Bangkok  - The Thai government on Monday installed thermal scanners at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport as a preventive measure against the spread of swine flu to the kingdom.

The infra-red cameras, used to detect unusual body heat, were one of several measures agreed to by health authorities as a means of preventing the spread of swine flu in the South-East Asian country, where the tourism industry was hard hit by the outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003 and bird flu in 2004-05.

Bangkok  - Disturbed by reports that Thai monks have taken to wearing make-up, carrying pinks purses and other forms of public "homosexual expression," a leading preacher plans to launch a "good manners" course for novices, news reports said Monday.

Senior monk Maha Wudhijaya Vajiramedhi is to introduce Thailand's first etiquette course at the Novice Demonstration School in Chiang Rai province, 600 kilometres north of Bangkok, next month, The Nation newspaper reported.

Bangkok - Thousands of protestors gathered in Bangkok Saturday to protest the government of Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva one day after he lifted emergency law in the capital. About 2,000 followers of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship
(UDD) had assembled at Sanam Luang - the Royal Grounds - by 5 pm. Organizers expect 5,000 to attend the demonstration that was scheduled to end at 11 pm.

Bangkok  - US-based Natureworks LLC, the world's largest producer of bioplastics, has shortlisted four countries - Thailand, China, Malaysia and Singapore - for a 100-million-dollar plant in Asia, news reports said Saturday.

Marc Verbruggen, president of the Minneapolis-based company, was in Bangkok recently to assess Thailand's potential as a base for its Asia plant which is expected to start operations in 2014.

Bangkok - Thai Prime Minster Abhisit Vejjajiva on Friday lifted the state of emergency he had imposed 12 days ago on Bangkok and surrounding provinces to quell anti-government protests. Abhisit announced early Friday at the end of a two-day joint session of the lower and upper houses of parliament that he had decided to lift the state of emergency to show the government's sincerity in seeking national reconciliation.

Small groups of a soldiers posted at various sensitive locations throughout the capital had been withdrawn from the streets Friday morning.