THAILAND’S powerful military will respect a landslide election win by allies of Thaksin Shinawatra, whom it toppled five years ago, according to the defence minister, easing fears of another coup.

The sister of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra today announced an agreement to form a five-party coalition government after her Pheu Thai Party won a landslide victory in Thailand’s parliamentary elections.

Thailand's prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has resigned as leader of the outgoing ruling party after its resounding defeat by the party considered a proxy for ousted former leader Thaksin Shinawatra.

THAILAND’S opposition won a landslide election victory yesterday, led by the sister of former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in a triumph for red-shirt protesters who clashed with the army last year.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has conceded his party lost national elections to the opposition led by the sister of ousted former leader Thaksin Shinawatra.

Exit polls in Thailand are showing the party allied to ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has won an absolute majority in the fractious country’s tense election.

THAI and Cambodian troops clashed for a third straight day yesterday over their disputed border, with gunfire and explosions echoing through mountainous jungle for several hours despite a call for a ceasefire by UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon.

Thailand’s prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has comfortably survived a no-confidence vote in parliament ahead of elections planned for later this year.

Renewed fighting between Cambodian and Thai troops along the countries’ disputed border killed a Thai soldier today and sent thousands of people fleeing before military commanders agreed on the second ceasefire in two days.

The Thai government agreed today to lift a state of emergency in Bangkok and surrounding provinces, eight months after it was imposed during sometimes violent anti-government protests in the capital.

Thailand’s ruling Democrat Party staved off possible dissolution today when a court refused to accept a case accusing it of illegal financing.

Thailand’s ruling Democrat Party survived a legal challenge today which could have seen it dissolved and a new government formed after the Constitutional Court dismissed a charge that it misused an election fund.

Thai police investigating a strong smell emanating from a Buddhist temple have found more than 2,000 foetuses hidden in the complex’s morgue that appear to have come from illegal abortion clinics.

Major suspected Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout was extradited from Thailand to the US today on terrorism charges.

TIGER WOODs returned to his mother’s home country for a four-man charity skins tournament yesterday and left soon after winning only one hole in another disappointing performance.

Several hundred Red Shirt protesters defied a state of emergency in the Thai capital to stage a symbolic protest, with hundreds of people sprawling on the ground and chanting: “People died here!”

A bomb at a bus stop in Bangkok injured nine people shortly after polls closed in a parliamentary election today.

THAILAND’S prime minister said he believes a state of emergency will be lifted in many areas soon.

Thailand’s prime minister said he believes a state of emergency will be lifted in many areas of the country soon.

Thailand’s government must hold elections soon to prove it has a public mandate after protests that left 90 dead in the nation’s capital, a lawyer for fugitive former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said today.

A Briton shouted abuse about Thailand’s prime minister when he appeared in court today charged over recent anti-government riots.

Eleven leaders of anti-government protests could face the death penalty after being charged today with terrorism during the worst political upheaval in modern Thai history.

THAILAND’S parliamentary opposition accused Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva of human rights abuses yesterday in a no confidence motion centred on the use of violence in tackling anti-government protests.

Thailand’s prime minister has lifted a night-time curfew in Bangkok and other areas that was imposed after violence erupted in the capital, an aide said today.

Thailand’s Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant against former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on terrorism charges related to the country’s recent bloody protests.

Almost the entire core leadership of the Thai protesters who built barricades and battled with soldiers in central Bangkok was in custody following the surrender today of two top organisers, official media said.

THAILAND’S prime minister extended a night time curfew in the capital and said he will consider early elections only after the violence that has wracked the nation for the past two months is completely over.

THAILAND’S premier said order has been restored after a deadly crackdown on anti-government protests triggered mayhem in the capital, but that the divided kingdom faces “huge challenges“.

Thailand’s prime minister today promised an independent probe into “all events” surrounding anti-government protests, and called for reconciliation to heal deep political divisions that led to widespread violence and 83 deaths in two months.

Thailand's prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has said order has been restored in Bangkok and the provinces, after weeks of violence.

Thailand will not hold elections as demanded by anti-government protesters until passions from more than two-months of political violence are calmed, a key minister said today.

Buildings smouldered across central Bangkok early today and troops exchanged sporadic fire with pockets of die-hards a day after the army routed anti-government protesters in a push to end Thailand’s deadliest political violence in nearly 20 years.

CENTRAL Bangkok became a flaming battleground yesterday as an army assault forced anti-government protest leaders to surrender, enraging followers who shot grenades and set fire to landmark buildings, cloaking the skyline in black smoke.

Central Bangkok became a flaming battleground today as an army assault forced anti-government protest leaders to surrender, enraging followers who shot grenades and set fire to landmark buildings, cloaking the skyline in black smoke.

Central Bangkok became a battleground today as the army stormed a barricaded protest camp and the Red Shirt leadership surrendered, enraging demonstrators who fired grenades and started fires that cloaked the skyline in a black haze.

The Thai government has claimed that the army was successful in its initial push to clear a protest zone in central Bangkok.

THE Thai government rejected a proposal yesterday for peace talks with leaders of the Red Shirt protesters to end the deadly mayhem gripping Bangkok, saying negotiations cannot start until the demonstrators disperse.

The Thai government today rejected peace talks with Red Shirt protesters to end the deadly chaos in Bangkok, demanding the demonstrators disperse first.

Hopes rose for an end to deadly mayhem in Thailand’s capital as leaders of a protest movement occupying central Bangkok said they would unconditionally accept an offer by the Thai Senate to mediate talks.

THOUSANDS of protesters in the Thai capital defied a deadline to leave their fortified camp yesterday as their leaders offered a truce after five days of street clashes that have left 37 people dead.

Thailand's government has demanded an end to the spiralling violence in Bangkok - but as yet neither side has laid down their arms.

The renegade army general who worked for Thailand’s Red Shirt protesters died today, five days after he was shot by a sniper.

THAILAND’S government insisted a crackdown on Red Shirt protesters will continue despite their plea for UN-mediated talks to end four days of street clashes with troops that have killed 30 people.

Thailand’s Red Shirt protest leaders said today they are willing to negotiate with the government if the army ends its crackdown immediately to put an end to four days of street fighting that has killed 25 people.