeshift hospitals are out of needed

Bangkok  - New York-based Human Rights Watch on Thursday condemned this month's slaying by an alleged insurgent of Laila Paaitae Doah, a prominent peace advocate and Muslim women's rights activist in Thailand's violence-torn deep South.

Laila was shot by a suspected Muslim militant in broad daylight on March 12 in Krongpenang district, Yala province, 750 kilometres south of Bangkok. She died of her wounds in hospital on March 13.

Bangkok - Thailand's exports in February fell 11.3 per cent year-on-year while imports tumbled 40.3 per cent, the Ministry of Commerce disclosed Wednesday.

Exports in February, 2009, amounted to 11.7 billion dollars, compared with 13.2 billion in the same month last year. Thailand's imports last month amounted to 8.2 billion dollars, down 40.3 per cent on the 13.7 billion import bill in February, 2008.